Dominant PDX1 deficiency causes highly penetrant diabetes at different ages, associated with obesity and exocrine pancreatic deficiency: Lessons for precision medicine

Diabetes Metab. 2024 Jan;50(1):101507. doi: 10.1016/j.diabet.2023.101507. Epub 2023 Dec 21.

Abstract

Objective: Heterozygous pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) PDX1 variants cause monogenic diabetes. We comprehensively examined the phenotypes of carriers of P/LP PDX1 variants, and delineated potential treatments that could be efficient in an objective of precision medicine.

Methods: The study primarily involved a family harboring a novel P/LP PDX1 variant. We then conducted an analysis of documented carriers of P/LP PDX1 variants, from the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD), RaDiO study, and Type 2 Diabetes Knowledge Portal (T2DKP) including 87 K participants.

Results: Within the family, we identified a P/LP PDX1 variant encoding p.G232S in four relatives. All of them exhibited diabetes, albeit with very different ages of onset (10-40 years), along with caudal pancreatic agenesis and childhood-onset obesity. In the HGMD, 79 % of carriers of a P/LP PDX1 variant displayed diabetes (with differing ages of onset from eight days of life to 67 years), 63 % exhibited pancreatic insufficiency and surprisingly 40 % had obesity. The impact of P/LP PDX1 variants on increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus was confirmed in the T2DKP. Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor (DPP4i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP1-RA), enabled good glucose control without hypoglycemia and weight management.

Conclusions: This study reveals diverse clinical presentations among the carriers of a P/LP PDX1 variant, highlighting strong variations in diabetes onset, and unexpectedly high prevalence of obesity and pancreatic development abnormalities. Clinical data suggest that DPP4i and GLP1-RA may be the best effective treatments to manage both glucose and weight controls, opening new avenue in precision diabetic medicine.

Keywords: DPP4 inhibitors; GLP1 receptor agonist; Monogenic diabetes; PDX1.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / epidemiology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Obesity / complications
  • Obesity / epidemiology
  • Obesity / genetics
  • Precision Medicine
  • Trans-Activators / genetics

Substances

  • Trans-Activators
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Hypoglycemic Agents