A novel frameshift mutation of the EDA1 gene in a Chinese Han family with X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia

Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) is a rare skin disease characterized by hypotrichosis, hypodontia and hypohidrosis. HED can be autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive or X-linked. However, X-linked HED (XLHED; OMIM 305100) is the most common form. Mutations within the EDA1 gene, which encodes ectodysplasin-A, are responsible for XLHED. In this study, we investigated the EDA1 gene in a Chinese Han family with XLHED, and found a novel 1-bp deletion mutation (c.952delG) in exon 9 of the EDA1 gene, which results in a frameshift and premature termination codon. This result suggests that the c.952delG mutation of the EDA1 gene is likely to be the disease-causing mutation for XLHED in this family. Our study adds new data to the worldwide knowledge of the molecular basis of XLHED.