Anti-TGFBI monoclonal antibody, clone FQS23189(C)

We report a rare case of keratoconus with granular dystrophy with a follow-up of two decades, documenting the sequential presentation of two diseases confirmed by histology and genetic studies. A 13-year-old boy was diagnosed in 1988 with keratoconus in both eyes (BE) based on slit-lamp biomicroscopy findings of corneal ectasia in BE accompanied by Fleischer's ring, Vogt's striae, a small, old, healed hydrops. The left eye (LE) had central corneal thinning and scar in the central area involving the mid and posterior stroma secondary to healed hydrops. Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) was advised. The boy was lost to follow-up till 1991 and presented with white, dot-like opacities in the central cornea in the RE only, suggestive of granular corneal dystrophy. Similar findings of white, dot-like opacities were noted in the LE in 1995 and the patient subsequently underwent PKP in BE. Histopathology of corneal buttons confirmed the presence of patchy, crystal-like orange deposits, which stained bright red with Masson's trichrome. Mutational analysis of the TGFBI gene in patient's DNA revealed a heterozygous mutation corresponding to a change in Arg555Trp in the keratoepithelin protein. Granular dystrophy recurred aft er 8 years in the RE.

Autosomal dominant hypocalcemia (ADH) is characterized by hypocalcemia, inappropriately low serum parathyroid hormone concentrations and hypercalciuria. ADH is genetically heterogeneous with ADH type 1 (ADH1), the predominant form, being caused by germline gain-of-function mutations of the G-protein coupled calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), and ADH2 caused by germline gain-of-function mutations of G-protein subunit -11 (G(11)). To date G(11) mutations causing ADH2 have been reported in only five probands. We investigated a multigenerational nonconsanguineous family, from Iran, with ADH and keratoconus which are not known to be associated, for causative mutations by whole-exome sequencing in two individuals with hypoparathyroidism, of whom one also had keratoconus, followed by cosegregation analysis of variants. This identified a novel heterozygous germline Val340Met G(11) mutation in both individuals, and this was also present in the other two relatives with hypocalcemia that were tested. Three-dimensional modeling revealed the Val340Met mutation to likely alter the conformation of the C-terminal 5 helix, which may affect G-protein coupled receptor binding and G-protein activation. In vitro functional expression of wild-type (Val340) and mutant (Met340) G(11) proteins in HEK293 cells stably expressing the CaSR, demonstrated that the intracellular calcium responses following stimulation with extracellular calcium, of the mutant Met340 G(11) led to a leftward shift of the concentration-response curve with a significantly (p<0.0001) reduced mean half-maximal concentration (EC50) value of 2.44mM (95% CI, 2.31 to 2.77mM) when compared to the wild-type EC50 of 3.14mM (95% CI, 3.03 to 3.26mM), consistent with a gain-of-function mutation. A novel His403Gln variant in transforming growth factor, beta-induced (TGFBI), that may be causing keratoconus was also identified, indicating likely digenic inheritance of keratoconus and ADH2 in this family. In conclusion, our identification of a novel germline gain-of-function G(11) mutation, Val340Met, causing ADH2 demonstrates the importance of the G(11) C-terminal region for G-protein function and CaSR signal transduction. (c) 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.