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CLDN2

gene
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Summary

CLDN2 (claudin 2, HGNC:2041) is a protein-coding gene on chromosome Xq22.3, encoding Claudin-2 (P57739). Forms paracellular channels: polymerizes in tight junction strands with cation- and water-selective channels through the strands, conveying epithelial permeability in a process known as paracellular tight junction permeability.

This gene product belongs to the claudin protein family whose members have been identified as major integral membrane proteins localized exclusively at tight junctions. Claudins are expressed in an organ-specific manner and regulate tissue-specific physiologic properties of tight junctions. This protein is expressed in the intestine. Alternatively spliced transcript variants with different 5’ untranslated region have been found for this gene.

Source: NCBI Gene 9075 — RefSeq curated summary.

At a glance

  • Gene–disease (curated): hereditary chronic pancreatitis (Limited, GenCC) — +1 more curated relationship
  • GWAS associations: 3
  • Clinical variants (ClinVar): 73 total — 1 pathogenic, 1 likely-pathogenic
  • GTEx eGene: eQTL in 5 tissues, sQTL in 0 (q < 0.05)
  • Phenotypes (HPO): 5
  • MANE Select transcript: NM_020384
  • Notable: 73 clinical variants but no curated precision-oncology (CIViC) evidence yet

Identifiers

Gene identifiers

FieldValue
HGNC IDHGNC:2041
Approved symbolCLDN2
Nameclaudin 2
LocationXq22.3
Locus typegene with protein product
StatusApproved
Ensembl geneENSG00000165376
Ensembl biotypeprotein_coding
OMIM300520
Entrez9075

Gene structure

Transcript identifiers

Ensembl transcripts: 9 — 9 protein_coding

MANE Select: ENST00000336803

Transcript support level (Ensembl TSL; 1 = fully mRNA-supported): TSL 1: 2, TSL 2: 1

ENST00000336803, ENST00000540876, ENST00000541806, ENST00000899662, ENST00000899663, ENST00000899664, ENST00000899665, ENST00001116670, ENST00001136675

RefSeq mRNA: 3 — MANE Select: NM_020384 NM_001171092, NM_001171095, NM_020384

CCDS: CCDS14524

Canonical transcript exons

ENST00000336803 — 2 exons

ExonStartEnd
ENSE00001294483106920402106920551
ENSE00001362423106928051106930861

Expression profiles

Bgee: expression breadth ubiquitous, 125 present calls, max score 99.45.

FANTOM5 (CAGE): breadth tissue_specific, TPM avg 1.2046 / max 265.1168, expressed in 83 samples.

Highest expression (Bgee): kidney epithelium, pancreatic ductal cell, gall bladder, islet of Langerhans, adult mammalian kidney.

Genetic regulation across tissues (GTEx eQTL / sQTL)

CLDN2 is an eGene in GTEx v10 — its expression is genetically regulated (eQTL) in 5 tissues and its splicing (sQTL) in 0 (q < 0.05). Strongest associations first; slope = normalized effect of the lead variant’s alternative allele.

5 significant tissue × QTL associations:

TissueQTLq-valueSlopeLead variant
Pancreaseqtl2.4e-24+0.46X:106901299:T:C
Thyroideqtl9.2e-06-0.21X:107001537:C:T
Cells Cultured fibroblastseqtl5.4e-03-0.75X:106659507:CTAAG:C
Esophagus Musculariseqtl1.2e-02+0.51X:107770114:C:T
Pituitaryeqtl4.3e-02-0.66X:107654479:G:C

FANTOM5 promoters

3 alternative TSS:

Promoter IDTPM avgSamples expressed
1971720.976155
1971710.119226
1971700.109427

Top tissues by expression

showing 100 of 237 tissues by Bgee expression score (0-100, higher = more expressed):

