A novel DNAH5 variant in a Tunisian patient with primary ciliary dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetically heterogeneous hereditary disease caused by the structural abnormalities and dysfunction of motile cilia. The DNAH5 is the most frequently mutated gene in PCD patients and hot spot exons were reported in this gene. Here, we aim to screen mutations in a set of five hot spot exons of DNAH5 gene in a cohort of 10 clinically diagnosed Tunisian PCD patients using an optimized polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformational polymorphism screening technique. Only one patient harboured a novel heterozygous variant in exon 63 (c.10767A[G), which was inherited from his father. This variant activates a cryptic splicing site. No deleterious mutation has been identified while screening the exons of the remaining patients. Our results show that the reported hot spot exons of DNAH5 gene are not mutated in Tunisian PCD patients. This is probably due to the differences of ethnical background of the previously reported patients. Further investigations should be performed to identify the mutations underlying PCD in this group of patients.

A novel compound heterozygous mutation in DNAH5 in a Korean neonate with primary ciliary dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetically heterogeneous disease affecting motile cilia. A female neonate was hospitalized with respiratory distress 72 hours after birth and showed concurrent situs inversus. She was identified to have compound heterozygous mutations in DNAH5: c.5647C>T, p.Arg1883Ter (nonsense mutation) and c.10810dupA, p.Ile3604AsnfsTer2 (frameshift mutation). Sanger sequencing confirmed that they were inherited from her father and mother, respectively, and she was diagnosed with PCD. The c.10810dupA is a novel DNAH5 mutation that has never been reported. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing DNAH5 mutations in a Korean patient with PCD.

Three New Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Identified by a Genome-Wide Association Study in Korean Patients with Vitiligo

Genetic susceptibility is involved in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Association studies with a whole genome-based approach instead of a single or a few candidate genes may be useful for discovering new susceptible genes. Although the etiology of non-segmental and segmental types is different, the association between gene polymorphisms and vitiligo has been reported, without defining types or in non-segmental type. Whole genome-based single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were examined in patients with non-segmental and segmental types of vitiligo using the Affymetrix GeneChip 500K mapping array, and 10 functional classes of significant SNPs were selected. Genotyping and data analysis of selected 10 SNPs was performed using real-time PCR. Genotype and allele frequencies were significantly different between both types of vitiligo and three of the target SNPs, DNAH5 (rs2277046), STRN3 (rs2273171), and KIAA1005 (rs3213758). A stronger association was suggested between the mutation in KIAA1005 (rs3213758) and the segmental type compared to the non-segmental type of vitiligo. DNAH5 (rs2277046), STRN3 (rs2273171), and KIAA1005 (rs3213758) may be new vitiligo-related SNPs in Korean patients, either non-segmental or segmental type.