PASSAGE TO INDIA - THE SEARCH FOR GENES CAUSING AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE NONSYNDROMIC HEARING-LOSS

Hereditary hearing impairment affects approximately 0.05% of all child ren born in the United States. It is most commonly autosomal recessive , nonsyndromic, and monogenic (autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearin g loss (ARNSHL)). Although the number of disease loci is not known, so me estimates exceed 100. Using a strategy of homozygosity mapping to l ocalize ARNSHL genes by screening consanguineous families for chromoso mal regions that are homozygous by descent, we have mapped several gen es in multiplex, nuclear, consanguineous families in Tamil Nadu, India . From the mean frequency of the ARNSHL genes in this population, the total number of disease genes is estimated to be 57.