Abstract
Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is caused by mutations in the gene encoding hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS), a key enzyme in the heme biosynthesis pathway. AIP is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by low penetrance and a highly heterogenous clinical presentation. The estimated prevalence of AIP is 5–10 cases per 100,000 persons, with acute attacks manifesting in less than 1% of the at-risk population. This low frequency of attacks suggests significant roles for oligogenic inheritance and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of the disease. In recent years, identification of several modifier genes has advanced our understanding of the factors influencing AIP penetrance and disease severity. This review summarizes these factors including the impact of specific HMBS mutations, oligogenic inheritance, mitochondrial DNA copy number, age, sex, the influence of sex hormones, and the role of environmental factors. Further studies into the etiology of AIP disease penetrance should inform pathogenesis, potentially allowing for the development of more precise diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
1 Introduction
The porphyrias are a group of disorders of porphyrin metabolism caused by defective enzyme activity in one of the eight enzymes of the heme biosynthesis pathway. These are primarily hereditary disorders, and divided into eight subtypes (). According to the tissue in which the particular enzyme defect is located, porphyrias are classified as hepatic porphyrias, caused by disorders of porphyrin metabolism in the liver, and erythropoietic porphyrias, disorders of porphyrin metabolism in the bone marrow. Hepatic porphyrias have also been subdivided into acute hepatic porphyrias (AHPs) and chronic hepatic porphyrias according to the characteristics of the disease attacks.
Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), the most common form of acute hepatic porphyria, is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by a partial deficiency in the activity of the third enzyme in the heme biosynthesis pathway, hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS), also known as porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) (). AIP rarely attacks before puberty, with typical symptoms occurring between the ages of 20 and 40, more in females than males. In patients with AIP, certain endogenous or exogenous factors such as fluctuations in female sex hormones, low caloric intake, alcohol consumption, stress, infections, and porphyrinogenic drugs lead to the upregulation of hepatic δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase 1 (ALAS1). This results in the accumulation of the porphyrin precursors δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG) in AIP patients, ultimately causing the development of clinical symptoms (; ).
Patients with pathogenic HMBS can be categorized into those with manifest AIP (MAIP) and those with latent AIP (LAIP) (). A patient with LAIP is someone who has never experienced acute porphyria-related manifestations (). Patients with MAIP usually present with acute neurovisceral attacks, including severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, constipation, tachycardia, hypertension, psychiatric disorders (e.g., insomnia, anxiety, and depression), and severe neurologic symptoms (neuropathy and seizures) (; ).
AIP management includes avoidance of triggers, oral or intravenous glucose and intravenous hemin infusion, symptom treatment, acute attack prevention, and management of long-term complications (; ). Intravenous glucose (300 g/d in adults) is used in early acute attacks or when hemin is unavailable, but hemin infusion is more effective (; ). Hemin infusion rapidly downregulates ALAS1 expression, decreases ALA and PBG accumulation, and resolves symptoms in 48–72 h, although its effectiveness in preventing recurrent attacks is unclear (; ). Lists of safe and unsafe drugs for patients with AIP are available online (http://www.drugs-porphyria.org/; https://porphyrianet.org/).
Givosiran (Givlaari), an ALAS1-directed siRNA, is approved for treating adults with AHP in the United States and those 12 years and older in the EU (; ). Monthly givosiran injections significantly reduced the rate of acute attacks in a phase 3 study in patients with recurrent AIP (). A Phase III clinical trial of Givosiran in AHP patients showed sustained improvements in clinical manifestations and quality of life with a favorable safety profile (). Thus, patients with recurrent acute attacks (4 or more per year) should be considered for prophylactic treatment with heme therapy or subcutaneous givosiran (). Liver transplantation may be considered for patients with persistent severe disease who have failed other treatment options. In addition, gene therapy, hPBGD mRNA, and pharmacological chaperone therapy are promising treatments for AIP (; ).
