Ala344Pro mutation in the FGFR2 gene and related clinical findings in one Chinese family with Crouzon syndrome.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) gene in three Chinese patients with Crouzon syndrome and to characterize the related clinical features.

METHODS: A single family underwent complete ophthalmic examinations, and three patients were diagnosed with Crouzon syndrome. Genomic DNA was extracted from leukocytes of peripheral blood collected from members of the family as well as from 100 unrelated control subjects from the same population. Exons 8 and 10 of FGFR 2 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and directly sequenced. We performed ophthalmic examinations, including best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, fundus examination, Pentacam, Goldmann perimetry, and computed tomography (CT) of the skull.

RESULTS: The three patients were affected with shallow orbits and ocular proptosis, accompanied by mid-face hypoplasia and craniosynostosis, but had clinically normal hands and feet. A heterozygous FGFR2 missense mutation c.1030G>C (Ala344Pro) in exon 10 was identified in the affected individuals, but not in any of the unaffected family members or the normal controls. The mutation we identified has not previously been reported, either in China or abroad.

CONCLUSIONS: Although FGFR2 mutations and polymorphisms have been reported in various ethnic groups, especially in the area of osteology, we report, for the first time, the identification of one new FGFR2 gene mutation in Chinese patients with Crouzon syndrome.