OBJECTIVETo investigate mutational spectrum and frequency of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene in Chinese subjects with aminoglycoside-induced and non-syndromic hearing loss.

METHODSTotal of 456 subjects with non-syndromic hearing loss were recruited from seven schools for deaf-mutes in Zhejiang province. Genomic DNA was extracted from the whole blood, and then the DNA fragment was amplified spanning the 12S rRNA gene, followed by sequencing and analyzed.

RESULTSThirty-one variants were identified by mutation analysis of 12S rRNA gene in these subjects. The frequency of the known 1555A > G mutation was 4.4% (20/456). Prevalence of other putative deafness-associated mutation at positions 961 and 1095 were 2.0% (9/456) and 0.7% (3/456) respectively. Furthermore, the 1027A > G, 1109T > C and 1431G > A variants conferred increased sensitivity to ototoxic drugs or non-syndromic deafness as they were absent in 449 Chinese controls and localized at highly conserved nucleotides of this 12S rRNA gene. Moreover, clinical data showed a wide range of age-of-onset, variety of severity and various audiometric configurations in subjects carrying the 1555A > G mutation.

CONCLUSIONSOur data demonstrated that the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene is the hot spot for mutations associated with aminoglycoside ototoxicity and non-syndromic hearing loss. Nuclear modifier genes, mitochondrial haplotypes and environmental factors might play a role in the phenotypic manifestation of these mutations.