Allelic variations in the human growth hormone-1 gene promoter of growth hormone-deficient patients and normal controls

Department of Pediatrics, University of Bern, Switzerland.

OBJECTIVE: Isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) type IB is suggested to be more probably due to alterations in the genes directly involved in the hypothalamo-pituitary axis and/or in the specific transcriptional regulation (cis-trans coupling) of the hGH-1 gene than to alterations in the gene itself. In this study we analyzed the hGH-1 gene promoter region for structural alterations and allelic variations. METHODS: The hGH-1 gene promoter region was analyzed by PCR, cycle sequencing and direct-blotting electrophoresis in a total of 212 individuals including 113 patients with IGHD type IB, 21 unaffected family members and 78 normal controls. RESULTS: Twenty-two sequence variation sites were identified. Of these, 14% were located around the region of -1075bp, 77% between -550bp and the translational start site (+1bp) and 9% within the first intron. Only one variation site affected a characterized cis-acting element, namely that of NF-1. Importantly, all the variations found in patients were also observed in non-affected family members as well as in normal unrelated controls. CONCLUSIONS: These findings imply that it is not a single variation within the GH-1 gene promoter, and therefore in the cis-acting elements, which causes IGHD. However, we can not exclude the possibility that combinations of variations might perturb expression. Furthermore, these data illustrate the normal heterogeneity of the GH-1 gene promoter region, a fact that has to be borne in mind whenever transcriptional studies are performed.