Comparison of clinical-radiological and molecular findings in hypochondroplasia

Am J Med Genet. 1998 Jan 6;75(1):109-12. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1096-8628(19980106)75:1<109::aid-ajmg22>3.0.co;2-p.

Abstract

Hypochondroplasia is an autosomal dominant skeletal dysplasia characterized by disproportionate short stature. A mutation (N540K) in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene was described in some patients with this condition. The aims of the study were to identify the frequency of the FGFR3 gene mutation, to define the salient clinical and radiological abnormalities of the affected subjects, and to verify the contribution of molecular findings to the clinical and radiological definition of hypochondroplasia. Based on the most common radiological criteria, we selected 18 patients with a phenotype compatible with hypochondroplasia. Height, sitting height, and cranial circumference were measured in all patients. Radiographs of the lumbar spine, left leg, pelvis, and left hand were also obtained. The presence of the N540K mutation was verified by restriction enzyme digestions. Half of our patients carried the N540K mutation. Although similar in phenotype to the patients without the mutation, they showed in addition relative macrocephaly. The association of the unchanged/narrow interpedicular distance with the fibula longer than the tibia was more common in patients with gene mutation. Although we did not find a firm correlation between genotype and phenotype, in our study the N540K mutation was most often associated with disproportionate short stature, macrocephaly, and with radiological findings of unchanged/narrow interpedicular distance and fibula longer than tibia.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 3
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors / genetics
  • Gene Frequency
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Osteochondrodysplasias / diagnostic imaging*
  • Osteochondrodysplasias / genetics*
  • Point Mutation
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Radiography

Substances

  • FGF3 protein, human
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 3
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors