Anomalies in Human Sex Determination: Usefulness of a Combined Cytogenetic Approach to Characterize an Additional Case with Xp Functional Disomy Associated with 46,XY Gonadal Dysgenesis
Rjiba Khouloud1, Wafa Slimani2, Meriem Gaddas3, Ikbel Hadj hassine4, Afef Jelloul5, Hela Ben Khelifa5, Fethi El Amri6, Monia Zaouali3, Kenneth Mcelreavey7, Ali Saad2, Soumaya Mougou-Zerelli21Farhat Hached University Hospital, Molecular Genetics and Biology of Reproduction, Laboratory of Human Cytogenetics, Sousse; Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir; Université de Sousse, Faculté de Médecine de Sousse, Unité de Services Communs en Génétique Humaine, Sousse, Tunisia2Farhat Hached University Hospital, Molecular Genetics and Biology of Reproduction, Laboratory of Human Cytogenetics; Université de Sousse, Faculté de Médecine de Sousse, Unité de Services Communs en Génétique Humaine, Sousse, Tunisia
3Sousse University, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Laboratory of Physiology and Functional Explorations, Sousse, Tunisia
4University of Monastir, Higher Institute of Biotechnology, Monastir, Tunisia
5Farhat Hached University Hospital, Molecular Genetics and Biology of Reproduction, Laboratory of Human Cytogenetics, Sousse, Tunisia
6Private Pediatrician, Kairouan, Tunisia
7Institut Pasteur, Human Developmental Genetics Unit, Paris, France
INTRODUCTION: Disorders of sexual development (DSD) are a heterogeneous group of genital defects affecting chromosomal, gonadal and anatomical sex. 46,XY DSD is a subset of DSD which covers a wide range of phenotypes in which 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis (GD) is the most severe form. In this study, we report on the clinical and molecular cytogenetic findings of a study on a Tunisian girl with the syndromic form of 46,XY DSD.
METHODS: This case was a phenotypic female patient having several congenital anomalies including growth retardation. Karyotype, fluorescence in situ hybridization and array Comparative Genome Hybridization (array CGH) were performed.
RESULTS: The proband exhibited a de-novo 46,X,der(Y) karyotype. Array CGH revealed a pathogenic 27.5Mb gain of an Xp21.2 chromosome segment leading to Xp functional disomy. No deletion was observed in the Y-chromosome. The duplicated region encompassed the NR0B1 (DAX1) and MAGEB genes, located within the dosage sensitive sex (DSS) reversal locus, known as promote genes responsible for human sex reversal and testis repression. The extra-dosage and interactions of these genes with different specific genes could result in the impairment of the male sex pathway. Over-dosage of KAL1 and IL1RAPL1 genes fall within the somatic features observed in the patient.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, we report on the fourth case of Xp21.2-pter duplication within Xp;Yp translocation associated with XY GD. Our findings suggest that when duplicated, the NR0B1 and MAGEB genes could be a major cause of XY GD. Therefore, we emphasize the usefulness of a combined cytogenetic approach in order to provide an accurate genetic diagnosis for those patients having syndromic XY DSD in a clinical setting.
Manuscript Language: English
