Relative Frequencies of Inherited Retinal Dystrophies and Optic Neuropathies in Southern France: Assessment of 21-year Data Management

• Published in: Ophthalmic epidemiology Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 13 - 25
• Main Authors: Bocquet, Beatrice, Lacroux, Annie, Surget, Marie-Odile, Baudoin, Corinne, Marquette, Virginie, Manes, Gael, Hebrard, Maxime, Sénéchal, Audrey, Delettre, Cecile, Roux, Anne-Francoise, Claustres, Mireille, Dhaenens, Claire-Marie, Rozet, Jean-Michel, Perrault, Isabelle, Bonnefont, Jean-Paul, Kaplan, Josseline, Dollfus, Helene, Amati-Bonneau, Patrizia, Bonneau, Dominique, Reynier, Pascal, Audo, Isabelle, Zeitz, Christina, Sahel, José Alain, Paquis-Flucklinger, Veronique, Calvas, Patrick, Arveiler, Benoit, Kohl, Suzanne, Wissinger, Bernd, Blanchet, Catherine, Meunier, Isabelle, Hamel, Christian P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa Healthcare USA, Inc 01.02.2013; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - genetics; Child; Child, Preschool; DNA Mutational Analysis; Extracellular Matrix Proteins - genetics; Eye Diseases, Hereditary - diagnosis; Eye Diseases, Hereditary - epidemiology; Eye Diseases, Hereditary - genetics; Eye Proteins - genetics; Female; France - epidemiology; Humans; Infant; inherited optic neuropathies; Inherited retinal dystrophies; Intermediate Filament Proteins - genetics; Life Sciences; macular dystrophy; Male; Membrane Glycoproteins - genetics; Middle Aged; molecular diagnosis; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; Mutation; Myosin VIIa; Myosins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Optic Nerve Diseases - diagnosis; Optic Nerve Diseases - epidemiology; Optic Nerve Diseases - genetics; Peripherins; pigmentary retinopathy; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Retinal Dystrophies - diagnosis; Retinal Dystrophies - epidemiology; Retinal Dystrophies - genetics; Young Adult; France; Inherited retinal dystrophies; macular dystrophy; pigmentary retinopathy; inherited optic neuropathies; molecular diagnosis
• ISSN: 0928-6586; 1744-5086
• DOI: 10.3109/09286586.2012.737890

ABSTRACT Purpose: Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) and inherited optic neuropathies (IONs) are rare diseases defined by specific clinical and molecular features. The relative prevalence of these conditions was determined in Southern France. Methods: Patients recruited from a specialized outpatient clinic over a 21-year period underwent extensive clinical investigations and 107 genes were screened by polymerase chain reaction/sequencing. Results: There were 1957 IRD cases (1481 families) distributed in 70% of pigmentary retinopathy cases (56% non-syndromic, 14% syndromic), 20% maculopathies and 7% stationary conditions. Patients with retinitis pigmentosa were the most frequent (47%) followed by Usher syndrome (10.8%). Among non-syndromic pigmentary retinopathy patients, 84% had rod-cone dystrophy, 8% cone-rod dystrophy and 5% Leber congenital amaurosis. Macular dystrophies were encountered in 398 cases (30% had Stargardt disease and 11% had Best disease). There were 184 ION cases (127 families) distributed in 51% with dominant optic neuropathies, 33% with recessive/sporadic forms and 16% with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. Positive molecular results were obtained in 417/609 families with IRDs (68.5%) and in 27/58 with IONs (46.5%). The sequencing of 5 genes (ABCA4, USH2A, MYO7A, RPGR and PRPH2) provided a positive molecular result in 48% of 417 families with IRDs. Except for autosomal retinitis pigmentosa, in which less than half the families had positive molecular results, about 75% of families with other forms of retinal conditions had a positive molecular diagnosis. Conclusions: Although gene discovery considerably improved molecular diagnosis in many subgroups of IRDs and IONs, retinitis pigmentosa, accounting for almost half of IRDs, remains only partly molecularly defined.