SNPscan as a high-performance screening tool for mutation hotspots of hearing loss-associated genes

• SNaPshot detected molecular defects in 63.6% patients.
• 44.4% subjects with HL were confirmed to have NSHL caused by these mutations.
• SNPscan is a high-performance screening method.

In the present study, to assess the feasibility of the SNPscan technique for mutation screening in patients with nonsyndromic hearing loss (NSHL) and neonatus in China, the SNPscan technique was compared with the SNaPshot screening system. Chinese patients (162) with NSHL were used as the experimental group and 276 children without HL were used as the control group, respectively. SNPscan detected molecular defects in 112 patients (68.5%). In this technique, 83 patients (51.2%) with homozygous or compound heterozygous had confirmed molecular etiology in the GJB2, SLC26A4, and MT-RNR1 genes. By contrast, SNaPshot detected molecular defects in 103 patients (63.6%). In this method, 72 subjects (44.4%) with HL were confirmed to have NSHL caused by these mutations. This study demonstrates that SNPscan performs equally well or better than earlier routine genotyping method for genetic hearing loss, with possibility of detecting a larger variety of mutation.