A novel mutation in the ADA gene causing severe combined immunodeficiency in an Arab patient: a case report

INTRODUCTION: About 20% of the cases of human severe combined immunodeficiency are the result of the child being homozygous for defective genes encoding the enzyme adenosine deaminase. To our knowledge, the mutation pattern in Arab patients with severe combined immunodeficiency has never been reported previously. CASE PRESENTATION: A 14-month-old Arab boy had clinical features typical of severe combined immunodeficiency. His clinical picture and flow cytometric analysis raised the diagnosis of adenosine deaminase deficiency and prompted us to screen the adenosine deaminase gene for mutation(s). We detected a novel mutation in exon 9 of the adenosine deaminase gene (p.Arg282>Gln), which we believe is the cause of the severe combined immunodeficiency phenotype observed in our patient. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of adenosine deaminase mutation in an Arab patient with severe combined immunodeficiency due to a novel pathogenic mutation in the adenosine deaminase gene.