Congenital plasminogen deficiency is a disorder that results in inflamed growths on the mucous membranes, which are the moist tissues that line body openings such as the eyelids and the inside of the mouth. Development of the growths are usually triggered by infections or injury, but they may also occur spontaneously in the absence of known triggers. The growths may recur after being removed.

Congenital plasminogen deficiency is caused by mutations in the PLG gene. This gene provides instructions for making a protein called plasminogen. Enzymes called plasminogen activators convert plasminogen into the protein plasmin, which breaks down another protein called fibrin. Fibrin is the main protein involved in blood clots and is important for wound healing, creating the framework for normal tissue to grow back. Excess fibrin is broken down when no longer needed, and the new, more flexible normal tissue takes its place.

The prevalence of congenital plasminogen deficiency has been estimated at 1.6 per one million people. This condition is believed to be underdiagnosed, because growths in one area are often not recognized as being a feature of a disorder that affects many body systems. Mild cases likely never come to medical attention.

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: August 01, 2012
Published By: National Institutes of Health