Severe Aldosterone Synthase Deficiency in a 9-Day-Old Lebanese Boy: The Importance of Functional Studies to Establish Pathogenicity of Seemingly Benign Variants in CYP11B2.

INTRODUCTION: Aldosterone synthase deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by vomiting, dehydration, salt wasting, life-threatening hyperkalemia in infancy, followed by failure to thrive. It results from pathogenic variants in CYP11B2.

CASE PRESENTATION: A boy, born in Montreal to Lebanese parents who are first cousins, was referred at 9 days of life for severe dehydration. A diagnosis of primary adrenal insufficiency was made, and treatment was started with fludrocortisone and hydrocortisone. Exome sequencing revealed a homozygous variant p.(Asn201Asp)(N201D) in CYP11B2. In silico, this variant was considered benign, but in vitro functional expression studies established it caused the severe aldosterone deficiency. It ended the diagnostic odyssey and allowed to safely stop hydrocortisone replacement.

CONCLUSION: If a gene variant co-segregates with a phenotype, in vitro functional studies are required even if in silico studies are negative.