Familial hypercholesterolemia in Chinese children and adolescents: a multicenter study

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited disorder mainly marked by increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations and a heightened risk of early-onset arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This study seeks to characterize the genetic spectrum and genotype‒phenotype correlations of FH in Chinese pediatric individuals.

Data were gathered from individuals diagnosed with FH either clinically or genetically at multiple hospitals across mainland China from January 2016 to June 2024.

In total, 140 children and adolescents (mean age of 6.00 years) with clinically and genetically diagnosed FH were enrolled in the study, with 87 distinct variants identified in the LDLR, APOB and PCSK9 genes. Among the variants, 11 variants were newly identified worldwide, with 9 classified as "pathogenic" or "likely pathogenic", and 2 classified as "variants of uncertain significance". Additionally, the 5 most common variants in the study were c.1448G > A (p.W483*), c.1879G > A (p.A627T), c.1216C > A (p.R406R), and c.1747C > T (p.H583Y) in the LDLR gene, as well as c.10579C > T (p.R3527W) in the APOB gene, accounting for 49.29% (69/140) of all patients. These variants are primarily observed in the Asian or Chinese population and are distinct from those present in Caucasian groups. In this cohort, 105 patients were diagnosed with heterozygous FH (HeFH), while 35 were diagnosed with homozygous FH (HoFH). Finally, only 28.57% of the patients (40/140) were using lipid-lowering medications with 33.33% of HoFH patients initiating treatment after the age of 8. Additionally, only 3 compound heterozygous patients (2.14%) underwent liver transplantation because of significantly high lipid levels.

This study reveals the variable genotypes and phenotypes of children with FH in China and illustrates that the genotypes in the Chinese population differ from those in Caucasians, providing a valuable dataset for the clinical genetic screening of FH in China. Furthermore, the older age at diagnosis and treatment highlights the underdiagnosis and undertreatment of Chinese FH pediatric patients, suggesting that early identification should be improved through lipid or genetic screening, and that more timely and regular pharmacological treatments should be implemented.