[Mutational spectrum of phenylalanine hydroxylase gene and identification of novel mutations in patients with hyperphenylalaninemia in Jiangsu province].

OBJECTIVE: To study the characteristics of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene mutations in patients with hyperphenylalaninemia from Jiangsu province by DNA sequencing, and to analyze the spectrum of PAH gene mutations. METHODS: A total of 70 patients and their parents were included in this study. All of the 13 exons and flanking introns of the PAH gene were analyzed with DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Forty five types of mutations were identified, which included 4 novel mutations (L37P, H107R, Q267L, S391T). A total of 125 mutations were identified in 140 alleles (89.3%). All mutations were detected in exons 2-3, 5-7, 9-12 and introns 2, 4, 7 and 8. Most mutations were found in exons 6, 7 and 12. EX6-96A > G, R243Q and R241C were the most common mutations. CONCLUSION: The mutational spectrum of Jiangsu province seems to be different from other regions. The spectrum can offer reliable information for genetic diagnosis of patients with hyperphenylalaninemia.