Mutational screening of ACVR1 gene in Brazilian fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva patients.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a severe genetic disorder reported worldwide. A specific heterozygous mutation (c.617G> A; p.R206H) in the activin A type I receptor gene (ACVR1) is regarded as the genetic cause of FOP in all classically affected individuals worldwide. However, a few patients with FOP variants harbor distinct mutations in ACVR1. We screened a group of FOP Brazilian population for mutations in ACVR1. Of 16 patients with a classic FOP phenotype (10 males and 6 females, age range of 3-42 years), all had the classic mutation (p.R206H). One 21-year-old woman with a variant FOP phenotype had the previously reported c.983G> A mutation (p.G328E). Our study contributes to the understanding of the predominant FOP phenotype and genotype and suggests that variant FOP phenotypes are associated with specific mutations in ACVR1 gene.