Frequent phosphodiesterase 11A gene (PDE11A) defects in patients with Carney complex (CNC) caused by PRKAR1A mutations: PDE11A may contribute to adrenal and testicular tumors in CNC as a modifier of the phenotype.

BACKGROUND:Carney complex (CNC) is an autosomal dominant multiple neoplasia, caused mostly by inactivating mutations of the regulatory subunit 1A of the protein kinase A (PRKAR1A). Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease is the most frequent endocrine manifestation of CNC with a great inter-individual variability. Germline, protein-truncating mutations of phosphodiesterase type 11A (PDE11A) have been described to predispose to a variety of endocrine tumors, including adrenal and testicular tumors. OBJECTIVES:Our objective was to investigate the role of PDE11A as a possible gene modifier of the phenotype in a series of 150 patients with CNC. RESULTS:A higher frequency of PDE11A variants in patients with CNC compared with healthy controls was found (25.3 vs. 6.8%, P < 0.0001). Among CNC patients, those with were significantly more frequently carriers of PDE11A variants compared with patients without Pduanyu1535D (30.8 vs. 13%, P = 0.025). Furthermore, men with Pduanyu1535D were significantly more frequently carriers of PDE11A sequence variants (40.7%) than women with Pduanyu1535D (27.3%) (P < 0.001). A higher frequency of PDE11A sequence variants was also found in patients with large-cell calcifying Sertoli cell tumors (LCCSCT) compared with those without LCCSCT (50 vs. 10%, P = 0.0056). PDE11A variants were significantly associated with the copresence of Pduanyu1535D and LCCSCT in men: 81 vs. 20%, P < 0.004). The simultaneous inactivation of PRKAR1A and PDE11A by small inhibitory RNA led to an increase in cAMP-regulatory element-mediated transcriptional activity under basal conditions and after stimulation by forskolin. CONCLUSIONS:We demonstrate, in a large cohort of CNC patients, a high frequency of PDE11A variants, suggesting that PDE11A is a genetic modifying factor for the development of testicular and adrenal tumors in patients with germline PRKAR1A mutation.

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