Unique mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene of three cases of cystic fibrosis in Nagasaki, Japan.

Cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common lethal hereditary disorder in Caucasians, is quite rare in Southeast Asia including Japan. Here, we report three CF cases encountered in Nagasaki, Japan. Case 1; a 24-year-old man with dyspnea and cough was diagnosed as CF with a missense mutation Q98R in exon 4 and a polymorphic 125C in exon 1 in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Case 2; a 13-year-old woman born of consanguineous parents was diagnosed as CF with homozygous Q98R mutations in exon 4. Case 3; a 29-year-old woman complaining of cough and sputum was diagnosed as CF with a heterozygous R347H mutation in exon 7 and a polymorphic 125C in exon 1. These mutations have been previously reported in Caucasian patients, but are considered very rare. Although the numbers of individuals with CF are very limited, the profiles of CFTR mutations in those patients are likely diverse in Japan.