Four Cases of Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) Type 5 Associated with Mutations in the Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1 Beta (HNF1B) Gene Presenting in a 13-Year-Old Boy and in Adult Men Aged 33, 34, and 35 Years in Poland

Objective: Congenital defects/diseases Background: Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) usually presents in patients under the age of 25 years and is an autosomal dominant condition associated with mutations in the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha gene, glucokinase gene, or hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha gene. This report is of a series of 4 cases from Poland of MODY type 5 associated with mutations in the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 beta (HNF1B) gene, including a 13-year-old boy and adult men aged 33, 34, and 35 years. Case Reports: Three cases were diagnosed late, in patients in their mid-thirties. In two patients, the initial presentation was symptomatic diabetes complicated by ketoacidosis and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state. Renal cysts were found in all patients, and pancreatic hypoplasia in 3 patients. All patients except 1 were negative for autoantibodies; 1 presented with hypomagnesemia. Insulin therapy was instituted in all cases. The combination of family history, imaging study results, and biochemical characteristics led to the decision to perform genetic analysis, which was conducted in 2 cases at diagnosis, and in the 2 remaining patients at 1 month and 2 years after diagnosis, respectively. Follow-up data revealed hypomagnesemia and/or hypermagnesuria in all patients. Conclusions: We present 3 young men over 25 years and 1 boy with HNF1B-MODY. Although rare, autosomal dominant gene associations should be considered in young patients with diabetes who present with renal/pancreatic anomalies and low serum magnesium. Unusual presentation and the presence of autoantibodies should not eliminate the possibility of a HNF1B defect

Hypomagnesemia is underestimated in children with HNF1B mutations

Background Hypomagnesemia in patients with congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract or autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease is highly suggestive of HNF1B-associated disease. Intriguingly, the frequency of low serum Mg2+ (sMg) level varies and is lower in children than in adults with HNF1B mutations that could be partially due to application of inaccurate normal limit of sMg, irrespective of age and gender. We aimed to re-assess cross-sectionally and longitudinally the frequency of hypomagnesemia in HNF1B disease by using locally derived reference values of sMg. Methods Fourteen children with HNF1B-associated kidney disease were included. Control group comprising 110 subjects served to generate 2.5th percentiles of sMg as the lower limits of normal. Results In both controls and patients, sMg correlated with age, gender, and fractional excretion of Mg2+. In girls, sMg concentration was higher than in boys when analyzed in the entire age spectrum (p < 0.05). In HNF1B patients, mean sMg was lower than in controls as compared with respective gender- and age-specific interval (p < 0.001). Low sMg levels (< 0.7 mmol/l) were found in 21.4% of patients at diagnosis and 36.4% at last visit, which rose to 85.7% and 72.7% respectively when using the age- and gender-adjusted reference data. Similarly, in the longitudinal observation, 23% of sMg measurements were < 0.7 mmol/l versus 79.7% when applying respective references. Conclusions Hypomagnesemia is underdiagnosed in children with HNF1B disease. sMg levels are age- and gender-dependent; thus, the use of appropriate reference data is crucial to hypomagnesemia in children

Hyperuricemia Is an Early and Relatively Common Feature in Children with HNF1B Nephropathy but Its Utility as a Predictor of the Disease Is Limited

Background: Hyperuricemia is recognized as an important feature of nephropathy, associated with a mutation in the hepatocyte nuclear factor-1B (HNF1B) gene, and could serve as a useful marker of the disease. However, neither a causal relationship nor its predictive value have been proven. The purpose of this study was to assess this in children with renal malformations, both with (mut+) and without HNF1B mutations (mut-). Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics of pediatric patients tested for HNF1B mutations, collected in a national registry. Results: 108 children were included in the study, comprising 43 mut+ patients and 65 mut- subjects. Mean sUA was higher and hyperuricemia more prevalent (42.5% vs. 15.4%) in HNF1B carriers. The two groups were similar with respect to respect to age, sex, anthropometric parameters, hypertension, and renal function. Renal function, fractional excretion of uric acid and parathyroid hormone level were independent predictors of sUA. The potential of hyperuricemia to predict mutation was low, and addition of hyperuricemia to a multivariate logistic regression model did not increase its accuracy. Conclusions: Hyperuricemia is an early and common feature of HNF1B nephropathy. A strong association of sUA with renal function and parathyroid hormone limits its utility as a reliable marker to predict HNF1B mutation among patients with kidney anomalies