TissueAnatomy IDExpression scoreQuality
kidney epitheliumUBERON:000481999.45gold quality
pancreatic ductal cellCL:000207998.23silver quality
gall bladderUBERON:000211098.18gold quality
islet of LangerhansUBERON:000000692.36gold quality
adult mammalian kidneyUBERON:000008292.34gold quality
right lobe of liverUBERON:000111489.61gold quality
kidneyUBERON:000211388.70gold quality
adult organismUBERON:000702387.94gold quality
liverUBERON:000210785.56gold quality
seminal vesicleUBERON:000099884.44gold quality
cortex of kidneyUBERON:000122584.40gold quality
ileal mucosaUBERON:000033183.16silver quality
renal medullaUBERON:000036281.72gold quality
duodenumUBERON:000211480.01gold quality
small intestine Peyer’s patchUBERON:000345479.96gold quality
caput epididymisUBERON:000435879.76gold quality
small intestineUBERON:000210878.65gold quality
pancreasUBERON:000126477.94gold quality
metanephros cortexUBERON:001053377.14gold quality
buccal mucosa cellCL:000233676.33silver quality
body of pancreasUBERON:000115071.45gold quality
metanephrosUBERON:000008170.38gold quality
pylorusUBERON:000116668.75gold quality
corpus epididymisUBERON:000435967.65gold quality
right adrenal gland cortexUBERON:003582766.04gold quality
left adrenal glandUBERON:000123465.99gold quality
vermiform appendixUBERON:000115465.61gold quality
right adrenal glandUBERON:000123365.42gold quality
adrenal cortexUBERON:000123564.86gold quality
left adrenal gland cortexUBERON:003582564.84gold quality
jejunal mucosaUBERON:000039964.07gold quality
cerebellar vermisUBERON:000472064.01gold quality
adrenal glandUBERON:000236963.06gold quality
tibialis anteriorUBERON:000138562.97silver quality
rectumUBERON:000105262.10gold quality
caecumUBERON:000115360.10gold quality
spermCL:000001959.19gold quality
mucosa of transverse colonUBERON:000499158.19gold quality
jejunumUBERON:000211556.79gold quality
upper leg skinUBERON:000426256.21silver quality
colonic epitheliumUBERON:000039756.11silver quality
upper arm skinUBERON:000426355.75gold quality
deltoidUBERON:000147654.58gold quality
cardiac muscle of right atriumUBERON:000337954.34gold quality
left ventricle myocardiumUBERON:000656654.23gold quality
oocyteCL:000002352.82gold quality
intestineUBERON:000016052.59gold quality
pigmented layer of retinaUBERON:000178252.55silver quality
body of stomachUBERON:000116152.10gold quality
stomachUBERON:000094551.80gold quality
mucosa of stomachUBERON:000119951.16gold quality
skin of hipUBERON:000155451.10silver quality
myocardiumUBERON:000234950.25gold quality
quadriceps femorisUBERON:000137749.73gold quality
bone marrow cellCL:000209249.68gold quality
muscle tissueUBERON:000238549.30gold quality
cauda epididymisUBERON:000436049.29gold quality
stromal cell of endometriumCL:000225548.93gold quality
omental fat padUBERON:001041448.79gold quality
peritoneumUBERON:000235848.77gold quality
visceral pleuraUBERON:000240148.65silver quality
ventricular zoneUBERON:000305348.52gold quality
thymusUBERON:000237048.51gold quality
smooth muscle tissueUBERON:000113548.38gold quality
adipose tissue of abdominal regionUBERON:000780848.34gold quality
lateral globus pallidusUBERON:000247647.32gold quality
hindlimb stylopod muscleUBERON:000425247.26silver quality
corpus callosumUBERON:000233647.22gold quality
nasal cavity epitheliumUBERON:000538447.03gold quality
olfactory segment of nasal mucosaUBERON:000538646.94gold quality
subcutaneous adipose tissueUBERON:000219046.68gold quality
adipose tissueUBERON:000101346.55gold quality
skin of abdomenUBERON:000141646.26gold quality
skin of legUBERON:000151145.95gold quality
vastus lateralisUBERON:000137945.87gold quality
lateral nuclear group of thalamusUBERON:000273645.61gold quality
subthalamic nucleusUBERON:000190645.57gold quality
zone of skinUBERON:000001445.56gold quality
layer of synovial tissueUBERON:000761645.43gold quality
dorsal plus ventral thalamusUBERON:000189745.42silver quality
substantia nigra pars reticulataUBERON:000196645.25gold quality
nasal cavity mucosaUBERON:000182644.89silver quality
tonsilUBERON:000237244.85gold quality
trigeminal ganglionUBERON:000167544.44gold quality
middle temporal gyrusUBERON:000277144.42gold quality
fallopian tubeUBERON:000388944.38gold quality
cardia of stomachUBERON:000116244.27gold quality
placentaUBERON:000198744.21silver quality
muscle of legUBERON:000138344.01silver quality
amniotic fluidUBERON:000017343.96gold quality
bone marrowUBERON:000237143.82gold quality
dorsal root ganglionUBERON:000004443.80gold quality
fundus of stomachUBERON:000116043.61gold quality
descending thoracic aortaUBERON:000234543.43gold quality
lungUBERON:000204843.37gold quality
skeletal muscle tissue of rectus abdominisUBERON:000451143.37gold quality
cortical plateUBERON:000534343.34gold quality
large intestineUBERON:000005943.31gold quality
globus pallidusUBERON:000187543.16gold quality
colonUBERON:000115543.06gold quality

Single-cell (SCXA)

Detected in 3 experiment(s), a significant marker in 3.

ExperimentMarker?Max mean expression
E-GEOD-83139yes1080.82
E-MTAB-8495yes830.81
E-ANND-3yes3.71

HPA expression

RNA tissue specificity: Tissue enhanced

showing 60 of 61 HPA tissues / cells by nTPM:

Tissue / cellAxisnTPMProtein (IHC)
Choroid plexustissue243.0
Kidneytissue154.2medium
Gallbladdertissue95.3high
Seminal vesicletissue85.1low
Livertissue39.5not detected
Epididymistissue31.8not detected
Small intestinetissue23.0low
Duodenumtissue19.7low
Stomach 1tissue7.3low
Superior colliculitissue4.4
Rectumtissue4.3not detected
Adrenal glandtissue2.8
Medulla oblongatatissue2.6
Caudate putamentissue2.3
Appendixtissue2.0not detected
Colontissue1.9not detected
Thalamustissue1.6
Substantia nigratissue1.3
Lungtissue1.3not detected
Cerebellumtissue1.1not detected
Pancreastissue1.0not detected
Basal gangliatissue1.0not detected
Amygdalatissue1.0
Periaqueductal graytissue1.0
Midbraintissue0.9
Hippocampal formationtissue0.9
Olfactory bulbtissue0.9
Hippocampustissue0.8not detected
Corpus callosumtissue0.8
Ventral forebraintissue0.8
Cerebral cortextissue0.7not detected
Retinatissue0.7
Nucleus accumbenstissue0.7
Hypothalamustissue0.7
Postcentral gyrustissue0.7
Septumtissue0.7
Retrosplenial cortextissue0.7
Temporal cortextissue0.7
Insular cortextissue0.7
Breasttissue0.6
Prefrontal cortextissue0.6
Ponstissue0.6
Adipose tissuetissue0.6not detected
Putamentissue0.6
Locus coeruleustissue0.6
Entorhinal cortextissue0.6
Retrosplenial and cingulate cortextissue0.6
Occipital cortextissue0.6
Motor cortextissue0.5
Thyroid glandtissue0.5not detected
Spinal cordtissue0.5
Somatosensory cortextissue0.5
Skin 1tissue0.3not detected
Pituitary glandtissue0.2
Skeletal muscletissue0.2not detected
Fallopian tubetissue0.2not detected
Esophagustissue0.1
Smooth muscletissue0.1not detected
Endometrium 1tissue0.1not detected
Frontal cortextissue0.1

Brain sub-regions (HPA Brain Atlas): detected in 190; highest nTPM — Hippocampus, CA3 (18.1), Vermis (3.8), Habenula (3.3), Hippocampus, CA2 (2.8), Medial dorsal thalamic nucleus (2.0).

