OBJECTIVE
To identify the genetic cause for a Chinese Han family affected with primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy.
METHODS
Whole blood and urine samples were collected from a patient and 7 unaffected relatives of the family. The coding sequences and intron/exon boundaries of HPGD and SLCO2A1 genes of the patient were amplified with polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. The genotypes of relatives were subsequently verified. Urinary prostaglandin level was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
RESULTS
A homozygous 2-bp deletion in HPGD gene (c.310_311delCT, or p.L104AfsX3) was detected in the patient, and 5 heterozygous carriers were identified in the relatives. The urinary prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) level was significantly elevated (P<0.01), while PGE-M was significantly reduced (P<0.01) in the patient.
CONCLUSION
Primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy in this family is caused by a homozygous mutation (c.310_311delCT) in the HPGD gene.