Identification of a novel LCA5 mutation in a Pakistani family with Leber congenital amaurosis and cataracts

PURPOSE To determine the cause of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) and developmental cataracts in a consanguineous Pakistani family. METHODS The diagnosis was established in all affected individuals of a Pakistani LCA family by medical history, funduscopy, and standard ERG. We performed genome-wide linkage analysis for mapping the disease locus in this family. RESULTS Congenitally severely reduced visual acuity and nystagmus were reported for all patients who, in the later phase of the disease, also developed cataracts. LCA in the family cosegregated with homozygosity for a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype on chromosome 6p14.1. The respective candidate region contained Leber congenital amaurosis 5 (LCA5), a gene previously reported to underlie LCA. We subsequently identified a novel truncating mutation in exon 4 of LCA5, c.642delC, in homozygous state in all affected persons of the family. CONCLUSIONS We report a novel LCA5 mutation causing LCA in a Pakistani family. Developmental cataracts were present in two of the four patients, raising the possibility that LCA5 mutations may predispose to this additional ocular pathology.