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More than meets the eye: Expanding and reviewing the clinical and mutational spectrum of brittle cornea syndrome

Journal

HUMAN MUTATION
Volume 42, Issue 6, Pages 711-730

Publisher

WILEY-HINDAWI
DOI: 10.1002/humu.24199

Keywords

brittle cornea syndrome; Ehlers-Danlos syndrome; multisystemic disorder; PRDM5; ZNF469

Funding

  1. Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek [12Q5917N, 1842318N]
  2. Universiteit Gent [BOFMET2015000401]

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Brittle cornea syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by thin and fragile corneas that can lead to corneal rupture. Research on clinical and molecular features suggests its classification within the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome spectrum, and emphasizes the importance of genetic testing for timely diagnosis and prevention measures.
Brittle cornea syndrome (BCS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by corneal thinning and fragility, leading to corneal rupture, the main hallmark of this disorder. Non-ocular symptoms include not only hearing loss but also signs of connective tissue fragility, placing it in the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) spectrum. It is caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in ZNF469 or PRDM5, which presumably encode transcription factors for extracellular matrix components. We report the clinical and molecular features of nine novel BCS families, four of which harbor variants in ZNF469 and five in PRDM5. We also performed a genotype- and phenotype-oriented literature overview of all (n = 85) reported patients with ZNF469 (n = 53) and PRDM5 (n = 32) variants. Musculoskeletal findings may be the main reason for referral and often raise suspicion of another heritable connective tissue disorder, such as kyphoscoliotic EDS, osteogenesis imperfecta, or Marfan syndrome, especially when a corneal rupture has not yet occurred. Our findings highlight the multisystemic nature of BCS and validate its inclusion in the EDS classification. Importantly, gene panels for heritable connective tissue disorders should include ZNF469 and PRDM5 to allow for timely diagnosis and appropriate preventive measures for this rare condition.

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