Arterial tortuosity syndrome is a disorder that affects connective tissue. Connective tissue provides strength and flexibility to structures throughout the body, including blood vessels, skin, joints, and the gastrointestinal tract.

Arterial tortuosity syndrome is caused by mutations in the SLC2A10 gene. This gene provides instructions for making a protein called GLUT10. The level of GLUT10 appears to be involved in the regulation of a process called the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway. This pathway is involved in cell growth and division (proliferation) and the process by which cells mature to carry out special functions (differentiation). The TGF-β signaling pathway is also involved in bone and blood vessel development and the formation of the extracellular matrix, an intricate lattice of proteins and other molecules that forms in the spaces between cells and defines the structure and properties of connective tissues.

Arterial tortuosity syndrome is a rare disorder; its prevalence is unknown. About 100 cases have been reported in the medical literature.

This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition.

Published Date: November 01, 2015Published By: National Institutes of Health