POU1F1 mutations in combined pituitary hormone deficiency: differing spectrum of mutations in a Western-Indian cohort and systematic analysis of world literature.

CONTEXT: POU1F1 mutations are prevalent in Indian CPHD cohorts. Genotype-phenotype correlation is not well-studied.

AIM: To describe phenotypic and genotypic spectrum of POU1F1 mutations in our CPHD cohort and present systematic review as well as genotype-phenotype analysis of all mutation-positive cases reported in world literature.

METHODS

Retrospective study of POU1F1 mutation-positive patients from a western-Indian center. PRISMA guidelines based pubmed search of published literature of all mutation-positive patients.

RESULTS

Our cohort had 15 POU1F1 mutation-positive patients (9 index, 6 relatives). All had severe GH, TSH and prolactin deficiencies (GHD, TSHD and PD). TSHD was diagnosed earliest followed by GHD (median ages: TSHD-6 months, GHD-3 years), while PD was more variable. Two sisters had central precocious puberty at 7 years of age. Pubic hair was deficient in all post-pubertal patients (females: P1-P2, males: P3-P4). Splice-site/intronic/frameshift mutations were most common, while missense/nonsense mutations were less frequent (33%). Review of world literature yielded 114 patients (82 index patients) from 58 studies. GHD was present in all patients. TSHD was spared in 12.5% and PD in 4.4% patients. Missense/nonsense mutations accounted for 75% of spectrum. Phenotype-genotype analysis revealed higher mean peak-GH levels (1.1 vs 0.2 ng/ml, p = 0.008) and lower prevalence of anterior-pituitary hypoplasia (63.6% vs 86.3%, p = 0.03) in patients with heterozygous than homozygous and compound heterozygous mutations.

CONCLUSIONS

We present largest series of POU1F1 mutation-positive patients. Precocious puberty and defective pubarche are lesser-appreciated phenotypic features. Our mutation spectrum is different from that of world literature. Patients with heterozygous mutations have milder phenotype.