Analyzing Genetic Differences Between Sporadic Primary and Secondary/Tertiary Hyperparathyroidism by Targeted Next-Generation Panel Sequencing

Abstract

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is characterized by excessive serum parathyroid hormone levels in response to decreasing kidney function, and tertiary hyperparathyroidism (THPT) is often the result of a long-standing SHPT. To date, several genes have been associated with the pathogenesis of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). However, the molecular genetic mechanisms of uremic hyperparathyroidism (HPT) remain uncharacterized. To elucidate the differences in genetic alterations between PHPT and SHPT/THPT, the targeted next-generation sequencing of genes associated with HPT was performed using DNA extracted from parathyroid tissues. As a result, 26 variants in 19 PHPT or SHPT/THPT appeared as candidate pathogenic mutations, which corresponded to 9 (35%) nonsense, 8 (31%) frameshift, 6 (23%) missense, and 3 (11%) splice site mutations. The MEN1 (23%, 6/26), ASXL3 (15%, 4/26), EZH2 (12%, 3/26), and MTOR (8%, 2/26) genes were frequently mutated. Sixteen of 25 patients with PHPT (64%) had one or more mutations, whereas 3 (21%) of 21 patients with SHPT/THPT had only 1 mutation (p = 0.001). Sixteen of 28 patients (57%) with parathyroid adenoma (PA) had one or more mutations, whereas 3 of 18 patients (17%) with parathyroid hyperplasia (PH) had just one mutation (p = 0.003). Known driver mutations associated with parathyroid tumorigenesis such as CCND1/PRAD1, CDC73/HRPT2, and MEN1 were identified only in PA (44%, 7/16 with mutations). Our results suggest that molecular genetic abnormalities in SHPT/THPT are distinct from those in PHPT. These findings may help in analyzing the molecular pathogenesis underlying uremic HPT development.

Keywords: Next-generation sequencing; Parathyroid adenoma; Parathyroid hyperplasia; Primary hyperparathyroidism; Secondary hyperparathyroidism; Tertiary hyperparathyroidism.