Regulation

Is transcription factor: no

Upstream regulators (CollecTRI, top): AP1, CDX1, CDX2, CLDN5, CTNNB1, GATA4, GLI1, HNF1A, HNF4A, JUN, LEF1, OCLN, PPARG, TCF4

miRNA regulators (miRDB)

Targeting CLDN2 by miRDB confidence (max_score; target_count = how many genes the miRNA targets in total — lower means more specific).

showing 30 of 97 miRNAs:

miRNAMax scoreAvg scoremiRNA target_count
HSA-MIR-8485100.0077.574731
HSA-MIR-4481100.0066.421669
HSA-MIR-3689D100.0066.141181
HSA-MIR-6851-5P100.0065.631294
HSA-MIR-6870-5P99.9968.552115
HSA-MIR-453499.9966.581907
HSA-MIR-4723-5P99.9768.702034
HSA-MIR-569899.9768.492029
HSA-MIR-7111-5P99.9768.482062
HSA-MIR-808299.9567.271170
HSA-MIR-452599.9464.38675
HSA-MIR-5010-5P99.9464.11705
HSA-MIR-651-3P99.9473.485177
HSA-MIR-335-3P99.9373.364958
HSA-MIR-497-5P99.9271.832674
HSA-MIR-515-5P99.9269.822343
HSA-MIR-519E-5P99.9269.622358
HSA-MIR-338-5P99.9272.342951
HSA-MIR-205-3P99.9269.923165
HSA-MIR-15A-5P99.9072.802787
HSA-MIR-15B-5P99.9072.782798
HSA-MIR-16-5P99.9072.802780
HSA-MIR-195-5P99.9072.812805
HSA-MIR-153-5P99.8973.866317
HSA-MIR-424-5P99.8971.902641
HSA-MIR-6838-5P99.8971.942690
HSA-MIR-6783-3P99.8967.922059
HSA-MIR-3065-3P99.8770.251407
HSA-MIR-6857-5P99.8765.32985
HSA-MIR-807399.8665.211118

Functional genomics

Regional missense constraint (gnomAD)

ENST00000336803 splits into 2 regions with different missense tolerance; 0 are missense-constrained. Missense variants in a constrained region (low observed/expected) are more likely to be pathogenic. gnomAD

Region (GRCh38)Missense obs / expo/eConstrained
X:106,928,229–106,928,51327 / 72.20.37no
X:106,928,514–106,928,91881 / 100.80.80no

Literature-anchored findings (GeneRIF, showing 40)

  • identification of eIF4AIII and Barentsz as components of a conserved protein complex that is essential for mRNA localization in flies and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay in mammals (PMID:14973490)
  • dIF4A is a maternal-effect suppressor of decapentalplegic. (PMID:15972466)
  • eIF4A has a novel function as a specific inhibitor of Dpp signalling that mediates the degradation of SMAD homologues. (PMID:17115029)
  • The results suggest that the eIF4A gene is under the control of the DREF pathway and DREF is therefore involved in the regulation of protein synthesis. (PMID:17888422)
  • eIF4A controls germline stem cell self-renewal by directly inhibiting BAM function in the Drosophila ovary. (PMID:19556547)
  • our data identify the eIF4F complex as an important upstream regulator of TORC1, which acts via TSC2 to inactivate TORC1 upon withdrawal of amino acids (PMID:26988032)
  • Rare EIF4A2 variants are associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability, hypotonia, and epilepsy. (PMID:36528028)
  • Cloning of the human claudin-2 5’-flanking region revealed a TATA-less promoter with conserved binding sites in mouse and human for caudal-related homeodomain proteins and hepatocyte nuclear factor-1alpha. (PMID:11934881)
  • Results support a model in which claudins 2 and 4 create paracellular channels and the first extracellular domain is sufficient to determine both paracellular charge selectivity and transepithelial electrical resistance. (PMID:12700140)
  • role for the paracellular barrier function by opening pores for small cations (PMID:14751232)
  • optimal claudin-2 expression in the gut relies on the presence of GATA-4, suggesting a role for this factor in intestinal regionalization (PMID:15389642)
  • No obvious correlation was found between claudin-2 expression and clinicopathological parameters of colorectal cancers. (PMID:16328347)
  • Claudin tight junction proteins in endoscopy biopsy samples showed Barrett’s metaplasia contains more claudin-2 and claudin-3 than found in normal esophageal mucosa, but markedly lower claudins 1 and 5, indicating very different tight junction barriers. (PMID:17103306)
  • Expression of claudin-2 was increased in acute calculous cholecystitis. (PMID:17283368)
  • RT-PCR data show high expression of putative tumor suppressor genes Rsk4 and RbAp46 in 47% and 79% of breast carcinoma cases, respectively, whereas Cldn2 was down-regulated in 52% of breast cancer cases compared with normal adjacent tissues. (PMID:17314274)
  • Comparison of adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas revealed significant differences in CLDN2 expression. (PMID:17418912)
  • IL-4 and interferon gamma have opposite effects on the expression of claudin-2 and the physiology of the tight junction (PMID:17640674)
  • The expression of claudin-1 and claudin-2 in cancer tissues was upregulated 40- and 49.2-fold, respectively, at the mRNA level, as compared with that in normal tissues (PMID:17970035)
  • Expression of claudin-2 results in a selective increase in pore number but not size and has no effect on the permeability of PEGs that are larger than the pores. (PMID:18198187)
  • These findings strongly suggest that claudin-2- and/or claudin-12-based tight junctions form paracellular Ca(2+) channels in intestinal epithelia, and they highlight a novel mechanism behind vitamin D-dependent calcium homeostasis. (PMID:18287530)
  • Claudin-2 protein overexpression may be closely correlated to gastric carcinogenesis. (PMID:18366005)
  • Significant correlations sre found between claudin-2 and Cdx2 protein expression in dysplasia and intestine-type adenocarcinoma. (PMID:18500171)
  • The discovery of claudin 2 transcript and protein in the skin could be of importance in epidermal differentiation, barrier function and pathological conditions. (PMID:18509255)
  • These results provide an insight into the changes in the inter-molecular forces and adhesion kinetics of Cldn2 mediated interactions in acidic, neutral and alkaline environments. (PMID:18602630)
  • Claudin-1 and claudin-2 expression was elevated in active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), adenomas, and IBD-associated dysplasia, but not acute self limiting colitis (PMID:18711353)
  • findings are consistent with the hypothesis that EGFR signaling plays an important role in A549 cell physiology and acts synergistically with claudin-2 to accelerate tumor colonizati (PMID:18942115)
  • The expression of claudins-2, -3 and -4 in 16 rectal well-differentiated endocrine neoplasms was studied (PMID:19082451)
  • Up-regulation of claudin-2 might lead to altered tight junction structure and be related to the impaired epithelial function in active ulcerative colitis. (PMID:19120888)
  • The up-regulation of claudin-2 by TNFalpha is attributable to the regulation of the expression of the gene, as a result of which epithelial barrier function is disturbed. (PMID:19214581)
  • Data show that claudin-2 expression was reduced following symplekin down-regulation, and siRNA-mediated claudin-2 down-regulation increased the transepithelial resistance and decreased cyclin D1 expression and ZONAB nuclear localization. (PMID:20133805)
  • CLDN 2 expression was significantly increased in severe form of coeliac disease in bulb and in distal duodenum (PMID:20143085)
  • claudin-2 was not expressed in any of the 18 cases of Epstein-Barr virus-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma studied. (PMID:20204275)
  • The authors propose claudin-2 and SYN1 work in concert to enhance microbial translocation across the intestinal epithelial barrier to contribute to chronic immune activation and CD4 T-cell depletion in HIV-1-infected patients. (PMID:20700059)
  • CLDN2 is selectively enriched in and promotes the formation of breast cancer liver metastases through engagement of cell membrane complexes. (PMID:21076473)
  • demonstrate here that breast cancer cells harbouring PIK3CA mutations are selectively sensitive to mTOR allosteric and kinase inhibitors. However, cells with PTEN loss of function are not sensitive to these drugs (PMID:21383692)
  • Pore-forming tight junction protein claudin-2 is strongly expressed in the ileum of 51% patients in quiescent phase and in 49% of the patients with active Crohn’s disease. (PMID:21688348)
  • These results suggest that EGF is secreted from A549 cells by MMP and increases claudin-2 expression mediated via the activation of an EGFR/MEK/ERK pathway. (PMID:22546605)
  • Stable expression of inducible GFP-SUMO-1 in MDCK cells resulted in decreased levels of claudin-2 protein by immunoblot and decreased claudin-2 membrane expression (PMID:22731716)
  • Sinonasal epithelium in allergic fungal rhinosinusitis displays increased epithelial permeability and an altered expression of claudin-2 (PMID:22927233)
  • results implicate pericryptal myofibroblast-derived paracrine KGF and largely autocrine amphiregulin in the upregulation of claudin-2 in Caco-2 epithelial monolayers and consequent disruption of tight junction integrity (PMID:22946653)

