BACKGROUND

Autosomal recessive corneal hereditary endothelial dystrophy (CHED) is a rare congenital disorder of cornea. Mutations in SLC4A11 gene are associated with CHED phenotype. CHED is also an early feature of Harboyan syndrome. The aim of the present study was to identify genetic mutations in the SLC4A11 gene in CHED cases belonging to inbred Pakistani families. Furthermore, all homozygous mutation carriers were investigated for hearing deficit.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study included consanguineous CHED families presented at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan from June 2018 to September 2018. DNA was extracted from blood samples. Direct sequencing of SLC4A11 gene was performed. All identified variants were evaluated by in silico programs i.e., SIFT, PolyPhen-2, and MutationTaster. Pathogenicity of the two identified splice site variants was analyzed by Human Splicing Finder and MaxEnt Scan. Screening of five CHED families revealed a total of three previously un reported (p.Arg128Gly, c.2241-2A > T and c.1898-2A > C in family CHED19, CHED22 and CHED26 respectively) and two already reported homozygous disease causing variants (p.Arg869Cys and p.Val824Met in family CHED24 and CHED25 respectively) as predicted by mutation taster. All of these variants segregated with disease phenotype and were not detected in controls.

CONCLUSION

Affected individuals of the five CHED families screened in this study had the disease due to SLC4A11 mutations and progressing to Harboyan syndrome. Identification of previously unreported mutations aid to heterogeneity of SLC4A11 and CHED pathogenesis as well as helped to provide genetic counseling to affected families.