Human uric acid transporter 1 gene analysis in familial renal hypo-uricemia associated with exercise-induced acute renal failure

Prevalence and factors related to hypouricemia and hyperuricemia in schoolchildren: results of a large-scale cross-sectional population-based study conducted in Japan

Hypouricemia in children including renal hypouricemia, which is a major cause of exercise-induced acute renal injury (EIAKI), is an important clinical problem, in addition to hyperuricemia. However, no large-scale studies of serum uric acid (UA) concentrations in the general pre-adolescent population have been carried out. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study to measure the prevalences of hypouricemia and hyperuricemia and identify the associated factors. We analyzed 31,822 (16,205 boys and 15,617 girls) 9-10-year-old children who underwent pediatric health check-ups in Kagawa prefecture between 2014 and 2018. Hypouricemia and hyperuricemia were defined using serum UA concentrations of ≤ 2.0 mg/dL and ≥ 6.0 mg/dL, respectively. The prevalence of hypouricemia was 0.38% in both 9- and 10-year-old boys and girls, and was not significantly associated with age, sex, or environmental factors, including overweight. The prevalence of hyperuricemia was significantly higher in boys (2.7%) than in girls (1.9%), and was significantly associated with age, overweight, future diabetes risk, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and liver damage, but not with high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Therefore, some pre-adolescent children in the general population in Japan showed hypouricemia. A means of identifying children with hypouricemia and lifestyle guidance measures for the prevention of EIAKI should be established.

Transplantation of a kidney with a heterozygous mutation in the SLC22A12 (URAT1) gene causing renal hypouricemia: a case report

Background

Renal hypouricemia (RHUC) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the SLC22A12 gene, which encodes the major uric acid (UA) transporter, URAT1. The clinical course of related, living donor-derived RHUC in patients undergoing kidney transplantation is poorly understood. Here, we report a case of kidney transplantation from a living relative who had an SLC22A12 mutation. After the transplantation, the recipient’s fractional excretion of UA (FEUA) decreased, and chimeric tubular epithelium was observed.

Case presentation

A 40-year-old man underwent kidney transplantation. His sister was the kidney donor. Three weeks after the transplantation, he had low serum-UA, 148.7 μmol/L, and elevated FEUA, 20.8% (normal: < 10%). The patient’s sister had low serum-UA (101.1 μmol/L) and high FEUA (15.8%) before transplant. Suspecting RHUC, we performed next-generation sequencing on a gene panel containing RHUC-associated genes. A heterozygous missense mutation in the SLC22A12 gene was detected in the donor, but not in the recipient. The recipient’s serum-UA level increased from 148.7 μmol/L to 231.9 μmol/L 3 months after transplantation and was 226.0 μmol/L 1 year after transplantation. His FEUA decreased from 20.8 to 11.7% 3 months after transplantation and was 12.4% 1 year after transplantation. Fluorescence in situ hybridization of allograft biopsies performed 3 months and 1 year after transplantation showed the presence of Y chromosomes in the tubular epithelial cells, suggesting the recipient’s elevated serum-UA levels were owing to a chimeric tubular epithelium.

Conclusions

We reported on a kidney transplant recipient that developed RHUC owing to his donor possessing a heterozygous mutation in the SLC22A12 (URAT1) gene. Despite this mutation, the clinical course was not problematic. Thus, the presence of donor-recipient chimerism in the tubular epithelium might positively affect the clinical course, at least in the short-term.

Non-urate transporter 1, non-glucose transporter member 9-related renal hypouricemia and acute renal failure accompanied by hyperbilirubinemia after anaerobic exercise: a case report

Background

Renal hypouricemia (RHUC) is an inherited heterogenous disorder caused by faulty urate reabsorption transporters in the renal proximal tubular cells. Anaerobic exercise may induce acute kidney injury in individuals with RHUC that is not caused by exertional rhabdomyolysis; it is called acute renal failure with severe loin pain and patchy renal ischemia after anaerobic exercise (ALPE).

RHUC is the most important risk factor for ALPE. However, the mechanism of onset of ALPE in patients with RHUC has not been elucidated. The currently known genes responsible for RHUC are SLC22A12 and SLC2A9.