In addition to variable penetrance, there is considerable heterogeneity in disease severity, even within the same family. Most symptomatic AIP patients have only a few attacks in their lifetime; however, about 3%–8% of symptomatic AIP patients have recurrent attacks (). The variation in penetrance and clinical phenotype would indicate that other genetic and/or environmental factors are either preventing or precipitating AIP attacks in HMBS heterozygotes (outlined in Table 1).
TABLE 1
| Subjects | Research indicators | Indicator differences | Possible mechanisms | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complex mutations in the HMBS gene (NC_000011.10) | |||||
| Different mutation sites have different phenotypes | 333 AIP patients in Finland | Penetrance of acute attacks at different mutation sites of AIP | Relatively severe: A penetrance of >50% in mutations c.593G>A, c.76C>T, c.1073delA | Pathogenicity varies across mutation sites | |
| Relatively mild: A penetrance of ≤20% in mutations c.499C>T, c.673C>G, c.33G>T, c.517C>T | |||||
| 468 AIP patients in northern Sweden | Severity of clinical manifestations/penetrance | Severe: p. Trp198X (44%) p. Arg173Trp (50%) Mild: p. Arg167Trp (13%) | HMBS residual enzyme activity levels vary. p. Trp198X (low or zero p. Arg173Trp (2%) p. Arg167Trp (5%) | ||
| AIP patients (602 manifest patients, 1,968 relatives) from French reference center for porphyria and the general population from exome variant server (EVS; 12,990 alleles) | Penetrance | AIP families/general population: (22.9%/0.5%–1%) | AIP susceptibility is regulated by the inheritance of mutations in the HMBS gene, other genetic factors, and environmental factors | ||
| The frequencies of null alleles and missense mutations in AIP families/general population | AIP families/general population: null allele (74%/0%) missense mutations (26%/100%) Null alleles are associated with more severe phenotypes and higher penetrance than missense mutant alleles | ||||
| 117 HMBS gene mutations from reported AIP patients | Software prediction: effect of HMBS mutations on the structure and function of the corresponding proteins | Severe: p. Arg116Trp p. Arg173Trp, p. Arg149X, p. Gln217His, p. Gly218Arg, p. Ala219Pro, p. Ala330Pro | R149, Q217, G218, and A219 interact directly with reaction intermediates and DPM cofactors Residue A330 has no direct interaction with the reaction intermediates, but non-synonymous mutations on it disrupt the secondary structure of the protein and affect the other five residues | ||
| Relatively moderate: p. Arg26Cys p. Asp99Asn, p. Arg167Trp, p. Gly168X, p. Gln194X, p. Gly221Asp | These amino acids are relatively far from the active site and interact directly with reaction intermediates and DPM cofactors | ||||
| Mild: p. Thr35Met p. Gly111Arg, p. Leu238Pro | These amino acids are far from the active site and have no direct interaction with reaction intermediates and DPM cofactors | ||||
| Potential oligogenic inheritance | |||||
| CYP2D6 | 50 Spanish AIP genetic carriers. (most of these patients carried the founder mutation c.669-698del30 | CYP2D6*4/*5 allelic frequencies | CYP2D6*4/*5: Total AIP (0.12/0.01) LAIP (0.19/0.02) MAIP (0.06/0) MAIP was less frequent in defective CYP2D6*4 and *5 allele carriers | Defective CYP2D6 alleles: i) May be less sensitive to porphyrogenic xenobiotic intermediate metabolites ii) May consume less heme than normal alleles | |
| PEPT2 | 122 French AIP patients | Severity of renal failure | PEPT2*1 carriers (more severe chronic renal failure) | PEPT2*1 has a high affinity for ALA, and ALA is reabsorbed more efficiently by renal tubules | |
| PEPT2 deficient mice | Severity of neurotoxicity | PEPT2*2 carriers (more significant neurotoxicity) | PEPT2*2 has low affinity for ALA and low ALA efflux in the brain | ||
| Multiple genes in the nervous system | 153 Russian AIP patients and 302 of their relatives | Neurological clinical manifestations | AGRN, DOK7, and SCN4A genes were associated with congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS), the symptoms of which are significantly similar to the neurological features of AIP attacks | The HMBS gene mutation combined with defects in neurological regulatory genes may play a key role in triggering acute AIP attacks and developing specific symptom profiles | |
| PPARA | Pathogenic variants of AIP | Protein function | PPARA gene and ALAS1 have obvious overlap in function | Mutations in the PPARA gene may affect the onset of AIP by regulating the CYP450 system, thus affecting the biosynthetic pathway of heme | |
| Mitochondrial DNA | |||||
| Human peripheral blood leukocytes | 34 Italian AIP patients and 37 healthy people | Mitochondrial DNA copy number | All AIP patients had the low number of mitochondria (more pronounced in symptomatic patients) | Energy metabolism disorders | |
| Penetrance | The higher mitochondrial DNA content is associated with decreased porphyria severity or even incomplete disease penetrance | ||||
| Human serum | 34 Italian AIP patients and 37 healthy people | Serum levels of PERM1 | PERM1 levels were significantly lower in patients with AIP, and this impairment was more pronounced in symptomatic patients | ||
Genetic factors in the heterogeneity of acute intermittent porphyria.
