PPNAD was isolated in 11 patients (with PRKAR1A mutation, n = 7; and without PRKAR1A mutation, n = 4) and was associated with extra-adrenal manifestations of Carney complex in six patients (with PRKAR1A mutation, n = 4; and without PRKAR1A mutation, n = 2).
Bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia is often associated with ACTH-independent Cushing syndrome (CS) and may be caused by mutations in genes such as PRKAR1A, which is responsible for primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD).
Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) of the 12 exons of the PRKAR1A gene was validated and used to detect large rearrangements in 13 typical CNC and 39 confirmed or putative PPNAD without any mutations of the gene.
A base substitution (c.439A>G/p.S147G) in PRKAR1A was identified in the proposita, in the three others with PPNAD, in the proposita's twin daughters who had lentigines but no evidence of hypercortisolism, and in five other family members, including one without lentigines or evidence of hypercortisolism.
Heterozygous germline inactivating mutations of the PKA regulatory subunit RIα gene (PRKAR1A) are observed in about two-third of CNC patients, and also in patients with isolated PPNAD.
In two large families, the M1V PRKAR1A mutation resulted in a PPNAD-only phenotype with significant variability both in terms of age of onset and clinical severity.
Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD) is associated with inactivating germline protein kinase A regulatory subunit type 1-alpha (PRKAR1A) mutations and loss of heterozygosity at the 17q22-24 locus in approximately 50% patients.
Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD) results in most cases from mutations of the protein kinase A (PKA) regulatory subunit 1A (PRKAR1A) gene.
The regulatory subunit type 1-alpha (RIalpha) of protein kinase A (PKA) (the PRKAR1A gene) is mutated in most patients with Carney complex and primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD).
Overall, we investigated, for the first time, the microRNA profile and its clinical significance in PPNAD; these data also suggest that PKA, via microRNA regulation, affects the Wnt signaling pathway, which through expression and clinical studies is suspected to be a primary mediator of PRKAR1A-related tumorigenesis.
There was variable expression of PDE11A in sporadic adrenocortical hyperplasia or adenomas; PPNAD tissues from patients with PRKAR1A mutations expressed consistently high levels of PDE11A in contrast to adenomas caused by GNAS mutations.
In this study, we have investigated the PRKAR1A expression in primary human Bloom syndrome cell lines with known BLM mutations and examined the BLM gene expression in PPNAD and other adrenal tumor tissues.
IGFBP-2 mRNA level distinguished between the two genetic subtypes of this disease; increased IGFBP-2 expression in PRKAR1A mutation-positive PPNAD tissues was also confirmed by immunohistochemistry.
Inactivating PRKAR1A mutations cause primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD) or Carney complex (CNC), an inherited syndrome associated with abnormal skin pigmentation and multiple neoplasias, including PPNAD.
The hot spot PRKAR1A mutation termed c.709[-7-2]del6 predisposes mostly to isolated PPNAD, and is the first clear genotype/phenotype correlation described for this gene.
Cushing's syndrome due to primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD) has been observed in Carney complex patients presenting inactivating germline PRKAR1A mutations.
Somatic mutations of PRKAR1A have been found in PPNAD as a mechanism of inactivation of the wild-type allele, in a patient already presenting a germline mutation, and in a subset of sporadic secreting adrenocortical adenomas with clinical, hormonal, and pathological features quite similar to PPNAD.
Recently, mutations of the gene encoding the PKA type 1 A regulatory subunit (R1 A), PRKAR1A, associated with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at PRKAR1A locus, have been demonstrated in primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD), either isolated or associated with Carney complex.
A transgenic mouse carrying an antisense transgene for Prkar1a exon 2 (X2AS) under the control of a tetracycline responsive promoter (the Tg(Prkar1a*x2as)1Stra, Tg(tTAhCMV)3Uh or tTA/X2AS line) developed thyroid follicular hyperplasia and adenomas, adrenocortical hyperplasia and other features reminiscent of PPNAD, including late onset weight gain, visceral adiposity, and non-dexamethasone suppressible hypercorticosteronaemia, with histiocytic, epithelial hyperplasias, lymphomas, and other mesenchymal tumours.