title: Normal sequence of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone gene in patients with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
abstract: Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) results from absent or greatly diminished secretion of GnRH. Defects in the GnRH gene have been identified in an animal model of IHH and have been hypothesized as a possible basis for GnRH deficiency in humans. In this study, we used the polymerase chain reaction to clone and sequence the coding regions, promoter, and 3' untranslated tract of the GnRH genes from both alleles of four unrelated patients with IHH. One of the patients studied is a member of a kindred in which X-linked inheritance has been excluded by father-to-son transmission of the disease. No DNA sequence mutations were found. We conclude that most cases of IHH in humans do not involve mutations in the GnRH gene and are presumably caused by mutations at one or more other genetic loci that are required for normal function of GnRH-producing neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Whitcomb
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Crowley
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jameson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010375:Pedigree; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D004247:DNA