J Pediatr Genet
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1800809
Case Based Review

A Child with Non-Growth Hormone-Deficient Short Stature with Chromosome 2 Deletion of 2q35-36.1: A Case Report and Literature Review of Haploinsufficiency of Epha4 Gene

Jun Sun
1   Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Genetics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
,
Ya Xiao
1   Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Genetics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
,
Shu-qin Jiang
1   Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Genetics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
,
Yi-fan Wang
1   Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Genetics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
,
Hong-ru Zhang
1   Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Genetics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
,
Wei Wang
1   Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Genetics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
› Author Affiliations

Funding None.

Abstract

Non-growth hormone-deficient short stature is a group of growth developmental disorders with complex pathophysiological mechanisms involving multiple pathways, including abnormalities in the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 signal pathway. We report a 4-year-old girl with severe growth and developmental delay: her height was 91 cm (<–3 standard deviation [SD]), and her growth rate was 3 to 4 cm/year (<–2 SD). Growth hormone stimulation tests indicated a normal peak growth hormone level (11.1 μg/L), while insulin-like growth factor-1 levels were reduced (7.98 nmol/L, <–1SD). Whole exome sequencing and copy number variation analysis revealed a 3.19 Mb deletion at 2q35-q36.1 on chromosome 2, encompassing all coding regions of the Epha4 gene. This study suggests an association between Epha4 gene deletion and non-growth hormone-deficient short stature, highlighting the importance of further research on this gene and its related signaling pathways to understand the molecular mechanisms of the disease and potential therapeutic approaches.

Ethical Approval

This study has been approved by the ethics committee of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University with the ethics approval number 2023-257-01, dated 2023-10-13.




Publication History

Received: 26 December 2023

Accepted: 07 November 2024

Article published online:
04 December 2024

© 2024. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 
  • References

  • 1 Loche S, Carta L, Ibba A, Guzzetti C. Growth hormone treatment in non-growth hormone-deficient children. Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2014; 19 (01) 1-7
  • 2 Boguszewski CL, Carlsson B, Carlsson LM. Mechanisms of growth failure in non-growth-hormone deficient children of short stature. Horm Res 1997; 48 (Suppl. 04) 19-22
  • 3 Caputo M, Pigni S, Agosti E. et al. Regulation of GH and GH signaling by nutrients. Cells 2021; 10 (06) 1376
  • 4 Cohen LE, Rogol AD. Children with idiopathic short stature: an expanding role for genetic investigation in their medical evaluation. Endocr Pract 2024; 30 (07) 679-686
  • 5 Wit JM, Clayton PE, Rogol AD, Savage MO, Saenger PH, Cohen P. Idiopathic short stature: definition, epidemiology, and diagnostic evaluation. Growth Horm IGF Res 2008; 18 (02) 89-110
  • 6 Verma M, Chopra M, Kumar H. Unraveling the potential of EphA4: a breakthrough target and beacon of hope for neurological diseases. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2023; 43 (07) 3375-3391
  • 7 Li C, Chen R, Fan X. et al. EPHA4 haploinsufficiency is responsible for the short stature of a patient with 2q35-q36.2 deletion and Waardenburg syndrome. BMC Med Genet 2015; 16: 23
  • 8 Sawada T, Arai D, Jing X, Miyajima M, Frank SJ, Sakaguchi K. Molecular interactions of EphA4, growth hormone receptor, Janus kinase 2, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5B. PLoS One 2017; 12 (07) e0180785
  • 9 Jing X, Sonoki T, Miyajima M. et al. EphA4-deleted microenvironment regulates cancer development and leukemoid reaction of the isografted 4T1 murine breast cancer via reduction of an IGF1 signal. Cancer Med 2016; 5 (06) 1214-1227
  • 10 Vogan KJ, Epstein DJ, Trasler DG, Gros P. The splotch-delayed (Spd) mouse mutant carries a point mutation within the paired box of the Pax-3 gene. Genomics 1993; 17 (02) 364-369
  • 11 Jing X, Miyajima M, Sawada T. et al. Crosstalk of humoral and cell-cell contact-mediated signals in postnatal body growth. Cell Rep 2012; 2 (03) 652-665
  • 12 Darvin P, Joung YH, Yang YM. JAK2-STAT5B pathway and osteoblast differentiation. JAK-STAT 2013; 2 (04) e24931
  • 13 Rodenburg RJ. The functional genomics laboratory: functional validation of genetic variants. J Inherit Metab Dis 2018; 41 (03) 297-307
  • 14 Molinari F, Raas-Rothschild A, Rio M. et al. Impaired mitochondrial glutamate transport in autosomal recessive neonatal myoclonic epilepsy. Am J Hum Genet 2005; 76 (02) 334-339
  • 15 Castilla-Cortazar I, De Ita JR, Aguirre GA. et al. Growth hormone insensitivity: Mexican case report. Endocrinol Diabetes Metab Case Rep 2017; 2017: 17-0126
  • 16 Grimberg A, DiVall SA, Polychronakos C. et al; Drug and Therapeutics Committee and Ethics Committee of the Pediatric Endocrine Society. Guidelines for growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I treatment in children and adolescents: growth hormone deficiency, idiopathic short stature, and primary insulin-like growth factor-I deficiency. Horm Res Paediatr 2016; 86 (06) 361-397