Identification of Genetic Variants Associated With Lichen Sclerosus (GENITALS)

Lichen Sclerosus (LS) is a common genital skin condition that severely impacts on daily living. LS occurs worldwide but may be more common in the white population. The extragenital skin is involved in about 10% of reported patients, exact numbers are not known. LS is estimated to affect 0.1-0.3% of new patients in a general hospital patient population and 1.7% of patients referred to general gynaecological practice, however, the exact prevalence and incidence is not known. LS has a major impact on the quality of life, as symptoms of itching, pain and discomfort can make it difficult to sit, walk and go to the toilet. Having sex becomes painful because of erosions and fissures (break down of the skin), sometimes impossible because of irreversible fusion (sticking together) and sclerosis (hardening) of the genital skin. There is an increased risk of genital cancer in individuals with LS, this seems higher in familial cases. Next to a genetic background leading to a dysregulation of the immune system, certain external trigger mechanisms seem to play an important role in the development of LS.

In this project the investigators propose to identify pathogenic variants in novel protein-coding genes that may be involved in Lichen sclerosus using samples from families with members manifesting LS. Through elucidating underlying pathomechanims which have not yet been fully explored the development of novel treatments may be possible.