Nahum_2009_Arch.Dermatol.Res_301_391

Autosomal recessive hypotrichosis simplex (ARHS) manifests with paucity of hair appearing during early childhood. We assessed four affected families. We initially genotyped three of these families for a panel of microsatellite markers spanning all ARHS-associated loci and obtained data suggesting linkage to 3q27, encompassing LIPH, which had previously been shown to be associated with ARHS. Accordingly, a homozygous duplication mutation in exon 2 of this gene (c.280_369dup; p.Gly94_Lys123dup) was found to segregate with the disease in all the families. Through the identification of the first duplication mutation in the human LIPH gene, we provide further evidence supporting a role for the phospholipase signalling pathway in hair growth and differentiation.