title: Achondroplasia in diverse Jewish and Arab populations in Israel: clinical and molecular characterization.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Achondroplasia is the most frequent form of disproportionate short stature, characterized by rhizomelic shortening of the limbs. This disorder is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, although most of the cases are sporadic, a result of a de novo mutation. A recurrent glycine to arginine mutation at codon 380 (G380R) in the transmembrane domain of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene was found to cause achondroplasia among different populations. This is most uncommon in other autosomal dominant genetic diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether this mutation is also common among Jewish patients from diverse ethnic groups and among the Arab population in Israel.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the G380R mutation (G > A and G > C transition) and the mutation G375C (G > T transition at codon 375) in 31 sporadic patients and in one family diagnosed clinically to have achondroplasia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found the G > A transition at codon 380 in 30 of our patients and the G > C transition in one patient. We were not able to detect any of the three mutations in two patients with an atypical form of achondroplasia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results further support the unusual observation that nucleotide 1138 of the FGFR3 gene is the most mutable nucleotide discovered to date across different populations.
authors.affiliation: Simon Winter Institute for Human Genetics, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa.
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Falik-Zaccai
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shachak
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abeliovitch
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lerer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shefer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carmi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ries
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shohat
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Borochowitz
mesh_terms: D000130:Achondroplasia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D018912:Arabs / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D007599:Judaism; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor