Purpose: To test the association of genes involved in anterior segment development in a family with autosomal dominantly inherited Peters' anomaly (PA) with a unique ocular phenotype.
Methods: Six members of a five-generation family with PA were extensively phenotyped and linkage analysis of candidate genes, namely, PAX6, PITX2, FOXC1, CYP1B1 and MAF, was performed.
Results: The complete pedigree consisted of 38 members, 19 of whom were affected. The six probands examined had bilateral microcornea, corneal opacity, iridocorneal adhesions, nystagmus and strabismus, but cataract, keratolenticular adhesions, glaucoma and posterior embryotoxon were absent. PAX6 gene mutations had been previously excluded in one of the affected members. DNA markers for candidate genes CYP1B1 on 2p22, PITX2 on 4q25, PAX6 on 11p13, MAF on 16q23 and FOXC1 on 6p25 were genotyped. Highly negative lod scores were obtained for all markers.
Conclusions: The exclusion of these genes as likely candidates supports the hypothesis that the ocular phenotype associated with PA segregating in this family is a distinct, new, autosomal dominant entity in the anterior segment dysgenesis spectrum.