Cross-species orthologs

3 orthologs

OrganismSymbolGene ID
danio_reriocldn2ENSDARG00000044387
mus_musculusCldn2ENSMUSG00000047230
rattus_norvegicusCldn2ENSRNOG00000054495

Paralogs (22): CLDN11 (ENSG00000013297), CLDN18 (ENSG00000066405), CLDN15 (ENSG00000106404), CLDN16 (ENSG00000113946), CLDN10 (ENSG00000134873), CLDN17 (ENSG00000156282), CLDN8 (ENSG00000156284), CLDN14 (ENSG00000159261), CLDN1 (ENSG00000163347), CLDN19 (ENSG00000164007), CLDN3 (ENSG00000165215), CLDN20 (ENSG00000171217), CLDN22 (ENSG00000177300), CLDN7 (ENSG00000181885), CLDN5 (ENSG00000184113), CLDN6 (ENSG00000184697), CLDN24 (ENSG00000185758), CLDN4 (ENSG00000189143), CLDN9 (ENSG00000213937), CLDN25 (ENSG00000228607), CLDN34 (ENSG00000234469), CLDN23 (ENSG00000253958)

Mouse-model phenotypes

Observed phenotypes of the mouse ortholog (MGI:1276110) from MGI (Alliance of Genome Resources) — knockout/mutant phenotypes, ranked by annotation count. 14 distinct phenotype terms.

Mouse phenotype (MP)Records
increased urine sodium level2
abnormal renal sodium reabsorption2
polyuria1
decreased urine osmolality1
increased susceptibility to kidney reperfusion injury1
hypoxia1
increased oxygen consumption1
increased urine calcium level1
increased circulating creatinine level1
increased blood urea nitrogen level1
abnormal renal reabsorption1
abnormal renal water reabsorption1
abnormal renal sodium ion transport1
decreased kidney enzyme/coenzyme level1

Additional cross-species homologs

Sequence homologs in species beyond Ensembl Compara’s model organisms, by Diamond local protein alignment (% sequence identity; best hit per species). Lower-identity rows are more distant homologs. The matched accessions’ gene symbols aren’t in biobtree yet, so each row shows the UniProt accession.

OrganismUniProtIdentityMethod
Chlorocebus aethiopsO1900599.0%Diamond
Bos taurusQ2HJ2295.9%Diamond
Canis lupus familiarisQ95KM594.5%Diamond
Sus scrofaC3VMW385.8%Diamond

Genomic neighbors (locus context)

Genes flanking this one on the chromosome (NCBI/Entrez gene neighborhood). Positional context only — some neighbors share regulatory elements (bidirectional promoters, antisense/overlapping transcripts), but chromosomal adjacency is not itself a functional relationship (see Interactions for that).

SymbolTypeEntrez
NUP62CLprotein-coding54830
RBM41protein-coding55285
MORC4protein-coding79710
RIPPLY1protein-coding92129
TBC1D8Bprotein-coding54885
MIR548ANncRNA100616144
RADXprotein-coding55086
RNF128protein-coding79589

Protein

Protein identifiers

Claudin-2 — P57739 (reviewed: P57739)

Alternative names: SP82

All UniProt accessions (1): P57739

UniProt curated annotations — full annotation on UniProt →

Function. Forms paracellular channels: polymerizes in tight junction strands with cation- and water-selective channels through the strands, conveying epithelial permeability in a process known as paracellular tight junction permeability. In intestinal epithelium, allows for sodium and water fluxes from the peritoneal side to the lumen of the intestine to regulate nutrient absorption and clear enteric pathogens as part of mucosal immune response. In kidney, allows passive sodium and calcium reabsorption across proximal tubules from the lumen back to the bloodstream. In the hepatobiliary tract, allows paracellular water and cation fluxes in the hepatic perivenous areas and biliary epithelium to generate bile flow and maintain osmotic gradients.