2 Genetic factors
2.1 Complexity of mutations in the HMBS gene
HMBS is the gene responsible for AIP, with mutations resulting in loss of enzyme function. The HMBS gene is located on chromosome 11 (11q24.1–24.2), and the coding region consists of 15 exons. Transcription from different promoters generates two types of transcripts, the housekeeping transcripts and the erythroid-specific transcripts, and this article focuses on the housekeeping transcript (NM_000190.4). To date, more than 500 different HMBS pathogenic mutations have been reported in the Human Gene Mutation Database (). HMBS mutations include missense mutations, nonsense mutations, splice mutations, frameshift mutations, large/small deletions, large/small insertions, and large/small duplications. There are 31 CpG dinucleotides in the HMBS 1,086 base pair coding sequence (). The primary sources of DNA sequence variation are replication errors and deamidation of CpG dinucleotides, which are hotspots for mutations (). Most AIP mutations are found only in single or a few unrelated families, demonstrating the molecular genetic heterogeneity of AIP (; ; ; ). However, there exist some relatively common mutations: one reason is due to CpG dinucleotide mutation hotspots in the gene (), such as the mutations encoding p.Arg173Trp, p.Arg167 Gln, and p.Arg116Trp; and the second reason is the founder effect, such as HMBS c.593G>A (p.Trp198X) in Sweden and Norway (), c.669_698del30 in the Murcia region of Spain ().
Although correlation between AIP genotypes and phenotypes has not been established (; ; ), studies suggest that different mutations can lead to different phenotypes and differences in clinical penetrance (; ). For instance, the c.1073delA, c.593G>A (p. Trp198X), and c.76C>T (p. Arg26Cys) mutations have been associated with higher penetrance (greater than 50%) or a more severe clinical presentation (; ; ). Conversely, the c.33G>T, c.499C>T (p. Arg167Trp), and c.673C>G (p. Arg225Gly) mutations have been associated with lower penetrance (less than or equal to 20%) or milder phenotypes (; ; ). However, in northern Sweden, the p. Arg173Trp mutation had a higher clinical penetrance compared to Finland (; ). Recently, a study of protein function prediction () showed that some mutations, including p. Arg149X, p. Gln217His, p. Gly218Arg, p. Ala219Pro, and p. Ala330Pro, lead to severe clinical manifestations. Moreover, concordant with a previous study, it was also shown that patients with p. Arg116Trp and p. Arg173Trp mutations had severe clinical symptoms (). In contrast, the p. Arg26Cys, p. Asp99Asn, p. Arg167Trp, p. Gly168X, p. Gln194X, and p. Gly221Asp mutations result in relatively moderate disease while mutations p. Thr35Met, p. Gly111Arg, and p. Leu238Pro exhibited a mild clinical phenotype. The penetrance of AIP in different Finland families varied even though the genotypes were the same (), again suggesting that modifier genes and environmental factors also affect AIP phenotype.
