Novel mutations in the MEN1 gene in subjects with multiple endocrine neoplasia-1

To identify MEN1 gene mutations and characterize clinical manifestations in Chinese kindred with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) in Taiwan.

Eight unrelated subjects (one male and seven females, age range 26-70 years) with clinical manifestations of MEN1 were analysed. In addition, 45 relatives that included 10 affected (three males and seven females, age range 32-53 years) and 35 unaffected (17 males and 18 females, age range 15-80 years) subjects were evaluated. Genomic DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequence analysis were performed according to standard procedures.

We identified heterozygous MEN1 gene mutations in all eight probands and 10 affected subjects as well as in 13 clinically asymptomatic relatives. Novel mutations included a missense mutation in a heterozygous mutation in exon 9 (GAC --> CAC) resulting in a substitution of aspartic acid by histidine at codon 418 (family 1); a nonsense mutation at codon 556 of exon 10 (GAG --> TAG) resulting in a stop codon and termination (family 2); a missense mutation in exon 2 (GGG --> GAG) causing the substitution of glycine by glutamic acid at codon 110 (family 3); and a deletion/insertion mutation in nucleotide 1200 of exon 8 resulting in frameshift and early termination (family 4). Affected subjects in families 5-7 shared the same C insertion at nucleotide 1650 of exon 10, similar to that previously described as a hotspot for mutation, and proband 8 had a previously described mutation in intron 4 of the MEN1 gene (IVS4-9 G --> A). We also found that 18 (58%) of our 31 MEN1 mutant carriers had clinical symptoms, whereas four (13%) had biochemical abnormalities without clinical symptoms, and nine (29%) were unaffected both clinically and biochemically.

We have identified four novel mutations in the MEN1 gene in patients with MEN1 in Taiwan.