Molecular basis of familial adenomatous polyposis in the southeast of Brazil: identification of six novel mutations.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to screen point mutations and deletions in APC and MUTYH genes in patients suspected of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) in a Brazilian cohort. METHODS: We used high-resolution melting, Sanger direct sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe association (MLPA) assays to identify point mutations, and large genomic variations within the coding regions of APC and MUTYH genes. RESULTS: We identified 19 causative mutations in 40 Brazilian patients from 20 different families. Four novel mutations were identified in the APC gene and two in the MUTYH gene. We also found a high intra- and inter-familial diversity regarding extracolonic manifestations, and gastric polyps were the most common manifestation found in our cohort. CONCLUSION: We believe that the FAP mutational spectrum can be population-specific and screening FAP patients in different populations can improve pre-clinical diagnosis and improve clinical conduct.