Clinical and genetic heterogeneity of HNF4A/HNF1A mutations in a multicentre paediatric cohort with hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia

OBJECTIVE

The phenotype mediated by HNF4A/HNF1A mutations is variable and includes diazoxide-responsive hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia (HH) and maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY).

DESIGN

We characterised an international multicentre paediatric cohort of patients with HNF4Aor HNF1Amutations presenting with HH over a 25-year period (1995-2020).

METHODS

Clinical and genetic analysis data from five centres were obtained. Diazoxide responsiveness was defined as the ability to maintain normoglycaemia without intravenous glucose. Macrosomia was defined as a birth weight ≥90th centile. SPSS v.27.1 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 34 patients (70.6% female, n = 24) with a mean age of 7.1 years (s.d. 6.4) were included. A total of 21 different heterozygous HNF4Amutations were identified in 29 patients (four novels). Four different previously described heterozygous HNF1A mutations were detected in five patients. Most (97.1%, n = 33) developed hypoglycaemia by day 2 of life. The mean birth weight was 3.8 kg (s.d. 0.8), with most infants macrosomic (n = 21, 61.8%). Diazoxide was commenced in 28 patients (82.3%); all responded. HH resolved in 20 patients (58.8%) following a median of 0.9 years (interquartile range (IQR): 0.2-6.8). Nine patients (n = 9, 26.5%) had developmental delay. Two patients developed Fanconi syndrome (p.Arg63Trp, HNF4A) and four had other renal or hepatic findings. Five (14.7%) developed MODY at a median of 11.0 years (IQR: 9.0-13.9). Of patients with inherited mutations (n = 25, 73.5%), a family history of diabetes was present in 22 (88.0%).

CONCLUSIONS

We build on the knowledge of the natural history and pancreatic and extra-pancreatic phenotypes of HNF4A/HNF1Amutations and illustrate the heterogeneity of this condition.

MON-111 Plasma Insulin Measured with a Sensitive Immunoassay May Establish the Diagnosis of Congenital Hyperinsulinism Without Further Testing

Background: The diagnosis of congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is often hampered by a plasma insulin (p-insulin) detection limit of 2-3 mU/L (14-21 pmol/L) by RIA methods.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a sensitive immunoassay for p-insulin and to find the optimal p-insulin cut-off for CHI versus other conditions with hypoglycaemia.

Design: Single centre retrospective cohort study.

Methods: Diagnostic tests with no medication, no i.v. glucose and under fasting conditions were performed in children with a clinical diagnosis of CHI. P-insulin concentrations determined at simultaneous p-glucose concentrations at least <3.2 mmol/L (57.5 mg/dL) were included in the analysis (n=61).

The diagnosis of CHI was either clinical (n=61) or by gold standard criteria: hypoketotic hypoglycaemia plus disease-causing genetic mutations and/or diffuse, focal or atypical pancreatic histopathology (n=57). Samples from 15 children with idiopathic ketotic hypoglycaemia (IKH, diagnosis by exclusion, p-ketones >1.5 mmol/L during hypoglycaemia) were used as controls.

P-insulin was measured by the high-sensitive assay (Cobas e411 immunoassay analyzer); lower detection limit 1.4 pmol/L (0.2 mU/L); normal range 18-173 pmol/L (2.57-24.7 mU/L). Concentrations <18 pmol/L were considered suppressed; ≥18 pmol/L un-suppressed.

Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves with determination of area under the curve (AUC) values were performed for the diagnostic performance of p-insulin in the diagnosis of CHI. Results: In the 61 samples from CHI patients, the median (range) p-insulin was un-suppressed in all diagnostic samples [90; 20-758 pmol/L (12.9; 2.9-109.1 mU/L)], while p-insulin was suppressed in all 15 samples from IKH patients [1.5; 1.5-9 pmol/L (0.21; 0.21-1.3 mU/L)]. The ROC AUC was 1.0 (95%CI. 1.0-1.0) for the diagnosis of CHI defined both by the clinic and by gold standard. The optimal p-insulin cut-off was 14.5 pmol/L (2.1 mU/L) or 12.5 pmol/L (1.8 mU/L), for CHI patients by use of a simultaneous p-glucose cut-off of <3.2 mmol/L (57.5 mg/dL; n=61), or 3.0 mmol/L (55 mg/dL; n=49), respectively.

Conclusions: The sensitive insulin assay performed excellent in diagnosing CHI with a ROC AUC of 1.0. The use of a p-insulin cut-off of 13 pmol/L (1.86 mU/L) during a diagnostic hypoketotic hypoglycaemia test may establish the diagnosis of CHI without further diagnostic testing.

A Sensitive Plasma Insulin Immunoassay to Establish the Diagnosis of Congenital Hyperinsulinism

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) may be hampered by a plasma (p-) insulin detection limit of 12-18 pmol/L (2-3 mU/L).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a sensitive insulin immunoassay and to find the optimal p-insulin cut-off for the diagnosis of CHI.

METHODS

Diagnostic fasting tests, performed without medication or i.v.-glucose, were investigated in children with a clinical diagnosis of CHI, or idiopathic ketotic hypoglycemia (IKH). The CHI diagnosis was either clinical or by the alternative, p-insulin-free criteria; hypoglycemia plus disease-causing genetic mutations and/or CHI-compatible pancreatic histopathology. We included diagnostic p-insulin samples with simultaneous p-glucose <3.2 mmol/L and used a sensitive insulin assay (Cobas e411 immunoassay analyzer; lower detection limit 1.2 pmol/L; normal range 15.1-147.1 pmol/L). Receiver operating characteristics area under the curve (ROC AUC) values and optimal cut-offs were analyzed for the performance of p-insulin to diagnose CHI.

RESULTS

In 61 CHI patients, the median (range) p-insulin was 76.5 (17-644) pmol/L compared to 1.5 (1.5-7.7) pmol/L in IKH patients (n=15). The ROC AUC was 1.0 for the diagnosis of CHI defined both by the clinical diagnosis (n=61) and by alternative criteria (n=57). The optimal p-insulin cut-offs were 12.3 pmol/L, and 10.6 pmol/L, at p-glucose <3.2 mmol/L (n=61), and <3.0 mmol/L (n=49), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The sensitive insulin assay performed excellent in diagnosing CHI with optimal p-insulin cut-offs at 12.3 pmol/L (2.0 mU/L), and 10.6 pmol/L (1.8 mU/L), at p-glucose <3.2 mmol/L, and <3.0 mmol/L, respectively. A sensitive insulin assay may serve to simplify the diagnosis of CHI.