Clinical Information

The extracellular G-protein-coupled calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) is an essential component of calcium homeostasis. CASR is expressed at high levels in the parathyroid glands and kidneys. In the parathyroid glands, an increase in serum calcium results in downregulation of gene expression of the main short-term regulator of calcium homeostasis, parathyroid hormone (PTH), as well as diminished secretion of already synthesized PTH. At the same time, kidney calcium excretion is upregulated, and sodium chloride excretion is downregulated.(1) Both activating and inactivating genetic variants have been described in CASR and result in altered calcium sensing and subsequent inappropriate PTH release relative to serum calcium concentration.

Inactivating (loss-of-function) CASR variants result in undersensing of calcium concentrations and consequent PTH overproduction. This leads to either familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) or neonatal severe primary hyperparathyroidism (NSPHT), depending on the severity of the functional impairment. Except for a very small percentage of cases with no apparent CASR variants, FHH is due to heterozygous inactivating CASR variants. In FHH, serum calcium levels are mildly-to-moderately elevated, PTH may be normal or only modestly elevated, phosphate is normal or slightly low, and urinary calcium excretion is low for the degree of hypercalcemia.(1) Unlike patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, the majority of FHH patients do not seem to experience adverse long-term effects from hypercalcemia and elevated PTH levels. On the other hand, NSPHT is usually caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous inactivating CASR variants but can occasionally be caused by dominant-negative heterozygous variants.(1) NSPHT presents at birth, or shortly thereafter, with severe hypercalcemia requiring urgent parathyroidectomy.

Activating (gain-of-function) CASR variants lead to oversensing of calcium, resulting in suppression of PTH secretion and consequently hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia. This disorder is referred to as autosomal dominant hypocalcemia or autosomal dominant hypoparathyroidism. To date, all activating variants described are functionally dominant and inheritance is therefore autosomal dominant. However, sporadic (no known genetic etiology) cases also occur. Autosomal dominant hypoparathyroidism caused by CASR variants may account for many cases of idiopathic hypoparathyroidism. In addition, while the majority of patients exhibit only hypoparathyroidism, a small subgroup has extreme gain-of-function variants. These individuals may present with additional symptoms that are consistent with type V Bartter syndrome, including hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, hyperreninemia, hyperaldosteronism, and hypomagnesemia.(1-2)