OBJECTIVETo detect FOXL2 gene mutation in a Chinese pedigree affected with blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES) type I, and to explore its genotype-phenotype correlation.

METHODSPeripheral blood samples were obtained from 3 patients and 19 healthy members from the pedigree for the isolation of genomic DNA. All exons and flanking sequences of the FOXL2 gene were amplified by PCR with 7 pairs of overlapping primers and sequenced.

RESULTSDNA sequencing indicated that the BPES phenotype in this pedigree was caused by a hotspot c.843_859dup17 mutation. The same mutation was not found among the healthy members of the pedigree.

CONCLUSIONThe c.843_859dup17 frameshift mutation probably underlies the BPES type I in this Chinese pedigree, which may manifest as either BEPS type I or type II.