Résumé
Most hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) cases are caused by germline mutations of mismatch repair (MMR) genes (i.e.,
MLH1,
MSH2, or
MSH6). Here we describe six novel mutations in patients referred for genetic assessment. All of these mutations lead to premature translation termination. Five single base pair deletions lead to frameshift (
MLH1: g.38-39insCCCA, g.1971del.T;
MSH2: g.163del.C, g.746del.A;
MSH6: g.3320del.A) and one nonsense mutation in
MSH2 g.1030C>T leads to a stop codon: p.Q344X. In one patient, the previously described
MLH1 nonsense mutation g.806C>G was found in a homozygous state. In this patient, the familial histories of both the mother and father suggested HNPCC syndrome. This patient developed colon cancer at 22 years of age, suggesting a more aggressive phenotype. The results of our study provide further insight into the mutational spectrum of MMR genes in HNPCC families.