Abstract
Retinoblastoma (RB) is a genetically predetermined intraocular malignant
tumor, common in childhood, initiated by a mutation in the retnoblastoma
gene (RB1), located on the long arm of chromosome13 (13q14). The lack of
information on the genetics of RB in Bukavu motivated this study, with
the aim of presenting the spectrum of mutations. Materials and methods
This is an analytical cross-sectional study of 10 individuals, including
5 RB carrier children and 5 parents. Their deoxyrubonucleic acid (DNA)
was extracted and 11 exons within the RB1 gene were amplified by
Polymerase chain reaction, sequenced and analyzed by various
bioinformatics tools. Result All the children had unilateral RB,
diagnosed mostly at an age ≥2 years, male gender predominated, history
of RB was absent in all subjects. A total of 11 of the 27 most
frequently mutated exons that make up RB1 had been analyzed. The types
of deleterious mutations found in exons 8 and 20 alone, in the 5
children and one parent, were of the following types: missense (26.6%
vs. 16.7%), deletion (11.1% vs. 50%) and insertion (66.7% vs.
33.3%), generally associated with a frameshift and a splice site
change. Disruption of protein synthesis was observed in all the children
and in only one parent. Conclusion The deleterious genetic
mutations identified by the study were known. The study suggested
additional studies, integrating environmental factors that are currently
believed to be involved in the occurrence of RB.