Genetic Characterization in Familial Rotator Cuff Tear: an Exome Sequencing Study

Background: multiple gene variants seem to contribute to rotator cuff (RC) tear susceptibility. The aim of the study is to perform an exome sequencing analysis within a family to identify rare gene variants predisposing to the development of RC tear. Material and methods: the exome sequencing was conducted in a family consisting of four individuals, two healthy and the remaining ones with bilateral RC tears. Variants in common among the two affected subjects were selected, and those in common with the healthy subject and those with a frequency >1% were removed. The potential pathogenicity of the variants was investigated using the predictions of several in silico tools from VarSome. Results: the exome sequencing yielded approximately 600,000 variants per patient, subsequently filtered according to frequency <1% and absence of association with other diseases. Removing variants common with the healthy subject, 348 rare variants among 248 genes were identified. Based on the risk of damaging, three candidate genes for RC tear were found: COL23A1, EMILIN3, and HDAC10. Conclusion: this is the first whole-exome sequencing analysis within a family to explore genetic predisposition in RC tear. The results reveal the presence of common damaging variants among affected individuals in the COL23A1, EMILIN3, and HDAC10 genes.