Case report: Two heterozygous pathogenic variants of CYP24A1: A novel cause of hypercalcemia and nephrocalcinosis in adulthood

Abstract

Background and aims: Vitamin D 24-hydroxylase is an enzyme encoded by the CYP24A1 gene, which inhibits the activation of vitamin D to form inactive metabolites. More than 20 currently described pathogenic variants (usually biallelic) of this gene are responsible for idiopathic infantile hypercalcemia manifested typically in childhood (often in newborns) with hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, and nephrocalcinosis. However, a few patients (mostly with monoallelic heterozygous pathogenic variants) can develop mild symptoms in adulthood.

Case description: We present the case of a 43-year-old male patient with hypertension and heterozygous Leiden mutation, with mural thrombi in the common iliac artery, who was sent by a nephrologist to endocrinological examination due to hypoparathyroidism, progressive hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, and CKDG2A1. Complete laboratory and imaging methods (including PET-CT) excluded PTH-related peptide-mediated hypercalcemia and granulomatosis. Finally, the genetic analysis of the CYP24A1 gene revealed the presence of a novel combination of two heterozygous pathogenic variants: CYP24A1: c. 443T>C p.(Leu148Pro) and c.1186C>T p.(Arg396Trp).

Conclusion: Differential diagnosis of patients with hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis, and hypercalcemia related to vitamin D exposure should include the CYP24A1 gene mutation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of the novel combination of two heterozygous pathogenic variants of CYP24A1.

Keywords: CYP24A1 mutation; adult; hypercalcemia; low PTH; nephrocalcinosis.