Mouse anti-Human DFNA5 monoclonal antibody, clone 2F21

Hypothesis: Describe the histopathology of the inner ear in a patient with hearing loss caused by a pathogenic variant of the DFNA5 gene. Background: Variants in DFNA5 have been described as causing an autosomal dominant nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss. To date, there has been no description of the histopathology of the inner ear in humans with hearing loss because of pathogenic variants in DFNA5. Methods: Temporal bone histopathology by light microscopy, next-generation sequencing (NGS) of DNA obtained from blood, and Sanger sequencing of DNA obtained from formalin fixed temporal bone sections. Results: Both the temporal bone donor and her daughter were shown to have the same pathogenic variant in the DFNA5 gene. The principal histopathologic correlates of the hearing loss were loss of the inner and outer hair cells and severe degeneration of the stria vascularis and spiral ligament throughout the cochlea. In addition, there was severe degeneration of spiral ganglion cells, particularly in the basal turn, and degeneration of vestibular neuroepithelium and neurons. The donor had undergone unilateral cochlear implantation during life. Histopathology demonstrated that the cochlear implant was inserted into the scala vestibuli with considerable new bone formation around the track of the implanted electrode. Conclusions: This is the first report of the histopathology of the inner ear in a patient with hearing loss caused by a pathogenic variant in the DFNA5 gene.

Deafness due to mutations in the DFNA5 gene is caused by the aberrant splicing of exon 8, which results in a constitutively active truncated protein. In a large family of European descent (MORL-ADF1) segregating autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss, we used the OtoSCOPE platform to identify the genetic cause of deafness. After variant filtering and prioritization, the only remaining variant that segregated with the hearing loss in the family was the previously described c.991-15_991-13delTTC mutation in DFNA5. This 3-base pair deletion in the polypyrimidine of intron 7 is a founder mutation in the East Asian population. Using ethnicity-informative markers and haplotype reconstruction within the DFNA5 gene, we confirmed family MORL-ADF1 is of European ancestry, and that the c.991-15_991-13delTTC mutation arose on a unique haplotype, as compared to that of East Asian families segregating this mutation. In-depth audiometric analysis showed no statistical difference between the audiometric profile of family MORL-ADF1 and the East Asian families. Our data suggest the polypyrimidine tract in intron 7 may be a hotspot for mutations.