Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome with cleft lip and palate associated with the novel PTCH gene mutations

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by developmental abnormalities and a predisposition to cancers. Two unrelated patients, 21- and 16-year-old males, with cleft lip and palate and multiple jaw cysts, were diagnosed according to clinical criteria. To confirm a diagnosis of NBCCS, we undertook a molecular genetic analysis of the PTCH gene. Their PTCH genes were analyzed by direct sequencing of the PCR product from their DNA, and previously unreported mutations were identified. A heterozygous duplication at the nucleotide position between 3325 and 3328 of the PTCH gene (c. 3325_3328dupGGCG) was detected in the 21-year-old patient. It caused a frameshift mutation, resulting in a premature termination of the PTCH protein. A point mutation (G to C) in intron 7 of the PTCH gene (c.1067+1G>C) was detected in the 16-year-old patient. This caused an aberrant splicing of PTCH. It is interesting to note that the non-canonical cryptic splice-donor site was activated, which did not conform to the GT-AG rule. Journal of Human Genetics (2009) 54, 398-402; doi: 10.1038/jhg.2009.51; published online 12 June 2009