Analysis of KRT5 and KRT14 gene mutations and mode of inheritance in Iranian patients with clinical suspicion of Epidermolysis bullosa simplex

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex is a hereditary skin disorder caused by mutations in several genes such as KRT5 and KRT14. Skin fragility in basal keratinocytes presence regions led to the cytolysis of epidermis and blistering. Aim of this study was to detect the molecular defects in KRT5 and KRT14 genes hot spots in patients with clinical suspicion of EBS and investigation of their probable genotype-phenotype correlations.

Exons 1 and 6-7 of KRT 5 and exons 1 and 4-7 of KRT 14 amplification and mutation detection were performed by polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing, respectively. Novel variants pathogenicity evaluated by bioinformatics tools.

Nine important variants detected in seven different patients within 6 Iranian families affected by Epidermolysis bullosa simplex, of which four variants were novel. Three patients had a mottled pigmentation phenotype [G96D (p.Gly96Asp) and F97I (p.Phe97Ile) in KRT5]. One of them showed a Dowling–Meara phenotype [A417P (p.Ala417Pro) and E477D (p.Glu477Asp) in KRT5] and another had a Koebner type phenotype [R397I (p.Arg397Ile) and Q444* (p.Gln444Ter) in KRT5]. A novel variant [G92E (p.Gly92Glu) in KRT5] in a double heterozygous state with a challenging variant [A413T (p.Ala413Thr) in KRT14] identified in one patient with Koebner type phenotype. Also, a previously reported mutation [I377T (p.Ile377Thr) in KRT14 gene] identified in this study.

The results of molecular data analysis showed that the most severe phenotypes were associated with mutations in highly conserved regions. In some cases, different inheritance modes were observed.