Diagnostic application of targeted resequencing for familial nonsyndromic hearing loss

PLoS One. 2013 Aug 22;8(8):e68692. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068692. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Identification of causative genes for hereditary nonsyndromic hearing loss (NSHL) is important to decide treatment modalities and to counsel the patients. Due to the genetic heterogeneity in sensorineural genetic disorders, the high-throughput method can be adapted for the efficient diagnosis. To this end, we designed a new diagnostic pipeline to screen all the reported candidate genes for NSHL. For validation of the diagnostic pipeline, we focused upon familial NSHL cases that are most likely to be genetic, rather than to be infectious or environmental. Among the 32 familial NSHL cases, we were able to make a molecular genetic diagnosis from 12 probands (37.5%) in the first stage by their clinical features, characteristic inheritance pattern and further candidate gene sequencing of GJB2, SLC26A4, POU3F4 or mitochondrial DNA. Next we applied targeted resequencing on 80 NSHL genes in the remaining 20 probands. Each proband carried 4.8 variants that were not synonymous and had the occurring frequency of less than three among the 20 probands. These variants were then filtered out with the inheritance pattern of the family, allele frequency in normal hearing 80 control subjects, clinical features. Finally NSHL-causing candidate mutations were identified in 13(65%) of the 20 probands of multiplex families, bringing the total solve rate (or detection rate) in our familial cases to be 78.1% (25/32) Damaging mutations discovered by the targeted resequencing were distributed in nine genes such as WFS1, COCH, EYA4, MYO6, GJB3, COL11A2, OTOF, STRC and MYO3A, most of which were private. Despite the advent of whole genome and whole exome sequencing, we propose targeted resequencing and filtering strategy as a screening and diagnostic tool at least for familial NSHL to find mutations based upon its efficacy and cost-effectiveness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Connexin 26
  • Connexins / genetics
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • DNA Mutational Analysis / economics
  • DNA Mutational Analysis / methods*
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics
  • Deafness / diagnosis
  • Deafness / genetics
  • Exome
  • Exons
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation
  • POU Domain Factors / genetics
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Probability
  • Sulfate Transporters
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Connexins
  • DNA, Mitochondrial
  • GJB2 protein, human
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • POU Domain Factors
  • POU3F4 protein, human
  • SLC26A4 protein, human
  • Sulfate Transporters
  • Connexin 26

Supplementary concepts

  • Nonsyndromic Deafness

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Korea Healthcare Technology R&D Project, Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, Republic of Korea (numbers A111377 to BC and A120017 and A080588 to WP). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.