Subunit / interactions. Can form homo- and heteropolymers with other claudins to mediate paracellular barrier and channel functions of tight junctions in response to physiological stimuli. Homopolymers interact with CLDN3, but not CLDN1, homopolymers. Directly interacts with TJP1/ZO-1, TJP2/ZO-2 and TJP3/ZO-3.

Subcellular location. Cell junction. Tight junction. Cell membrane.

Post-translational modifications. The disulfide bond is necessary for pore formation, but is not required for correct protein trafficking.

Disease relevance. Azoospermia, obstructive, with nephrolithiasis (OAZON) [MIM:301060] An X-linked recessive, male infertility disorder characterized by epidydimal obstruction, hypercalciuria and kidney stones. The disease may be caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry.

Similarity. Belongs to the claudin family.

RefSeq proteins (3): NP_001164563, NP_001164566, NP_065117* (*=MANE)

Domains & families (InterPro)

IDNameType
IPR004031PMP22/EMP/MP20/ClaudinFamily
IPR005411Claudin2Family
IPR006187ClaudinFamily
IPR017974Claudin_CSConserved_site

Pfam: PF00822

Catalyzed reactions (Rhea)

  • K(+)(in) = K(+)(out) (RHEA:29463)
  • H2O(in) = H2O(out) (RHEA:29667)
  • Ca(2+)(in) = Ca(2+)(out) (RHEA:29671)
  • choline(out) = choline(in) (RHEA:32751)
  • Na(+)(in) = Na(+)(out) (RHEA:34963)
  • methylamine(out) = methylamine(in) (RHEA:74391)
  • Rb(+)(in) = Rb(+)(out) (RHEA:78547)
  • Li(+)(in) = Li(+)(out) (RHEA:78551)
  • Cs(+)(in) = Cs(+)(out) (RHEA:78555)

UniProt features (21 total): topological domain 5, transmembrane region 4, region of interest 2, modified residue 2, chain 1, compositionally biased region 1, site 1, disulfide bond 1, cross-link 1, sequence variant 1, helix 1, strand 1

Structure

Experimental structures (PDB)

1 structures by resolution:

PDBTitleMethodResolution (Å)
4YYXCrystal structure of the ZO-1 PDZ1 domain in complex with the 7-mer Claudin2 C-terminal …X-RAY DIFFRACTION1.79

Predicted structure (AlphaFold)

ModelpLDDTFraction very-high
AF-P57739-F178.990.42

Human Protein Atlas

Protein class: Predicted membrane proteins, Disease related genes

Protein evidence: Evidence at protein level

Subcellular location (HPA, imaging): cell junctions; plasma membrane; nucleoli; nucleoplasm; vesicles

Antibody reliability (HPA): IH enhanced · IF supported

Functional residue map

Curated UniProt residues grouped by drug-discovery relevance — catalytic, ligand-binding, modification, and mutation-validated positions. Source: UniProtKB sequence features.

Catalytic / active sites (1)

PositionRole
65paracellular cation selectivity

Post-translational modifications (3)

TypePositions
Phosphoserine219, 223
Glycyl lysine isopeptide (lys-gly) (interchain with g-cter in sumo)218

Disulfide bonds (1)

TypePositions
Disulfide bond54–64

Function

Pathways and Gene Ontology

Reactome pathways

0 curated (TAS) of 4; 0 disease pathways. Curated-first; evidence = TAS (manually curated) vs IEA (electronic inference).

4 pathways:

IDPathwayEvidence
R-HSA-446728Cell junction organization—
R-HSA-1500931Cell-Cell communication—
R-HSA-421270Cell-cell junction organization—
R-HSA-420029Tight junction interactionselectronic

MSigDB gene sets: 143 (showing top): GOBP_DIGESTION, GOBP_ACID_SECRETION, HNF3ALPHA_Q6, GOBP_REGULATION_OF_ORGANIC_ACID_TRANSPORT, TGCTGCT_MIR15A_MIR16_MIR15B_MIR195_MIR424_MIR497, XU_GH1_AUTOCRINE_TARGETS_UP, ACEVEDO_NORMAL_TISSUE_ADJACENT_TO_LIVER_TUMOR_DN, KEGG_TIGHT_JUNCTION, FOXO1_01, CAGCTG_AP4_Q5, GOBP_ORGAN_OR_TISSUE_SPECIFIC_IMMUNE_RESPONSE, RODRIGUES_NTN1_TARGETS_DN, GOBP_ORGANIC_ACID_TRANSPORT, GOBP_CELL_CELL_ADHESION, GOBP_DEFENSE_RESPONSE_TO_OTHER_ORGANISM

GO Biological Process (7): innate immune response in mucosa (GO:0002227), calcium-independent cell-cell adhesion (GO:0016338), cell-cell adhesion (GO:0098609), regulation of bile acid secretion (GO:0120188), paracellular transport (GO:0160184), regulation of intestinal D-glucose absorption (GO:1903985), regulation of intestinal lipid absorption (GO:1904729)

GO Molecular Function (4): structural molecule activity (GO:0005198), identical protein binding (GO:0042802), paracellular tight junction channel activity (GO:0160187), protein binding (GO:0005515)

GO Cellular Component (6): plasma membrane (GO:0005886), cell-cell junction (GO:0005911), bicellular tight junction (GO:0005923), cell junction (GO:0030054), tight junction (GO:0070160), membrane (GO:0016020)

Reactome top-level categories

3 top-level categories:

CategoryPathways
Cell-cell junction organization1
Cell junction organization1
Cell-Cell communication1

GO top-level categories

22 GO namespaces:

CategoryTerms
regulation of intestinal absorption2
cellular anatomical structure2
mucosal immune response1
innate immune response1
cell-cell adhesion1
cell adhesion1
bile acid secretion1
regulation of organic acid transport1
regulation of secretion1
transport1
intestinal D-glucose absorption1
intestinal lipid absorption1
molecular_function1
protein binding1
transporter activity1
binding1
membrane1
cell periphery1
anchoring junction1
apical junction complex1
tight junction1
cell-cell junction1

Experimentally-supported GO annotations

GO terms backed by direct experimental evidence (ECO experimental codes) — 7 of 17 annotations. The rest are phylogenetic / computational / electronic (IEA).

