Mutations in connexin 26 are linked to diseases including Vohwinkel syndrome, keratitis-ichthyosis deafness, and hystrix-like ichthyosis deafness syndromes, palmoplantar keratoderma with deafness, deafness with Clouston-like phenotype, and Bart-Pumphrey syndrome.
The present case and experimental evidence that connexin 26 is related to animal epileptogenesis suggest that the phenotypic spectrum of VS could be expanded to include epileptic manifestations.
Here, we report on a family with a novel GJB2 mutation (p.His73Arg) causing a syndrome of focal palmoplantar keratoderma with severe progressive sensorineural hearing impairment, a phenotype reminiscent of Vohwinkel syndrome.
Mutation analysis revealed a novel GJB2 mutation p.Gly59Ser in the patient with Vohwinkel syndrome, whereas a recurrent mutation p.Asp50Asn was found in the patient with KID syndrome.
A whole array of cutaneous syndromes is associated with distinct dominant mutations in GJB2 encoding the gap junction protein connexin 26 (C x 26), including Vohwinkel's syndrome and keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome.
The clinical features partially overlap with Vohwinkel syndrome and Keratitis-Ichthyosis-Deafness syndrome, both disorders caused by dominant mutations in the GJB2 gene encoding the gap junction protein connexin-26, suggesting an etiological relationship.
Dominant mutations in the Cx26 gene GJB2 have been shown to cause keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID) syndrome, palmoplantar keratoderma associated with hearing loss, and Vohwinkel syndrome.
The mutilating keratoderma associated with sensorineural hearing loss is thought to have an etiologic basis, resting on a mutation of the GJB2 gene, which encodes the gap junction protein connexin26 (Cx26).
We now report a Cx26 mutation in three families with mutilating keratoderma and deafness [Vohwinkel's syndrome (VS; MIM 124500), as originally described].
We now report a Cx26 mutation in three families with mutilating keratoderma and deafness [Vohwinkel's syndrome (VS; MIM 124500), as originally described].