2.2 Potential oligogenic inheritance model
A study of AIP in France using patients from the French Reference Center for Porphyria and sequencing data derived from the general population evaluated the prevalence and penetrance of AIP, and the influence of genetic factors on the phenotypic expression of HMBS mutations (). Among the patients and their families of the French Reference Center for Porphyria, 496 patients with MAIP and 1,672 LAIP relatives were identified, and the penetrance of AIP in these AIP families was estimated to be 22.9%. The Exome Variant Server (EVS) database was then used to estimate the prevalence of deleterious HMBS mutations and AIP penetrance in the general population. A total of 42 missense mutations were identified in the AIP family (n = 20), and the EVS database (n = 22), and their pathogenicity was assessed by computerized and functional studies, which revealed a minimum estimated prevalence of AIP of 1/1,299 in the general population. Thus, given the estimated prevalence of pathogenic HMBS mutations in France, between 50,000 and 100,000 AIP patients (rather than 496) would be expected, suggesting the penetrance of HMBS mutations in the general population is only 0.5%–1%. This is in keeping with a study using whole exome sequencing of more than 40,000 Caucasians indicating that the AIP penetrance in HMBS heterozygotes is ∼1% ().
Further analysis of intra-familial correlations for AIP revealed that correlations were generally strong and moderated by the individual’s kinship and region of residence. Disease penetrance in affected families was estimated to range from 58% (parent-offspring) to 73% (siblings).
Finally, Lenglet et al. analyzed the effects of the specific mutations, and then assessed the frequency of missense mutations and null alleles in the EVS database (general population) (n = 6,495) and in families of AIP patients, including simplex families (n = 106), multiplex families (n = 147), and patients with recurrent AIP attacks (4 or more per year; n = 37). Notably, these different mutations were associated with variable clinical phenotypes. Null alleles (little or no expression of HMBS) were more frequent in multiplex families than in simplex families, and patients with recurrent AIP also had a higher frequency of null genes than less severe forms, but the difference was not statistically significant. In the general population, the null allele frequency was 0%, and the frequency of missense mutations 100%. In familial AIP patients, the null allele frequency was 74%, and missense mutations 26%, suggesting that null alleles are associated with more severe phenotypes and higher penetrance than other mutant alleles.
These researchers proposed an oligogenic genetic model with environmental modifiers to better explain the penetrance and heritability of AIP ().
2.2.1 Protective variants
2.2.1.1 CYP2D6 gene
Recent research has indicated a higher frequency of specific cytochrome P450 (CYP) alleles among individuals with certain types of porphyria compared to the general population, suggesting a potential role of these alleles in disease susceptibility (; ). An investigative study conducted in Argentina focused on analyzing CYP2D6 polymorphisms in patients with porphyria, encompassing 121 participants, including 51 healthy volunteers, 50 porphyria patients, and 19 individuals with elevated iron levels. The results showed that the CYP2D6*3 and CYP2D6*4 alleles, particularly, were linked to the onset of porphyria (). Furthermore, a recent study in Spain investigated the correlation between hepatic CYP genes and acute attacks of AIP (). The study examined CYP2C9*2, *3, CYP2C19*2, CYP2D*4, *5, CYP3A4*1B, and CYP3A5*3 alleles in fifty Spanish carriers of the AIP gene. Most fifty patients with AIP (78%) carried the founder mutation c.669_698del30. The Spanish study suggested that CYP genes may be penetrance modifiers in AIP because CYP2D6*4 and *5 are more frequent in LAIP than MAIP, despite the similar allele frequencies of CYP2D6*4 and *5 in the total AIP carriers and the general population (), suggests CYP2D6*4 and *5 defective alleles play a protective role in the clinical onset of AIP, modulating the penetrance of AIP.
2.2.2 Damaging variants
2.2.2.1 PEPT2 gene
Human peptide transporter protein 2 (PEPT2) is expressed in proximal renal tubular cells, and its genetic variation modulates the severity of porphyrin-related nephropathy and neurological impairment (). ALA, a highly hydrophilic compound, is freely filtered in the urine and is reabsorbed by human peptide transporter protein 2 (PEPT2) (). It has been demonstrated that the toxicity of porphyrin metabolites is associated with the pathogenesis of typical renal tubulointerstitial lesions (). During AIP attacks, ALA accumulates and promotes renal tubular cell death and tubulointerstitial damage. ALA and PBG promote phenotypic changes and apoptosis in renal epithelial cells, and an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition that leads to primary tubulointerstitial nephropathy.