7 experimentally-supported GO terms:

GO termNSEvidence
paracellular transportBPdirect assay
cell junctionCCdirect assay
cell-cell junctionCCdirect assay
plasma membraneCCdirect assay
tight junctionCCdirect assay
identical protein bindingMFdirect assay
paracellular tight junction channel activityMFdirect assay

Protein interactions and networks

STRING

showing 15 of 908 interactions by confidence (×1000):

Protein AProtein BPartner UniProtScore
CLDN2OCLNQ16625928
CLDN2TJP1Q07157894
CLDN2CLDN12P56749893
CLDN2HSP90AB1P08238856
CLDN2HSP90AA1P07900803
CLDN2TJP2Q9UDY2716
CLDN2CDC37Q16543691
CLDN2IL6P05231681
CLDN2IL13P35225679
CLDN2MARVELD2Q8N4S9676
CLDN2CDK4P11802664
CLDN2F11RQ9Y624654
CLDN2EIF2AK4Q9P2K8650
CLDN2TJP3O95049622
CLDN2CDX1P47902612

IntAct

Human interaction partners of CLDN2 in IntAct, one row per partner (best MIscore; records = supporting IntAct interaction records).

showing 30 of 99 partners by confidence:

PartnerInteraction typeMIscoreRecords
ADAM33physical association0.5603
BTN3A2physical association0.5603
CLEC2Dphysical association0.5603
CSGALNACT2physical association0.5603
CXCL9physical association0.5603
CYSRT1physical association0.5603
EMP3physical association0.5603
FAM209Aphysical association0.5603
GRM2physical association0.5603
IGFBP5physical association0.5603
IL27RAphysical association0.5603
KRT31physical association0.5603
KRTAP1-1physical association0.5603
KRTAP1-3physical association0.5603
LATphysical association0.5603
LPAR3physical association0.5603
NOTCH2NLAphysical association0.5603
PLP1physical association0.5603
TEX264physical association0.5603
TMEM218physical association0.5603
TJP1colocalization0.5502
SQSTM1colocalization0.5404
AP2M1association0.5403
PATJdirect interaction0.4407
GRIP1direct interaction0.4405
GRIP2direct interaction0.4405
DLG3direct interaction0.4403
LNX1direct interaction0.4403
MPDZdirect interaction0.4403
PDZK1direct interaction0.4403

BioGRID (32 interactions; top human partners by supporting records): SQSTM1 (Affinity Capture-Western; 3 records), ADAM33 (Two-hybrid), BTN3A2 (Two-hybrid), C16orf72 (Positive Genetic), CLEC2D (Two-hybrid), CSGALNACT2 (Two-hybrid), CXCL9 (Two-hybrid), CYSRT1 (Two-hybrid), EMP3 (Two-hybrid), FAM209A (Two-hybrid), GRM2 (Two-hybrid), IGFBP5 (Two-hybrid), IL27RA (Two-hybrid), KRT31 (Two-hybrid), KRTAP1-1 (Two-hybrid)

SIGNOR signaling

2 signaling interactions:

AEffectBMechanism
CTNNB1“up-regulates quantity by expression”CLDN2“transcriptional regulation”
LEF1“up-regulates quantity by expression”CLDN2“transcriptional regulation”

Enriched among interaction partners

Reactome pathways and GO biological processes over-represented among this gene’s 99 IntAct physical interaction partners (hypergeometric vs the genome-wide background, BH-FDR, gene-set size 15–500, ranked by fold). A functional readout of the neighbourhood — distinct from this gene’s own memberships above, and biased toward well-studied / hub proteins, so read it as themes rather than proof.

Reactome pathways:

PathwayPartnersFoldFDR
Trafficking of GluR2-containing AMPA receptors548.7×3e-06
Ras activation upon Ca2+ influx through NMDA receptor541.4×6e-06
Unblocking of NMDA receptors, glutamate binding and activation539.4×6e-06
Negative regulation of NMDA receptor-mediated neuronal transmission539.4×6e-06
Assembly and cell surface presentation of NMDA receptors1036.8×1e-11
Dopamine Neurotransmitter Release Cycle536.0×8e-06
Long-term potentiation534.5×9e-06
Neurexins and neuroligins1131.4×9e-12

GO biological processes:

GO termPartnersFoldFDR
establishment or maintenance of epithelial cell apical/basal polarity1168.0×2e-15
protein localization to synapse648.9×3e-07
receptor clustering746.5×3e-08
regulation of postsynaptic membrane neurotransmitter receptor levels736.9×1e-07
protein-containing complex assembly1012.1×1e-06
cell-cell adhesion1010.8×3e-06
chemical synaptic transmission108.2×2e-05
intracellular signal transduction104.1×5e-03

Disease & clinical

Genetic variants

Variant evidence for CLDN2: 73 ClinVar records (2 pathogenic / likely pathogenic); 3 GWAS associations. Per-variant detail is on Sugi Variant.

ClinVar

73 variants total. Per-class counts are floors (≥ shown; pagination cap):

ClassificationCount (floor)
Pathogenic1
Likely pathogenic1
Uncertain significance27
Likely benign5
Benign5

Top pathogenic / likely-pathogenic (2)

Showing all 2 pathogenic / likely-pathogenic ClinVar records, ranked by ClinVar review status (expert panel → multiple submitters → single submitter), then by number of submitting labs.

Variant IDHGVSClassificationReviewSubmitters
2506548GRCh37/hg19 Xq22.3(chrX:105066840-106486528)Likely pathogeniccriteria provided, single submitter1
488651NM_020384.4(CLDN2):c.481G>C (p.Gly161Arg)Pathogenicno assertion criteria provided2

Per-variant reference — Sugi Variant

Explore CLDN2’s pathogenic and likely-pathogenic variants individually — each with its ClinVar classification and conditions, applied ACMG criteria (ClinGen expert panel, where curated), the calibrated in-silico predictors (AlphaMissense, REVEL, SaProt, conservation), gnomAD frequency, and the predictor-disagreement QC signal — on Sugi Variant.

