Novel TSHβ subunit gene mutation causing congenital central hypothyroidism in a newborn male

Newborn screening programs that use only high TSH levels as a marker for hypothyroidism may overlook neonates with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) due to TSH deficiency. We sought the cause of TSH deficiency in a neonate with low levels of thyroxine and TSH. The coding region of the TSHβ gene was amplified and its sequence examined for mutations. Two mutations in exon 3 were identified: 1) a nucleotide deletion of T410 in codon 105 resulting in a frameshift in one allele, and 2) a previously unreported nucleotide deletion of T266 in codon 57, causing a frameshift and a premature stop at codon 62 in the other allele. We describe a compound heterozygous patient with TSHβ mutations at codons 57 and 105 that interfered with a critical disulfide bond in the TSH molecule and caused CH. State screening programs that measure both T₄ and TSH levels have the potential to detect newborns with congenital central hypothyroidism.