Recently, a study showed that in French Caucasians with HMBS mutations, PEPT2 variants affect the severity and prognosis of porphyria-associated nephropathy (). Haplotype analysis demonstrated the existence of two significant variants of PEPT2, PEPT2*1 and PEPT2*2. PEPT2*1 has a high affinity for ALA, and PEPT2*2 has a low affinity for ALA. Individuals carrying the high-affinity transporter (PEPT2*1) may suffer from more severe chronic renal failure because ALA is reabsorbed more efficiently by the renal tubules and is, therefore, more nephrotoxic.
The development of neuropsychiatric symptoms in AIP may be associated with an increase in brain ALA (; ). It has been found that the protein encoded by the PEPT2 gene is responsible for the transport of ALA from the cerebrospinal fluid (). Since PEPT2*2 has a lower affinity for ALA than PEPT2*1, more significant neurotoxicity may occur in PEPT2*2 carriers because they have lower ALA efflux from the brain (; ).
2.2.2.2 Multiple genes in the nervous system
During acute attacks of AIP, the toxic porphyrin precursors ALA and PBG accumulate in tissues, causing neurologic injury. Recently, a study from Russia performed long-term follow-up and genetic analysis of 153 patients with AIP and 302 of their relatives, focusing on the HMBS gene mutation spectrum and the degree of penetrance (). In whole-exome sequencing of six AIP patients the researchers found several pathogenic gene variants associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including UNC13A, ALG8, FBXO38, AGRN, DOK7, and SCN4A. AGRN, DOK7, and SCN4A genes were associated with congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS), the symptoms of which are significantly similar to the neurological features of AIP attacks. Thus, HMBS gene mutation combined with defects in neurological regulatory genes may play a key role in triggering acute AIP attacks and developing specific symptom profiles (). However, this hypothesis requires confirmatory studies.
2.2.2.3 PPARA gene
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARα) is a ligand-activated transcription factor and member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. A recent study on pathogenic variants of AIP showed a significant functional overlap of the PPARA gene with ALAS1 by protein functional analysis ().
Most drugs are metabolized by the cytochrome p450 system. Studies have shown that some drugs induce ALAS1 either directly or indirectly by inducing synthesis of these heme-containing CYP450 proteins (; ), leading to the overproduction of heme precursors (; ). A study showed that PPARA genes directly regulate transcription of CYP2C8 and CYP3A4 (; ), consistent with findings that the PPARA gene can specifically regulate CYP1-3 class of genes (; ; ). Consequently, mutations in PPARA may influence AIP attacks by modulating the CYP450 system, thus impacting the heme biosynthesis pathway (). Despite these findings, the importance of PPARα in expression of the AIP phenotype remains unexplored.
2.3 Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondria are essential organelles in all nucleated cells, involved in cellular respiration, metabolism, macromolecular biosynthesis, and regulation of apoptosis, cell proliferation, and motility. Mutations, deletions, and insertions in mitochondrial DNA play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of inherited mitochondrial diseases.
Liver transcriptome analysis in an animal model of AIP showed dysregulation of genes associated with mitochondrial biogenesis (), suggesting that a lack of functionally normal mitochondria may lead to (or be a toxic effect of) acute attacks of AIP. In addition, abnormalities in mitochondrial morphology and function have been reported in studies of animal models of AIP (; ) and patients with porphyria (; ), emphasizing the potential role of impaired energy supply in the clinical manifestations of the disease.
Recently, an Italian study reported a link between decreased mitochondrial DNA content and porphyria (). The study performed a relative quantification of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in human peripheral leukocytes to indirectly estimate the average mitochondrial content per cell in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic AIP and compared these results with those of healthy controls. The results showed that AIP patients had decreased numbers of mitochondria and significantly lower serum PERM1 (a marker of mitochondrial biogenesis) levels; a reduction more pronounced in symptomatic patients, suggesting that higher mitochondrial DNA content may modulate porphyria severity or penetrance, perhaps through affecting an individual’s ability to respond to endogenous or environmental stressors.
