Identification of seven novel CYP11B1 gene mutations in Chinese patients with 11β-hydroxylase deficiency

• Seven novel CYP11B1 mutations identified in ten Chinese patients possibly with 11β-OHD.
• Arg454 position is a mutational hot spot for Han Chinese.
• Genetic analysis facilitates clinical diagnosis and reasonable steroid replacement.
• Genetic analysis is an alternative approach to distinguish between 11β-OHD and 21-OHD.

Steroid 11β-hydroxylase deficiency (11β-OHD), one of common cause of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by virilization, precocious pseudo-puberty, and hypertension. It is caused by CYP11B1 gene mutation. We performed molecular genetic analysis of the CYP11B1 gene in six patients with preliminary clinical diagnosis of 11β-OHD and four patients identified as potential 11β-OHD from a CAH cohort in which CYP21A2 gene mutations consecutively screened. Seven novel CYP11B1 mutations, including p.R454H, p.Q472P, p.Q155X, p.K173X, IVS2-1G>A, R454A fs 573X, and g.2704_g.3154del, and six previously described mutations (p.P94L, p.G267S, p.G379V, p.R448H, p.R454C and p.R141X) were identified. These mutations mainly clustered in exons 3 and 8. Eight of twenty alleles carried mutations occurring at the Arg454 position, which is a mutational hot spot for Han Chinese. The pathogenic nature of novel p.R454H mutation was predicted by protein sequence alignment and in silico analysis. All the identified mutations were responsible for the clinical features observed in these ten unrelated Chinese patients. This study expands the CYP11B1 mutation spectrum and provides evidence for prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling. Genetic analysis is an alternative approach to help clinicians confirm uncertain 11β-OHD diagnosis, facilitating reasonable steroid replacement.