Heterogeneity of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Gene Variants: A Genetic Database Analysis in Russia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare hereditary disorder belonging to the group of ciliopathies, with autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, and, less frequently, X-linked inheritance patterns. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic heterogeneity of the Russian population of PCD patients based on national registry data. The study included patients with PCD confirmed by molecular genetic testing. Quantitative data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical methods. Differences were considered statistically significant at <i>p</i> < 0.05. The study included 109 patients with PCD. Molecular genetic testing identified pathogenic variants in 29 autosomal recessive genes. The analysis of pathogenic variant distribution in the Russian PCD cohort revealed the highest number of changes in the <i>DNAH5</i> and <i>DNAH11</i> genes. 26 genetic variants in 13 genes were identified for the first time in the Russian population. Variants in the <i>DNAH5</i> gene were significantly more frequent in Kartagener's syndrome (KS) patients (32/55%) compared to those without KS (11/21.5%) (χ² = 12.8; <i>p</i> = 0.0004; OR = 4.48). Preliminary data indicate that the frequency spectrum of <i>DNAH5</i> and <i>DNAH11</i> genes in Russian patients is similar to international trends. Additionally, there is an accumulation of pathogenic variants in the <i>DNAH5</i>, <i>DNAH11</i>, <i>CCDC39,</i> and <i>CFAP300</i> genes.