If confirmed in further studies, mitochondrial DNA copy number per cell and/or mitochondrial biogenesis may become biomarkers of porphyria. The metabolic and genetic factors responsible for these results remain to be determined.
3 Gender, age, sex hormones
The mutation that causes AIP is autosomal and inherited equally between men and women (; ). However, acute attacks affect females more often than males, and recurrent attacks are more common in females ().
Most AIP onset attacks occur between the ages of 20 and 40, with onset in childhood rare (). In addition to a three-year-old Nigerian boy diagnosed with AIP (), a Chinese study has reported childhood AIP onset with two female cases and one male case, ages 1 year and 7 months, 1 year and 5 months and 5 years old (mutations: c.579_583del, c.499C > T, c.422 + 1G > A, respectively) ().
A recent Finland study () found that in families with AIP, the penetrance of hospitalized attacks in female patients was as high as 41%, and the penetrance of all acute symptoms associated with AIP was 50%. Similar findings have been reported in families with the founder mutation p. Trp198X in northern Sweden (). In addition, a study in Cape Town, South Africa, showed a male-to-female ratio of 1:6 for acute attacks in patients with AIP and a high correlation between AIP attacks and menstruation (). Another Finland study evaluating the prognosis of 206 adult patients with porphyria found that nearly one-third of the women had symptoms of porphyria associated with their menstrual cycle (), while a study in northern Sweden showed that symptoms in AIP patients change during the menstrual cycle ().
The above studies suggest that female hormones trigger AIP attacks, which may explain the higher penetrance in female patients with AIP than in male patients.
reported that the effect of sex hormones is more pronounced in AIP than in other types of porphyria, with 50% of female AIP attacks associated with the menstrual cycle (; ; ), and 10%–30% of these attacks occurring during the luteal phase ().
Progesterone and its metabolites induce the hepatic ALAS1 enzyme (; ) and are associated with increased heme metabolism (; ), and may be a more potent inducer than estrogen (). While estrogen has a weak effect on AIP, when combined with progesterone, it can induce porphyria attacks (). Monitoring serum progesterone levels can clarify the luteal phase and progesterone-induced attacks in patients with AIP who experience acute attacks.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs are synthetic hypothalamic hormone analogs that include gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRH-a) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists (GnRH-A). Studies have shown that GnRH-a therapy inhibits endogenous hormone production and successfully prevents attacks in patients with AIP associated with the menstrual cycle (; ; ). However, the administration of GnRH-a has an initial rebound effect of transiently stimulating the pituitary gland to secrete elevated Follicle-stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinising Hormone (LH), known as the “flare-up” effect, which leads to a transient increase in ovarian hormone production that lasts for about 7 days. This flare-up effect promotes the maturation of primordial follicles and improves therapeutic efficacy but may increase the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) (). GnRH-A inhibits ovarian function by directly inhibiting GnRH, which decreases the levels of FSH and LH secreted by the pituitary gland without any flare-up effect and has a more rapid onset of action.
Elagolix is an oral GnRH-A that is FDA-approved for the treatment of moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis (), however unlike leuprolide, it induces CYP3A and a fluorescence-based drug porphyrogenicity screening assay in Leghorn Male Hepatoma (LMH) cells demonstrated that it is porphyrogenic and associated with increased acute porphyria attacks in women ().
In addition, animal model studies have found an increased local vasoconstrictor response in AIP mice and a lower sensitivity to vasodilation in female mice (pro-constrictor response), suggesting the sex difference may be due to differing sensitivities of mesenteric arteries to porphyrin precursors ().
4 Environmental factors
AIP attacks can be triggered by low energy intake, dieting, and alcohol consumption (). Alcohol, as a porphyrinogenic agent, enhances the induction of ALAS1, causing acute AIP attacks (; ). Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) is an enzyme that regulates ALAS1 in the liver and can be activated by fasting (). Fasting can cause a significant increase in PGC-1α and ALAS1 (), which may lead to AIP attacks. Smoking may contribute to recurrent AIP attacks by influencing drug metabolism and steroid hormone metabolism (; ; ).
