Familial focal segmental glomerulosclerosis associated with an ACTN4 mutation and paternal germline mosaicism.
Mutations in the ACTN4 gene cause focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), which shows autosomal dominant inheritance (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man No. 603278, FSGS1). Most patients with a diagnosis of FSGS1 show a mild to moderate degree of proteinuria during adolescence or later, and some patients gradually progress to end-stage renal disease. Here, we report a familial case of FSGS1 in which 2 affected siblings showed unusual clinical, pathological, and genetic features. Both patients presented with full-blown rapidly progressing nephrotic syndrome in early childhood. Renal pathological findings were of an FSGS collapsing variant and FSGS not otherwise specified. A novel ACTN4 mutation, p.Ser262Phe, was detected in the patients, and their father was found to have a germline mosaicism for the mutation. In addition, these siblings also had a heterozygous p.Thr5Met substitution in NPHS1, which encodes nephrin, although the functional significance of this substitution is unclear. This is the third clinical report of FSGS1 and the first case report of germline mosaicism confirmed in patients with hereditary podocyte disorders. FSGS1 may have widely variable clinical and pathological phenotypes and therefore should be considered in young children with full-blown and rapidly progressing nephrotic syndrome. The possibility of germline mosaicism makes interpretation of molecular diagnoses and genetic counseling more difficult.
Choi
Hyun Jin
HJ
Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Beom Hee
BH
Cho
Hee Yeon
HY
Moon
Kyung Chul
KC
Ha
Il Soo
IS
Nagata
Michio
M
Choi
Yong
Y
Cheong
Hae Il
HI
D000185:Actinin / Q000235:genetics*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D005923:Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009030:Mosaicism; D009154:Mutation
C111453:ACTN4 protein, human; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D000185:Actinin