SpliceAI

Top 10 splice-impact sites by Δscore (adjacent positions with the same effect merged into one range; 19 predictions of 68):

Position(s)EffectΔscoreSites
X:106920552–106920553donor_loss0.99005
X:106921356donor_gain0.9900
X:106928049–106928050acceptor_loss0.98006
X:106920553donor_loss0.9700
X:106920556donor_loss0.9400
X:106921323donor_gain0.9100
X:106928038acceptor_gain0.8700
X:106920556donor_loss0.8500
X:106921358donor_gain0.8400
X:106920557donor_gain0.8300

AlphaMissense

529 missense substitutions predicted likely pathogenic (of 1,480 scored), across 155 residues. Top 20 hotspot residues, ranked by the number of likely-pathogenic substitutions (of those reachable by a single-nucleotide change), then by mean score:

ResidueLikely-pathogenic substitutionsMean am_pathogenicityMax am_pathogenicity
C6470.9830.996
W3070.9820.997
C5470.9820.994
W5170.9570.995
F14770.9300.992
S5870.8980.976
F15870.8950.978
M10270.8880.950
F12570.8630.924
W13870.8500.961
G4960.9770.995
K15760.9230.981
K11460.9160.975
G6060.9130.987
G1760.9090.992
M8460.8870.980
F4660.8770.944
G10160.8760.981
P2860.8610.934
C10460.8380.932

HPA cancer prognostics

RNA cancer specificity: Cancer enhanced (Kidney Renal Papillary Cell Carcinoma)

Human Protein Atlas survival analysis — favorable = higher expression predicts better survival.

4 prognostic cancer types:

CancerPrognosticp-value
Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (TCGA)favorable8.01e-06
Lung Adenocarcinoma (TCGA)favorable6.58e-05
Thyroid Carcinoma (TCGA)favorable0.0002
Rectum Adenocarcinoma (validation)unfavorable0.000877

Disease associations

OMIM: gene MIM:300520 | disease phenotypes: MIM:301060

GenCC curated gene-disease

2 curated gene-disease records:

DiseaseClassificationInheritanceRecords
hereditary chronic pancreatitisLimitedAutosomal dominant
azoospermia, obstructive, with nephrolithiasisLimitedUnknown

Mondo (3): male infertility (MONDO:0005372), azoospermia, obstructive, with nephrolithiasis (MONDO:0025356), hereditary chronic pancreatitis (MONDO:0008185)

HPO phenotypes

5 phenotypes (HPO-id order):

HPOTerm
HP:0000787Kidney stone
HP:0001419X-linked recessive inheritance
HP:0003251Male infertility
HP:0011962Obstructive azoospermia
HP:0033808Spermatocele

GWAS associations

3 associations:

StudyTraitp-value
GCST004860_123Alcoholic chronic pancreatitis2e-29
GCST001741_2Pancreatitis2e-22
GCST004860_127Alcoholic chronic pancreatitis6e-15

MeSH disease descriptors

2 disease descriptors:

DescriptorNameTree numbers
D007248Infertility, MaleC12.100.500.430; C12.100.750.700; C12.200.294.430
C537262Hereditary pancreatitis *(supp.)*

Drugs & pharmacology

Drug and pharmacology data

Is drug target: no

PharmGKB: 1 entry (CPIC guideline: no)

CTD chemical–gene interactions

51 total (human), top 30 by PubMed support.

ChemicalActions (top 5)PubMed papers
Cyclosporinedecreases expression3
sodium arsenitedecreases expression, increases expression2
(+)-JQ1 compounddecreases expression2
Acetaminophendecreases expression2
Benzo(a)pyreneaffects methylation, increases expression, increases methylation2
Aflatoxin B1decreases methylation, increases expression2
Okadaic Acidincreases expression2
aristolochic acid Idecreases expression1
OTX015decreases expression1
mivebresibdecreases expression1
sanguinarinedecreases expression1
pirinixic acidaffects binding, decreases expression, increases activity1
bisphenol Adecreases methylation1
acadesineincreases reaction, decreases expression1
solasodineincreases reaction, decreases reaction, increases expression, decreases expression1
ethyl-p-hydroxybenzoateincreases expression1
butyraldehydedecreases expression1
potassium bromatedecreases expression1
ochratoxin Adecreases expression1
diallyl disulfidedecreases expression1
diallyl trisulfidedecreases expression1
brequinardecreases expression1
caffeic acid phenethyl esterdecreases expression, decreases reaction, increases activity, increases response to substance1
cordycepindecreases expression1
CGP 52608affects binding, increases reaction1
deguelinincreases expression1
6-formylindolo(3,2-b)carbazoledecreases reaction, increases expression, affects reaction1
2-palmitoylglycerolincreases expression1
abrinedecreases expression1
Resveratroldecreases expression, decreases reaction, increases expression1

Cellosaurus cell lines

1 cell lines: 1 cancer cell line

First 10 cell lines (id-ordered, not curated):

CellosaurusNameCategorySex
CVCL_C3V8HT-1080/hCLDN-2Cancer cell lineMale

Clinical trials (associated diseases)

Via MONDO — disease-level, not drug-specific.

showing 60 of 217 trials:

