Mutations in HNF1A result in marked alterations of plasma glycan profile

Diabetes. 2013 Apr;62(4):1329-37. doi: 10.2337/db12-0880. Epub 2012 Dec 28.

Abstract

A recent genome-wide association study identified hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-α (HNF1A) as a key regulator of fucosylation. We hypothesized that loss-of-function HNF1A mutations causal for maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) would display altered fucosylation of N-linked glycans on plasma proteins and that glycan biomarkers could improve the efficiency of a diagnosis of HNF1A-MODY. In a pilot comparison of 33 subjects with HNF1A-MODY and 41 subjects with type 2 diabetes, 15 of 29 glycan measurements differed between the two groups. The DG9-glycan index, which is the ratio of fucosylated to nonfucosylated triantennary glycans, provided optimum discrimination in the pilot study and was examined further among additional subjects with HNF1A-MODY (n = 188), glucokinase (GCK)-MODY (n = 118), hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-α (HNF4A)-MODY (n = 40), type 1 diabetes (n = 98), type 2 diabetes (n = 167), and nondiabetic controls (n = 98). The DG9-glycan index was markedly lower in HNF1A-MODY than in controls or other diabetes subtypes, offered good discrimination between HNF1A-MODY and both type 1 and type 2 diabetes (C statistic ≥ 0.90), and enabled us to detect three previously undetected HNF1A mutations in patients with diabetes. In conclusion, glycan profiles are altered substantially in HNF1A-MODY, and the DG9-glycan index has potential clinical value as a diagnostic biomarker of HNF1A dysfunction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Biomarkers
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / genetics*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / genetics*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology
  • Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha / genetics
  • Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation, Missense
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Polysaccharides / blood*
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • HNF1A protein, human
  • Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha
  • Polysaccharides