Extended Abstract: Deficiency of Sodium Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide (SLC10A1): A New Inborn Error of Metabolism with an Attenuated Phenotype

Abstract

We present the first patient with a defect in the Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide SLC10A1 (NTCP), which plays a key role in the enterohepatic circulation of bile salts. The clinical presentation of the child was mild and the child showed no signs of liver dysfunction or pruritus despite extremely elevated plasma bile salt levels (>100-fold upper-limit of normal). A homozygous point mutation was found in the SLC10A1 gene (resulting in amino acid change R252H) and functional studies confirmed the pathogenicity of the mutation. This confirms the role of NTCP as the major transporter of conjugated bile salts into the liver as part of the enterohepatic circulation and shows that other transporters partly can take over its function, resulting in a relatively mild phenotype. This work was published previously in [Vaz et al.: Hepatology 2015;61:260-267] and supplemented with some follow-up information of the patient.