Clinical and Mutation Spectra of Cockayne Syndrome in India

Background: Cockayne syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by biallelic mutations in ERCC6 or ERCC8 genes. Aims: To study the clinical and mutation spectrum of Cockayne syndrome. Setting and Design: Medical Genetics Outpatient Department of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow. This was a prospective study from 2007 to 2015. Materials and Methods: Clinical details were recorded, and sequencing of ERCC6 and ERCC8 were performed. Results and Conclusions: Of the six families, one family had a homozygous mutation in ERCC8 and the other five families had homozygous mutations in ERCC6. Novel variants in ERCC6 were identified in four families. Phenotypic features may vary from severe to mild, and a strong clinical suspicion is needed for diagnosis during infancy or early childhood. Hence, molecular diagnosis is needed for confirmation of diagnosis in a child with a suspicion of Cockayne syndrome. Prenatal diagnosis can be provided only if molecular diagnosis is established in the proband.