Case presentation

A 37-year-old man presented with loin pain after exercising. Despite having a healthy constitution from birth, biochemical examination revealed hypouricemia, with a uric acid (UA) level of < 1 mg/dL consistently at every health check. We detected acute kidney injury, with a creatinine (Cr) level of 4.1 mg/dL, and elevated bilirubin; hence, the patient was hospitalized. Computed tomography revealed no renal calculi, but bilateral renal swelling was noted. Magnetic resonance imaging detected cuneiform lesions, indicating bilateral renal ischemia. Fractional excretion values of sodium and UA were 0.61 and 50.5%, respectively. Urinary microscopy showed lack of tubular injury. The patient’s older sister had hypouricemia. The patient was diagnosed with ALPE. Treatment with bed rest, fluid replacement, and nutrition therapy improved renal function and bilirubin levels, and the patient was discharged on day 5. Approximately 1 month after onset of ALPE, his Cr, UA, and TB levels were 0.98, 0.8, and 0.9 mg/dL, respectively. We suspected familial RHUC due to the hypouricemia and family history and performed genetic testing but did not find the typical genes responsible for RHUC. A full genetic analysis was opposed by the family.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of ALPE with hyperbilirubinemia. Bilirubin levels may become elevated as a result of heme oxygenase-1 activation, occurring in exercise-induced acute kidney injury in patients with RHUC; this phenomenon suggests renal ischemia-reperfusion injury. A new causative gene coding for a urate transporter may exist, and its identification would be useful to clarify the urate transport mechanism.

Renal hypouricemia caused by novel compound heterozygous mutations in the SLC22A12 gene: a case report with literature review

Background

Renal hypouricemia (RHUC) is a heterogeneous genetic disorder that is characterized by decreased serum uric acid concentration and increased fractional excretion of uric acid. Previous reports have revealed many functional mutations in two urate transporter genes, SLC22A12 and/or SLC2A9, to be the causative genetic factors of this disorder. However, there are still unresolved patients, suggesting the existence of other causal genes or new mutations. Here, we report an RHUC patient with novel compound heterozygous mutations in the SLC22A12 gene.

Case presentation

A 27-year-old female presenting with recurrent hypouricemia during routine checkups was referred to our hospital. After obtaining the patient’s consent, both the patient and her healthy parents were analyzed using whole-exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing to discover and validate causal mutations, respectively. The prioritization protocol of WES screened out two mutations of c.269G > A/p.R90H and c.1289_1290insGG/p.M430fsX466, which are both located in the SLC22A12 gene, in the patient. Sanger sequencing further confirmed that the patient’s heterozygous c.269G > A/p.R90H mutation, which has been reported previously, derived from her mother, and the heterozygous c.1289_1290insGG/p.M430fsX466 mutation, which was found for the first time, derived from her father. p.R90H, which is highly conserved among different species, may decrease the stability of this domain and was considered to be almost damaging in silicon analysis. p.M430fsX466 lacks the last three transmembrane domains, including the tripeptide motif (S/T)XΦ (X = any amino acid and Φ = hydrophobic residue), at the C-terminal, which interact with scaffolding protein PDZK1 and thus will possibly lead to weak functioning of urate transport through the disruption of the “transporter complex” that is formed by URAT1 and PDZK1.

Conclusions

We report a Chinese patient with RHUC, which was caused by compound heterozygous mutations of the SLC22A12 gene, using WES and Sanger sequencing for the first time. Mutation-induced structural instability or malfunction of the urate transporter complex may be the main mechanisms for this hereditary disorder.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12881-018-0595-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Age and origin of the G774A mutation in SLC22A12 causing renal hypouricemia in Japanese

Renal hypouricemia is an inherited disorder characterized by impaired tubular uric acid transport. Impairment of the function of URAT1, the main transporter for the reabsorption of uric acid at the apical membrane of the renal tubules, causes renal hypouricemia. The G774A mutation in the SLC22A12 gene encoding URAT1 predominates in Japanese renal hypouricemia. From data on linkage disequilibrium between the G774 locus and the 13 markers flanking it (12 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 1 dinucleotide insertion/deletion locus), we here estimate the age of this mutation at approximately 6820 years [95% confidence interval (CI) 1860-11,760 years; median = 2460 years]. This indicates that the origin of the G774A mutation dates back from between the time when the Jomon people predominated in Japan and the time when the Yayoi people started to migrate to Japan from the Korean peninsula. These data are consistent with a recent finding that this G774A mutation was also predominant in Koreans with hypouricemia and indicate that the mutation originated on the Asian continent. Thus, this mutation found in Japanese patients was originally brought by immigrant(s) from the continent and thereafter expanded in the Japanese population either by founder effects or by genetic drift (or both).