ABSTRACT. Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SED) is an autosomal dominant skeletal dysplasia characterized by short stature, abnormal epiphyses and flattened vertebral bodies. SED is mainly caused by mutations in the gene encoding the type II procollagen α-1 chain (COL2A1). We looked for mutations in COL2A1 in three unrelated Chinese families with SED. Putative mutations were confirmed by RFLP analysis. We identified three missense mutations (p.G504S, p.G801S and p.G1176V) located in the triple-helical domain; p.G801S and p.G1176V are novel mutations. The p.G504S mutation has been associated with diverse phenotypes in previous studies. Our study extends the mutation spectrum of SED and confirms a relationship between mutations in the COL2A1 gene and clinical findings of SED.

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