Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a cardiovascular disorder characterized by
prolongation of the QT interval on electrocardiogram and presence of
syncope, seizures and sudden death. Five genes have been implicated in
Romano-Ward syndrome, the autosomal dominant form of LQTS. These genes are
KVLQT1, HERG, SCN5A, KCNE1 and KCNE2. Mutations in KVLQT1 and KCNE1 also
cause the Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome, a form of LQTS associated
with deafness, a phenotypic abnormality inherited in an autosomal
recessive fashion. Mutational analyses were used to screen 262 unrelated
individuals with LQTS for mutations in the five defined genes. A total of
134 mutations were observed of which eighty were novel.