MLPA followed by target‐NGS to detect mutations in the dystrophin gene of Peruvian patients suspected of DMD/DMB

Abstract Background We report the molecular analysis of the DMD gene in a group of Peruvian patients with Duchenne/Becker dystrophinopathy. This is the first study to thoroughly characterize mutations in this population. Methods We used the combination of multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and sequencing analysis of the DMD gene. We recruited Peruvian patients in 2 years from reference national hospitals. We performed DNA tests in 152 patients, checking first exon deletion/duplication by MLPA, and subsequently, if negative, samples were sequenced to detect point mutations. Results The average age for diagnosis was 9.8 years, suggesting a delay for timely diagnosis and care. We found causal DMD mutations in 125 patients: 72 (57.6%) exon deletions/duplications (41.6% deletions, 16.0% duplications), and 53 (42.4%) point mutations (27.2% nonsense, 9.6% small indels, and 5.6% splice site). Conclusion Due to our genetic background, we expected a higher number of novel and recurrent causal mutations in our sample. Results showed 16% of novel mutations, similar to other well‐studied populations