The activity of ALAS1 is positively regulated by substances that induce hepatic CYPs (). As discussed in Section 2.2.2.3, most porphyrogenic drugs cause AIP attacks through impacting CYP450 metabolism, particularly through induction of, or irreversible inactivation of, CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 (; ; ; ). Studies have shown that phenobarbital is extremely porphyrinogenic and induces drug-oxidizing enzymes in the liver, exacerbating AIP (; ). Phenobarbital-induced AIP mice have upregulated CYP2C40, CYP2C68, and CYP2C69, equivalent to human CYP2C8, CYP2C9, and CYP2C19 respectively (; ), but downregulates CYP21A1 (), equivalent to human CYP21A2 or a homolog of CYP17A1 (−37), a crucial enzyme in corticosteroid and sex hormone synthesis (). Diclofenac and fluoxetine, CYP3A4 inhibitors, are associated with acute porphyrias (). CYP2C8 and CYP3A4/5 metabolize hydroxychloroquine in vivo (). AIP attacks have been reported during hydroxychloroquine treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (), and with use of the HIV antiretroviral drugs, atazanavir/ritonavir (; ).
Heme is a potent inhibitor of ALAS1 expression and activity. Studies have shown that heme oxygenase (HO-1) is induced by stress, hypoglycemia, toxins, heavy metals, and organic chemicals (; ; ), leading to increased heme catabolism and a decrease in the intracellular heme pool, which activates ALAS1 transcription. Chronic administration of enflurane or isoflurane and treatment with griseofulvin have been shown to induce an increase in HO-1 activity. Chronic exposure to enflurane and isoflurane anesthesia, as well as veronal treatment, increased HO mRNA expression (; ). Furthermore, a mouse model of AIP has confirmed the porphyrinogenicity of isoflurane and sevoflurane ().
5 Concluding remarks and future perspectives
In conclusion, it is important to consider the low penetrance of AIP and highly variable clinical phenotype, as revealed in population studies. This variability may result in underdiagnosis of the disease, or undertreatment, or even be potentially life-threatening for some patients. A comprehensive understanding of the prevalence and penetrance of this rare disease aids early diagnosis, the establishment of standardized management protocols, and identification of potential therapeutic targets. We have described analyses of genetic susceptibility factors and modifier genes implicated in the regulation of AIP penetrance and phenotype, however, most of these findings require further studies to validate their clinical relevance. Nonetheless the characterization of confounding variables holds promise for enhancing the clinical care of AIP patients and may pave the way for the development of novel, safe, and productive treatment strategies.
Statements
Author contributions
J-JL: Conceptualization, Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing. SL: Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing. B-XD: Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing. JY: Writing–review and editing. YR: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Writing–review and editing.
Funding
The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by Key research and development project of Shanxi Province, China (201903D321127), Special Project on the Transformation and Guidance of Scientific and Technological Achievements in Shanxi Province, China (201804D131044).
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the Key research and development project of Shanxi Province, China (201903D321127), Special Project on the Transformation and Guidance of Scientific and Technological Achievements in Shanxi Province, China (201804D131044) for the support.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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Summary
Keywords
acute intermittent porphyria, hydroxymethylbilane synthase, gene mutation, penetrance, heterogeneity, oligogenic inheritance
Citation
Lei J-J, Li S, Dong B-X, Yang J and Ren Y (2024) Acute intermittent porphyria: a disease with low penetrance and high heterogeneity. Front. Genet. 15:1374965. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1374965
Received
23 January 2024
Accepted
29 July 2024
Published
12 August 2024
Volume
15 - 2024
Edited by
John G. Quigley, University of Illinois Chicago, United States
Reviewed by
Kitiwan Rojnueangnit, Thammasat University Hospital, Thailand
Paulo Victor Sgobbi Souza, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil
Updates
Copyright
© 2024 Lei, Li, Dong, Yang and Ren.
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*Correspondence: Yi Ren, renyi_0_0@163.com
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