PURPOSE This study was undertaken to investigate the causal mutations responsible for autosomal recessive congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in consanguineous Pakistani families. METHODS Two consanguineous families with multiple individuals manifesting symptoms of stationary night blindness were recruited. Affected individuals underwent a detailed ophthalmological examination, inclu...

BACKGROUND Hypotrichosis with juvenile macular dystrophy (HJMD; OMIM 601553) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by hypotrichosis with short scalp hair and progressive macular dystrophy leading to blindness between the second and the fourth decades of life. HJMD is caused by mutations in the P-cadherin gene (CDH3), a member of the family of classical cadherins. METHODS We ana...

BACKGROUND Congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) also known as Berardinelli-Seip Congenital Lipodystrophy (BSCL) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder characterized by loss of adipose tissues, Acanthosis nigricans, diabetes mellitus, muscular hypertrophy, hepatomegaly and hypertriglyceridemia. There are four subclinical phenotypes of CGL (CGL1-4) and mutations in four genes AGPAT2, BSCL2...

PURPOSE To identify pathogenic mutations responsible for retinal dystrophy in three consanguineous Pakistani families. METHODS A thorough ophthalmic examination including fundus examination and electroretinography was performed, and blood samples were collected from all participating members. Genomic DNA was extracted, and genome-wide linkage and/or exclusion analyses were completed with fluo...

This is the final version of the manuscript. It is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Kraemer, N., Picker-Minh, S., Abbasi, A. A., Fröhler, S., Ninnemann, O., Khan, M. N., Ali, G., Chen, W. and Kaindl, A. M. (2016), Genetic causes of MCPH in consanguineous Pakistani families. Clin Genet, 89: 744–745. doi:10.1111/cge.12685 which has been published in final form in: Clinical Gene...

The biraderi (brotherhood) is a long-established, widely prevalent dimension of social stratification in Pakistani communities worldwide. Alongside consanguinity, it offers a route for cementing social solidarities and so has strong socio-biological significance. A detailed breakdown of biraderi affiliation among participants in an ongoing birth cohort study in the northern English city of Brad...