Purpose: To determine the frequency and kinds of mutations in the RP1 gene, and to characterize the clinical features of a Japanese family with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP) with a novel 2336 to 2337delCT mutation in the RP1 gene.
Design: Case reports and results of DNA analysis.
Methods: Mutational screening by direct sequencing was performed on 96 unrelated patients with ADRP. The clinical features were determined by complete ophthalmologic examinations.
Results: A novel 2336 to 2337delCT mutation in the RP1 gene was identified in two patients from a Japanese family with ADRP. In addition, three families with ADRP carried a previously reported nonpathogenic Arg1933X mutation. The ophthalmic findings with a 2336 to 2337delCT mutation were similar to those of typical retinitis pigmentosa with rapid progression after age 40 years.
Conclusions: The most common Arg677X mutation in the white population was not found in the Japanese population; instead a novel mutation was found.