Abstract: Objective To study mutations in the extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1) gene in a family with lipoid proteinosis (LP). Methods Bi-directional DNA sequencing was used to detect the ECM1 gene in patients with LP as well as among their parents, siblings and children. Results Sequencing from the affected individuals revealed a new compound heterozygote of missense/nonsense mutations, C220G/R476X, which were not found in the control group. The father was a carrier of the missense mutation C220G and the mother was a carrier of the nonsense mutation R476X, both on one allele. The other siblings, the patients' children and their siblings' children were carriers of either C220G or R476X mutations. Conclusion A new compound heterozygous mutation of ECM1 gene was identified in this LP family.

Key words: Lipoidproteinosis, Extracellular matrix proteins, Mutation