The mutations reported here are the first missense mutations identified in the LIPH gene, which extend the body of evidences implicating the LIPH gene in the pathogenesis of human hereditary hair loss.
Autosomal recessive forms of hair loss (alopecia) disorders have previously been associated with variants in at least five different genes including hairless (HR), desmoglein-4 (DSG4), desmocollin-3 (DSC3), lipase-H (LIPH), and lysophosphatidic acid receptor 6 (LPAR6).
Homozygotes for the LIPH c.736T>A (p.C246S) mutation, the most prevalent genotype in Japanese patients, present varying degrees of hair loss; however, determinants of this phenotypic diversity remain elusive.