A novel mutation in the porphobilinogen deaminase gene in an extended Chinese family with acute intermittent porphyria.

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by a partial deficiency of porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD), the third enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway. Establishing accurate diagnoses of the patient and asymptomatic family members with AIP involves identifying the PBGD enzyme mutations directly. Genetic testing provides a precise diagnosis for the patient and other asymptomatic family members, and thereby proper treatments can be initiated to prevent the disease from progressing. In this study, we report a novel PBGD missense mutation, A G-to-C, at the position 988 resulting in Alanine to Proline (Ala330Pro), in a Chinese family.