# Constitutional indocyanine green excretion defect in a Chinese patient without underlying liver disease: case report and mechanistic insights

**Authors:** Xueying Ma, Fei Tian, Shuanghao Zhou, Jianjun Li, Yankun Liu, Ying Hui, Xiangming Ma

PMC · DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2026.1701264 · Frontiers in Medicine · 2026-02-09

## TL;DR

A Chinese patient without liver disease showed a rare indocyanine green excretion defect, offering new insights into its cause.

## Contribution

First documented Chinese case of CIED without liver disease and no known transporter gene mutations.

## Key findings

- No pathogenic variants found in known ICG transporter genes in the patient.
- Suggests novel pathogenesis for CIED independent of established transporter deficiencies.

## Abstract

Constitutional indocyanine green excretion defect (CIED) is a rare disorder characterized by markedly delayed plasma indocyanine green disappearance (ICG-R15 > 50%) despite normal results from conventional liver function tests. We present case a case involving 60-year-old woman diagnosed with CIED, which represents the first documented case in a Chinese patient without any underlying liver disease. This case expands the recognized geographic and epidemiologic spectrum of CIED. Whole-exome sequencing revealed no deletions or pathogenic variants in genes encoding established ICG transporters [SLCO1B1 (OATP1B1), SLCO1B3 (OATP1B3), SLC10A1 (NTCP), and ABCC2 (MRP2)], excluding conventional mechanistic explanations. Our integrated clinical and molecular characterization offers novel insights into this rare disorder. These findings suggest a novel pathogenesis independent of known transporter deficiencies, highlighting the need for further research and underscoring the importance of integrating multidimensional clinical data for accurate interpretation of ICG test results.

## Linked entities

- **Genes:** SLCO1B1 (solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B1) [NCBI Gene 10599], SLCO1B3 (solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B3) [NCBI Gene 28234], SLC10A1 (solute carrier family 10 member 1) [NCBI Gene 6554], ABCC2 (ATP binding cassette subfamily C member 2) [NCBI Gene 1244]
- **Chemicals:** indocyanine green (PubChem CID 5282412)
- **Diseases:** liver disease (MONDO:0005154)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** SLCO1B3 (solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B3) [NCBI Gene 28234] {aka HBLRR, LST-2, LST-3TM13, LST3, OATP-8, OATP1B3}, SLCO1B1 (solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B1) [NCBI Gene 10599] {aka HBLRR, LST-1, OATP-C, OATP1B1, OATP2, OATPC}, GH1 (growth hormone 1) [NCBI Gene 2688] {aka GH, GH-N, GHB5, GHN, IGHD1A, IGHD1B}, JAK2 (Janus kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 3717] {aka JTK10}, ALB (albumin) [NCBI Gene 213] {aka FDAHT, HSA, PRO0883, PRO0903, PRO1341}, FOXA2 (forkhead box A2) [NCBI Gene 3170] {aka HNF-3-beta, HNF3B, TCF3B}, ONECUT1 (one cut homeobox 1) [NCBI Gene 3175] {aka HNF-6, HNF6, HNF6A}, HNF1A (HNF1 homeobox A) [NCBI Gene 6927] {aka HNF-1-alpha, HNF-1A, HNF1, HNF1alpha, IDDM20, LFB1}, HNF4A (hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha) [NCBI Gene 3172] {aka FRTS4, HNF4, HNF4a7, HNF4a8, HNF4a9, HNF4alpha}, GGH (gamma-glutamyl hydrolase) [NCBI Gene 8836] {aka GATD10, GH}, IL10RA (interleukin 10 receptor subunit alpha) [NCBI Gene 3587] {aka CD210, CD210a, CDW210A, HIL-10R, IL-10R1, IL10R}, STAT5B (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5B) [NCBI Gene 6777] {aka GHISID2, STAT5}, SLC10A1 (solute carrier family 10 member 1) [NCBI Gene 6554] {aka FHCA2, NTCP}, TLR3 (toll like receptor 3) [NCBI Gene 7098] {aka CD283, IIAE2, IMD83}, GHR (growth hormone receptor) [NCBI Gene 2690] {aka GHBP, GHIP}, OATP1 (ornithine aminotransferase pseudogene 1) [NCBI Gene 4945] {aka OATL3}, SLCO1A2 (solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1A2) [NCBI Gene 6579] {aka OATP, OATP-A, OATP1A2, SLC21A3}, ABCC2 (ATP binding cassette subfamily C member 2) [NCBI Gene 1244] {aka ABC30, CMOAT, DJS, MRP2, cMRP}, STAT5A (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5A) [NCBI Gene 6776] {aka MGF, STAT5}, IGF1 (insulin like growth factor 1) [NCBI Gene 3479] {aka IGF, IGF-I, IGFI, MGF}
- **Diseases:** HCC (MESH:D006528), PBC (MESH:D008105), CAP (MESH:C538265), intrahepatic biliary cystadenoma (MESH:D003537), LSM (MESH:D017093), biliary dysfunction (MESH:D001658), CIED (MESH:D005878), hepatitis (MESH:D056486), cholestasis (MESH:D002779), hepatobiliary disease (MESH:D004066), toxicity (MESH:D064420), colorectal liver metastasis (MESH:D009362), HCH (MESH:D006392), active (OMIM:612348), portal hypertension (MESH:D006975), IBC (MESH:D058922), ICG retention (MESH:D016055), OATP deficiency (MESH:D007153), coordination (MESH:D001259), indocyanine green excretion defect (OMIM:614156), fatty liver disease (MESH:D005234), jaundice (MESH:D007565), hepatic malignancies (MESH:D009369), transporter deficiencies (MESH:C536778), substance abuse (MESH:D019966), cholecystectomy (MESH:D017562), liver fibrosis (MESH:D008103), gallbladder stones (MESH:D005705), cirrhosis (MESH:D005355), hepatic dysfunction (MESH:D008107), inflammatory (MESH:D007249), liver or hereditary disorders (MESH:D009386)
- **Chemicals:** alcohol (MESH:D000438), Gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (MESH:C073590), ICG (MESH:D007208), bile acid (MESH:D001647), CIED (-), branched chain amino acid (MESH:D000597), water (MESH:D014867), tyrosine (MESH:D014443), Bilirubin (MESH:D001663), 99mTc (MESH:D013667)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]
- **Mutations:** p.Ile205Met

## Full text

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## Figures

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## References

39 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12926837/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12926837