Founder effect of E180splice mutation in growth hormone receptor gene (GHR) identified in Brazilian patients with GH insensitivity

We studied the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene in 6 patients with Laron syndrome (LS) from 4 unrelated families. Exons 2 to 10 were amplified by PCR using specific intronic pairs of primers. The PCR products were directly sequenced. Our results showed that all 6 patients carried a homozygous GAG>GAA mutation in codon 180 of exon 6. This mutation did not change the translated amino acid, but created an abnormal splice site deleting 8 amino acids from the extracellular domain of GHR. Members of all 4 kindreds with the E180splice mutation were genotyped for 4 polymorphic intragenic sites: The retention or exclusion of exon 3, single nucleotide polymorphisms present in exons 6 and 10, and intron 9 polymorphic site. All 6 patients presented the same haplotype. The E180splice mutation was first described in a population of Spanish descendants from the Andes of Southern Ecuador. This mutation was also found in oriental Jewish patients from Israel. Our families share the same intron-9 haplotype observed in Ecuadorian and Israeli patients. We conclude that the E180splice mutation is an important cause of LS in Brazil and there is probably a founder effect since our patients, Ecuadorian and Israeli patients share the same haplotype in intron 9.