NCTPhaseStatusTitle
NCT02202382Phase 4COMPLETEDEffects of Korean Red Ginseng on Male Infertility
NCT02204826Phase 4COMPLETEDEffects of Korean Red Ginseng on Semen Parameters in Male Infertility Patients: a Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Clinical Study
NCT03802864Phase 4COMPLETEDPost-operative Pain Control of Testicular Sperm Extraction Using Liposomal Bupivacaine
NCT06100432Phase 4ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGEffect of Eurycoma Longifolia (DLBS5055) and Multivitamins (Vitamin C+Vitamin E+ β-carotene) for Infertile Males
NCT07523022Phase 4ENROLLING_BY_INVITATIONComparison of the Effect of Gonadotropin and Clomiphene Citrate Treatment on Sperm Parameters and the Outcome of Assisted Reproductive Procedures in Subfertile Men Based on the APHRODITE Groups
NCT00975117Phase 3COMPLETEDSpermotrend in the Treatment of Male Infertility
NCT01407432Phase 3COMPLETEDImpact of Folates in the Care of the Male Infertility
NCT01895816Phase 3COMPLETEDHerbal Tonic Fertile Supplement(ZO2C5)
NCT02605070Phase 3TERMINATEDPilot Study on the Effects of FSH Treatment on the Epigenetic Characteristics of Spermatozoa in Infertile Patients With Severe Oligozoospermia
NCT07402759Phase 3ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGImpact of tdrd9 Gene Mutations in the Therapeutic Response to L-carnitine in Oligoasthenozoospermic Men
NCT02871778Phase 2COMPLETEDClearing Lungs With ENaC Inhibition in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT07318974Phase 2ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGMelatonin Therapy for Improving ICSI Outcomes in Women With Diminished Ovarian Reserve
NCT01880086Phase 2COMPLETEDClomiphene Citrate for the Treatment of Low Testosterone Associated With Chronic Opioid Pain Medication Administration
NCT02061384Phase 2COMPLETEDRA-2 13-cis Retinoic Acid (Isotretinoin)
NCT02421887Phase 2COMPLETEDMales, Antioxidants, and Infertility Trial
NCT05200663Phase 2UNKNOWNEfficacy Comparison of Tamoxifen and Tamoxifen With Antioxidants on Semen Quality of Male With Idiopathic Infertility
NCT05290558Phase 2ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGThe Therapeutic Effects of Bu Shen Yi Jing Pill on Semen Quality in Sub Fertile Males: a Randomized Controlled Trial
NCT06091969Phase 2NOT_YET_RECRUITINGSupplementation for Male Subfertility
NCT05737485Phase 1COMPLETEDStudy Evaluating the Safety and Tolerability of RCT1100 in Healthy and PCD Subjects
NCT06600425Phase 1COMPLETEDA Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability, Ciliary Rescue, and Pharmacodynamics of RCT1100 in Adults With PCD
NCT06633757Phase 1COMPLETEDStudy of Inhaled RCT1100 in Adults With PCD Caused by Pathogenic Mutations in the DNAI1 Gene to Measure Mucociliary Clearance
NCT01595308Phase 1COMPLETEDA Pilot Study to Evaluate the Effect of Pomegranate Juice on Semen Parameters in Healthy Male Volunteers
NCT02122211Phase 1COMPLETEDCholine Dehydrogenase and Sperm Function: Effects of Betaine
NCT02575924Phase 1UNKNOWNInfluence of Culture Media on Clinical Outcomes in Poor Responders or Severe Male Infertility
NCT00830557Not specifiedRECRUITINGCollecting Medical Information and Tissue Samples From Patients With Pancreatic Cancer or Other Pancreatic Disorders
NCT02078245Not specifiedUNKNOWNQuality Control Study of MR Based Screening of Individual With Increased Risk for Pancreas Cancer.
NCT02206360Not specifiedCOMPLETEDPancreatic Cancer Early Detection Program
NCT02309632Not specifiedWITHDRAWNPancreatic Cancer Screening of High-Risk Individuals in Arkansas
NCT04095195Not specifiedRECRUITINGRegistry of Subjects at Risk of Pancreatic Cancer
NCT04743479Not specifiedRECRUITINGArtificial Intelligence-based Early Screening of Pancreatic Cancer and High Risk Tracing (ESPRIT-AI)
NCT07413029Not specifiedRECRUITINGFrench National Cohort of Patients With PRSS1 Mutations
NCT07700992Not specifiedRECRUITINGA Liquid Biopsy for Pancreatic Cancer Early-detection and Disease Monitoring
NCT04901715Early Phase 1COMPLETEDFunctional Studies of Novel Genes Mutated in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia II: Genotype to Phenotype
NCT00005650Not specifiedCOMPLETEDGenetic Study of Patients With Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT00323167Not specifiedCOMPLETEDRare Genetic Disorders of the Breathing Airways
NCT00368446Not specifiedCOMPLETEDGenetic Disorders of Mucociliary Clearance in Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Disease
NCT00450918Not specifiedCOMPLETEDEvaluating Progression of and Diagnostic Tools for Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia in Children and Adolescents
NCT00608556Not specifiedCOMPLETEDDyskinesia, Heterotaxy and Congenital Heart Disease
NCT00686309Not specifiedUNKNOWNComparison of On-line and Off-line Measurements of Exhaled Nitric Oxide (NO)
NCT00722878Not specifiedCOMPLETEDLong-term Lung Function and Disease Progression in Children With Early Onset Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Lung Disease
NCT00739817Not specifiedUNKNOWNScreening for Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Using Nasal Nitric Oxide
NCT00783887Not specifiedCOMPLETEDDiagnosis of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT00807482Not specifiedRECRUITINGPathogenesis of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) Lung Disease
NCT01070914Not specifiedUNKNOWNEarly Detection and Characterization of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT01155115Not specifiedCOMPLETEDInflammatory and Microbiologic Markers in Sputum: Comparing Cystic Fibrosis With Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT01246258Not specifiedCOMPLETEDOtolith Function in Patients With Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT01929356Not specifiedUNKNOWNChest Physiotherapy and Lung Function in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT02389049Not specifiedCOMPLETEDGenetics of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT02419365Not specifiedRECRUITINGInternational Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) Registry
NCT02622061Not specifiedCOMPLETEDNIOX VERO Nasal Application in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT02699177Not specifiedUNKNOWNIn Vivo Measurements of Nasal Ciliary Beat Frequency by Using Interferometry
NCT02704455Not specifiedNOT_YET_RECRUITINGRegistry Study on Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia in Chinese Children
NCT03271840Not specifiedCOMPLETEDRegistry for Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT03279965Not specifiedUNKNOWNMRI in Cystic Fibrosis and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT03320382Not specifiedUNKNOWNMultiple Breath Washout, a Clinimetric Dataset
NCT03370029Not specifiedCOMPLETEDRespiratory Muscle Strength, Exercise Capacity and Physical Activity Levels in Children Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT03494894Not specifiedCOMPLETEDBacteriological Link Between Upper and Lower Airways in Cystic Fibrosis and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
NCT03517865Not specifiedACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGInternational Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Cohort
NCT03606200Not specifiedRECRUITINGSwiss Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Registry
NCT03704207Not specifiedRECRUITINGUtility of PCD Diagnostics to Improve Clinical Care