Identification of compound heterozygous TSHR mutations (R109Q and R450H) in a patient with nonclassic TSH resistance and functional characterization of the mutant receptors

Genetic defects of the TSH receptor (TSHR) signaling pathway cause a form of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) known as TSH resistance. Consistent with the physiological understanding that thyroidal iodine uptake is up-regulated by TSHR signaling, most patients with TSH resistance have low to normal thyroidal ¹²³I uptake representing the classic TSH resistance. However, paradoxically high ¹²³I uptake was reported in four molecularly-confirmed patients indicating nonclassic TSH resistance. Here, we report the fifth patient with the nonclassic phenotype. He was a 12-yr-old CH patient and treated with levothyroxine. At the age 11 yr, he showed slightly small thyroid gland and elevated thyroidal ¹²³I uptake. Genetic analysis showed that he was compound heterozygous for two known missense mutations (Arg109Gln and Arg450His) in the TSHR gene. Further, the signal transduction of Arg109Gln-TSHR was defective in both Gs-and Gq-coupled pathways, while Arg450His-TSHR showed Gq-dominant defect. ¹²³I uptake was evaluated earlier in 16 patients with TSH resistance, and a correlation between TSH levels and ¹²³I uptake was shown in patients with specific genotypes (Arg450His or Leu653Val). Collectively, we have re-confirmed that the emergence of the nonclassic phenotype requires two factors: mutant TSHR with Gq-dominant coupling defect and relatively high levels of serum TSH.