Genetic analysis of a case with ectodermal dysplasia using whole exome sequencing

Abstract

To explore the genetic cause of a patient suspected for congenital ectodermal dysplasia with repeated hyperthermia and to assess the reproductive risk for his family. Medical whole-exome sequencing (WES) were used to detect single-nucleotide variations and low-coverage massively parallel copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) were employed to verify suspected CNVs. PCR and real-time quantitative PCR were applied to confirm the deletion of EDA gene. The results of WES suggested that the patient carried a hemizygous deletion for chrX:69 243 016-69 395 730. CNV-seq indicated that the patient carried a deletion of approximately 0.12 Mb on Xq13.1, which encompassed the EDA gene. The PCR results confirmed that there was a hemizygous deletion of exons 3 to 8 of the EDA gene. The same deletion was not found in his mother. The congenital ectodermal dysplasia of the patient may be attributed to deletion of exons 3 to 8 of the EDA gene, which could be de novo or derive from germline mosaicism of his mother. The WES and CNV-seq are of great value for the diagnosis of rare diseases.