| Abstract
| - Background/aim:. Bardet-Biedl syndrome is a multiorgan disease presenting with retinitis pigmentosa leading to blindness. The aim of the study was to investigate the genetic background of Bardet-Biedl syndrome in the Faroe Island. It was hypothesised that a common genetic background for the syndrome would be found. Methods:. Patients were identified from the files of the Retinitis Pigmentosa Register at the National Eye Clinic, Denmark. The diagnosis of Bardet-Biedl syndrome was verified from medical files. Mutational screening of BBS1, BBS2, BBS4, MKKS and BBS10 was done by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography. Results:. Out of 13 prevalent cases in the Faroe Islands, 10 patients from nine families were included. A novel splice site mutation in BBS1, c.1091+3G>C, was identified, and this was predicted to affect protein function by skipping 16 amino acids. Nine patients were homozygous for this mutation, while one patient was compound heterozygous with a recurrent BBS1 mutation, p.Met390Arg. The patients presented with severe ophthalmic phenotypes, while the systemic manifestations of the disease were apparently milder. Conclusion:. A novel BBS1 mutation was identified, most probably a founder mutation, further confirming the Faroe Islands as a genetic isolate. The phenotypic expression of the Faroese patients suggests that different mutations in BBS1 affect various organs differently.
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