Evidence for a founder mutation causing DFNA5 hearing loss in East Asians

Mutations in the DFNA5 gene are known to cause autosomal dominant non-syndromic hearing loss (ADNSHL). To date, five DFNA5 mutations have been reported, all of which were different in the genomic level. In this study, we ascertained a Korean family with autosomal dominant, progressive and sensorineural hearing loss and performed linkage analysis that revealed linkage to the DFNA5 locus on chromosome 7. Sequence analysis of DFNA5 identified a 3-bp deletion in intron 7 (c.991-15_991-13del) as the cause of hearing loss in this family. As the same mutation had been reported in a large Chinese family segregating DFNA5 hearing loss, we compared their DFNA5 mutation-linked haplotype with that of the Korean family. We found a conserved haplotype, suggesting that the 3-bp deletion is derived from a single origin in these families. Our observation raises the possibility that this mutation may be a common cause of autosomal dominant progressive hearing loss in East Asians.