title: Predictors and prevalence of paraganglioma syndrome associated with mutations of the SDHC gene.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Paraganglioma syndrome includes inherited head and neck paragangliomas (HNPs) and adrenal or extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas and are classified according to the susceptibility genes SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD. In contrast with those with germline mutations of the SDHB and SDHD genes, clinical and genetic data on patients with mutations of SDHC are scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of SDHC mutation carriers compared with patients with SDHB and SDHD mutations and with sporadic cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Genetic screening for SDHC mutations in an international HNP registry of 121 unrelated index cases and in 371 sporadic cases from a pheochromocytoma registry, conducted January 1, 2001, until December 31, 2004. Identified index cases and affected relatives were clinically evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevalence of and clinical findings for SDHC mutation-associated HNPs vs those with SDHB and SDHD mutations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of SDHC carriers was 4% in HNP but 0% in pheochromocytoma index cases. None of the SDHC mutation carriers had signs of pheochromocytoma. We compared HNPs in 22 SDHC mutation carriers with the HNPs of SDHB (n = 15) and SDHD (n = 42) mutation carriers and with 90 patients with sporadic HNPs. Location, number of tumors, malignancy, and age were different: more carotid body tumors were found in SDHC (13/22 [59%]) than in sporadic HNPs (29/90 [32%], P = .03), as well as fewer instances of multiple tumors in SDHC (2/22) than in SDHD (24/42; P<.001), 0 malignant tumors in SDHC vs 6/15 in SDHB (P = .002), and younger age at diagnosis in SDHC than in sporadic HNPs (45 vs 52 years; P = .03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with HNP, but not those with pheochromocytoma, harbor SDHC mutations in addition to those in SDHB and SDHD. In total, more than one quarter of HNP patients carry a mutation in 1 of these 3 genes. Head and neck paragangliomas associated with SDHC mutations are virtually exclusively benign and seldom multifocal. Analysis for germline mutations of SDHC is recommended in apparently sporadic HNP to identify risk of inheritance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schiavi
authors.forename: Carsten C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Boedeker
authors.forename: Birke
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bausch
authors.forename: Mariola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peçzkowska
authors.forename: Clara Fuentes
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Strassburg
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pawlu
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buchta
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salzmann
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Ansgar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berlis
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brink
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cybulla
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muresan
authors.forename: Martin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forrer
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Välimäki
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawecki
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szutkowski
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schipper
authors.forename: Martin K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Walz
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pigny
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bauters
authors.forename: Joan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Willet-Brozick
authors.forename: Bora E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Baysal
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Januszewicz
authors.forename: Charis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Opocher
authors.forename: Hartmut P H
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Neumann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D009386:Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics; D012042:Registries; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D021122:Protein Subunits; C108096:SDHC protein, human; C491545:SDHD protein, human; C108095:SDHB protein, human; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase