Mutations in LPAR6/P2RY5 and LIPH are associated with woolly hair and/or hypotrichosis

Background: Woolly hair (WH) belongs to a family of disorders characterized by hair shaft anomalies that clinically presents with tightly curled hair, which can be divided into syndromic and non-syndromic forms of WH. We have recently identified mutations in both LPAR6/P2RY5 and LIPH that are associated with autosomal recessive woolly hair (ARWH).

Objective: To study the underlying genetic causes of autosomal woolly hair in Pakistani population.

Methods: We studied 10 Pakistani families with ARWH for mutations in LPAR6/P2RY5 and LIPH and then performed haplotype analysis to confirm their segregation in the families.

Results: We identified five mutations in LPAR6/P2RY5, among which three were recurrent and two were novel in eight Pakistani families. We then showed that two of the mutations in LPAR6/P2RY5 are founder mutations in Pakistani families. Moreover, we identified two recurrent mutations in the LIPH gene in two Pakistani families.

Conclusion: Our study extends the spectrum of mutations in LPAR6/P2RY5 gene and underscores those mutations in LPAR6/P2RY5 and LIPH result in similar phenotypes.