Abnormal pericyte recruitment as a cause for pulmonary hypertension in Adams-Oliver syndrome.
Adams-Oliver syndrome (AOS) consists of congenital scalp defects with variable limb defects of unknown pathogenesis. We report on two children with AOS plus additional features including intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita (CMTC), pulmonary hypertension (PH), intracranial densities shown in one case to be sites of active bleeding and osteopenia. Autopsy in one case revealed defective vascular smooth muscle cell/pericyte coverage of the vasculature associated with two blood vessel abnormalities. Pericyte absence correlated with vessel dilatation while hyperproliferation of pericytes correlated with vessel stenosis. These findings suggest a unifying pathogenic mechanism for the abnormalities seen in AOS. These and previously reported cases establish that a subset of AOS patients is at high risk for PH.
Patel
Millan S
MS
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Taylor
Glenn P
GP
Bharya
Simi
S
Al-Sanna'a
Nouriya
N
Adatia
Ian
I
Chitayat
David
D
Suzanne Lewis
M E
ME
Human
Derek G
DG
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000473:pathology*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000473:pathology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017880:Limb Deformities, Congenital / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D020286:Pericytes / Q000473:pathology*; D012535:Scalp / Q000002:abnormalities*; D017445:Skin Diseases, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D013577:Syndrome