Interpretation of causality between p.V37I homozygotes and severe-to-profound deafness warrants further caution because two homozygotes of p.V37I of GJB2 were also identified in the control group with normal hearing (Figs 1 and S1), and the prevalence of the homozygotes of p.V37I of GJB2 (1.7%) in the control group was not significantly different from that (4.6%) in the HL group (p = 0.154). This evidence concerns the gene GJB2 and deafness.