First cases of dominant optic atrophy in Saudi Arabia: report of two novel OPA1 mutations.
BACKGROUND
Fifty to 60% of patients with dominant optic atrophy (DOA) have mutations of the OPA1 gene, which encodes dynamin-related GTPase, a protein of the internal mitochondrial membrane. To date, more than 200 OPA1 mutations in the OPA1 gene have been described. However, DOA is genetically heterogeneous with certain families linked to other chromosomal loci, that is, OPA3, OPA4, OPA5, and OPA7.


METHODS
This study describes a clinical series of 40 patients from Saudi Arabia with a positive DOA phenotype (i.e., decreased visual acuity during the first 2 decades of life, temporal or global optic disc pallor, and absence of other neurological or ophthalmological diseases that could explain the optic neuropathy) who underwent molecular genetic testing for OPA1 (and, in some cases, for OPA3).


RESULTS
This study describes for the first time 4 OPA1 mutations in DOA patients from Saudi Arabia, including 2 novel OPA1 mutations in 2 different patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The question remains whether certain patients in Saudi Arabia with a clearly defined DOA phenotype may be due to mutations in chromosomal loci other than OPA1 and OPA3. It is likely that genetic alterations associated with different loci will be discovered in the future.
Neuro-Ophthalmology Division (AG-R), King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Center for Human Genetics (CN, CB, HB), Bioscientia, Ingelheim Germany; Center for Clinical Research (CB), University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; and Institute of Human Genetics (HB), University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Alberto
A
Galvez-Ruiz
Christine
C
Neuhaus
Carsten
C
Bergmann
Hanno
H
Bolz
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000235:genetics*; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D029241:Optic Atrophy, Autosomal Dominant / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
C443108:OPA3 protein, human; D011506:Proteins; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; C415198:OPA1 protein, human