Genetic Analysis of 25 Patients with 5α-Reductase Deficiency in Chinese Population

Background. A deficiency in steroid 5 alpha-reductase type 2 is an autosomal recessive disorder. Affected individuals manifested ambiguous genitalia, which is caused by decreased dihydrotestosterone (DHT) synthesis in the fetus.Methods. We analyzed 25 patients with 5 alpha-reductase deficiency in China. Seventeen of the 25 patients (68%) were initially raised as females. Sixteen patients changed their social gender from female to male after puberty.Results. Eighteen mutations were identified in these patients. p.Gly203Ser and p.Gln6*were found to be the most prevalent mutations. On the basis of the genotype of these patients, we divided them into different groups. There was no significant difference in hormone levels and external masculinization score (EMS) in patients with or without these prevalent mutations. Twelve common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near the p.Gln6*mutation were chosen for haplotype analysis. Three haplotypes were observed in 6 patients who had the p.Gln6*mutation (12 alleles).Conclusion. We analyzed mutations of theSRD5A2gene in Chinese patients with 5 alpha-reductase deficiency. Although hotspot mutations exist, no founder effect of prevalent mutations in theSRD5A2gene was detected in the Chinese population.