Missense mutations of the fibrillin-1 gene in two Chinese patients with severe Marfan syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To describe two Chinese patients with severe forms of Marfan syndrome and to report findings of mutational analysis of the fibrillin-1 (FBN1) gene.


METHODS
Two Chinese patients were studied, one suffering from Marfan syndrome of infantile onset and the other of neonatal onset. Their clinical features were described. Mutational analysis of the FBN1 gene was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and direct sequencing of exons 23-32, where the mutational hotspots for severe forms of Marfan syndrome are located.


RESULTS
Two missense mutations were successfully identified, a G3037A transition and an A3083T transversion, the latter being an unreported mutation.


CONCLUSIONS
Taking advantage of the clustering phenomenon of mutations in severe forms of marfan syndrome, one can identify FBN1 mutations in these patients by first screening the mutational hotspots, thus reducing the effort that would otherwise be much greater because of the size of the gene.
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Clinical Genetic Service, Department of Health, 3/F Cheung Sha Wan Jockey Club Clinic, 2 Kwong Lee Road, Shamshuipo, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. akyblue@netvigator.com
Wong
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Lam
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Tong
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Lam
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D002675:Child, Preschool; D000071838:Fibrillin-1; D000071837:Fibrillins; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008382:Marfan Syndrome / Q000235:genetics*; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D054392:Adipokines
D000071838:Fibrillin-1; D000071837:Fibrillins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C000605722:FBN1 protein, human; D054392:Adipokines