Mutations in exon 10 of the RET proto-oncogene in Hirschsprung`s disease

Hirschsprung`s disease (HSCR) is a frequent congenital malformation ascribed to the absence of autonomic ganglion cells in the terminal hindgut. Recently, we have identified mutations in the RET proto-oncogene in HSCR families. Mutations of the RET gene have also been reported in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC). While RET mutations in HSCR are scattered on the whole coding sequence, MEN 2A and FMTC mutations are clustered in 5 cystein codons of exons 10 and 11. Here, we report on HSCR families carrying mutations in exon 10 of the RET gene, one of them involving a cystein codon. Germ-line mutations in exon 10 of the RET gene may contribute to either an early development defect (HSCR) or inherited predisposition to cancer (MEN 2A and FMTC), probable depending on the nature and location of the mutation. These data also suggest that HSCR patients with mutations in exon 10 might subsequently prove to be at risk for MEN 2A or FMTC since several MEN 2A/HSCR associations have been reported.