Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy: a follow-up study of 79 patients

The limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD) are autosomally inherited neuromuscular diseases. Recently six different loci for LGMD have been reported: 5q (LGMD1A), 15q (LGMD2A), 2p (LGMD2B), 13q (LGMD2C), 17q (LGMD2D) and 4p-14-q21.2 (LGMD2E) respectively. We have studied 79 patients affected by LGMD during the period 1976 to 1995. All patients were examined clinically, and various investigations, including genetics were performed. According to their data we divided them as follow: 1) Cases with autosomal recessive inheritance (34.19%) of these two families are linked to chromosome 2p and the others were subdivided according to the age at onset into childhood LGMD and juvenile-adult LGMD; 2) Cases with dominant inheritance (13.92%); 3) Sporadic cases (51.89%). Onset of symptoms occurs from the first to the third decade. The clinical course varies considerably, as does the degree of disability. Our study allowed to identify two different groups of patients who relatively homogeneous with respect to their clinical and laboratory characteristics.     

肢带型肌营养不良症

肢带型肌营养不良症是临床上以肩胛带和骨盆带肌不同程度无力或萎缩为主要特点的一组异质性疾病,其遗传方式、发病年龄以及临床表现等不同于几种传统已知的肌营养不良症,是一类复杂的遗传性肌病。目前根据遗传方式分为1型(常染色体显性)和2型(常染色体隐性) ,每一型根据不同基因缺陷又分为许多亚型。近几年的基因研究加深了对本类疾病的认识并增加了新的亚型,本文对各亚型的分子基础和临床特点进行总结。     

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2C: Clinical aspects

The LGMD2C linked to chromosome 13q and related to a 35 KDa dystrophin-associated glycoprotein deficiency, is very similar to Duchenne muscular dystrophy with an autosomal recessive inheritance. It is characterized by a variability of the age of onset, the severity of the evolution and the severity of myopathic changes at the muscle biopsy. This variability was also present in the expression of the α-sarcoglycan between the same sibships and between different families.     

Autosomal recessive Duchenne-like muscular dystrophy: molecular and histochemical results.

An autosomal recessive disorder which mimics Duchenne muscular dystrophy has long been suspected as a cause of muscular dystrophy in karyotypically normal girls and in both boys and girls with consanguineous parents. Analysis of dystrophin now allows confirmation of the existence of this disorder. We report the results of this analysis in a brother and sister who have the typical clinical features of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but no demonstrable abnormality in dystrophin or its gene.     

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy subtypes First-reported cohort from northeastern China*

The relative frequencies of different subtypes of limb-girdle muscular dystrophies vary widely among different populations. We estimated the percentage of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy subtypes in Chinese people based on 68 patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy from the Myology Clinic, Neurology Department, First Hospital of Jilin University, China. A diagnosis of calpainopathy was made in 12 cases （17%）, and dysferlin deficiency in 10 cases （15%）. Two biopsies revealed α-sarcoglycan deficiency （3%）, and two others revealed a lack of caveolin-3 （3%）. A diagnosis of unclassified limb-girdle muscular dystrophy was made in the remaining patients （62%）. The ap-pearances of calpain 3- and dysferlin-deficient biopsies were similar, though rimmed vacuoles were unique to dysferlinopathy, while inflammatory infiltrates were present in both these limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2D biopsies. Macrophages were detected in seven dysferlinopathy biop-sies. The results of this study suggest that the distribution of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy sub-types in the Han Chinese population is similar to that reported in the West. The less necrotic, re-generating and inflammatory appearance of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A, but with more lobulated fibers, supports the idea that calpainopathy is a less active, but more chronic disease than dysferlinopathy. Unusual features indicated an extended limb-girdle muscular dystrophy disease spectrum. The use of acid phosphatase stain should be considered in suspected dysferlinopathies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to define the relative proportions of the various forms of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy in China, based on protein testing.     

Muscle pathology in dysferlin deficiency

Dysferlin deficiency is being increasingly recognized in limb-girdle dystrophy and distal myopathy but its role in the development of muscle pathology is still poorly understood. For this purpose, 26 muscle biopsies from 25 dysferlinopathy patients were analysed by routine histochemistry and by immunohistochemistry with eight different antibodies, and scored for inflammatory response and type of cell infiltrate, fibre degeneration and regeneration, fibre type composition and severity of histopathological changes. In cases with an advanced-stage dystrophic pattern we observed type 1 fibre predominance exceeding 80%, suggesting a selective loss of type 2 fibres or a conversion process. The extent of muscle fibre regeneration and degeneration in dysferlinopathy was intermediate between sarcoglycanopathy and Duchenne dystrophy or myositis, suggesting a rather aggressive course of the disease. An increased inflammatory response was observed in the majority of our patients (16/26), who also showed an active dystrophic pattern. Type and localization of cellular infiltrates suggest that inflammatory reaction is secondary to necrosis. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules were overexpressed in dysferlinopathy, mainly in association with fibre phagocytosis and regeneration; their occasional expression in non-necrotic fibres might represent a marker of ongoing necrosis. Muscle inflammation might be triggered by the structurally altered membrane consequent to dysferlin defect.     

常染色体显性遗传性肢带型肌营养不良症研究进展

肢带型肌营养不良症(LGMD)患病率仅为1/20 000,其中大部分为隐性遗传性肢带型肌营养不良症(LGMD2型),而显性遗传性肢带型肌营养不良症(LGMD 1型)则更为罕见,仅占LGMD的10%。近年来,随着影像学和基因检测技术的发展,对LGMD 1型的报道逐步增多和深入。为加强对LGMD 1型的认识,回顾了近15年来对LGMD 1型的文献报道,对其临床表现、病理特点、基因类型及研究进展进行综述。     

Muscle pathology grade for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy biopsies

Introduction: As we move toward planning for clinical trials in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), a better understanding of the clinical relationship with morphological changes in FSHD muscle biopsies will be important for stratifying patients and understanding post‐therapeutic changes in muscle. Methods: We performed a prospective cross‐sectional study of quadriceps muscle biopsies in 74 genetically confirmed FSHD participants (64 with FSHD type 1 and 10 with FSHD type 2). We compared a 12‐point muscle pathology grade to genetic mutation, disease severity score, and quantitative myometry. Results: Pathology grade had moderate correlations with genetic mutation (rho = –0.45, P < 0.001), clinical severity score (rho = 0.53, P < 0.001), disease duration (rho = 0.31, P = 0.03), and quantitative myometry (rho = –0.47, P < 0.001). We found no difference in the frequency of inflammation between FSHD types 1 and 2. Conclusions: The pathology grade of quadriceps muscle may be a useful marker of disease activity in FSHD, and it may have a role in stratification for future clinical trials. Muscle Nerve 52: 521–526, 2015     

Skeletal muscle pathology in ovine congenital progressive muscular dystrophy

Summary The histopathological lesions of ovine congenital progressive muscular dystrophy (CPMD) were characterized by myofiber hypertrophy, focal myofibrillar degeneration, formation of peripheral and central sarcoplasmic masses devoid of myofibrils and internal nuclei often in chains. Progressive loss of myofibrils was associated with atrophy of the fiber and eventual collapse of the sarcolemma. the process was polyphasic, consequently in mature lesions there was great variation in fiber diameter. Split fibers were common but ring fibers occurred rarely. Myofiber loss was associated with fatty or fibrous tissue replacement. Only type I (red, slow twitch, oxidative) fibers were affected and there was no histological evidence of effective regeneration. Ovine CPMD has many histopathological features in common with dystrophia myotonica in humans.Supported in part by the Muscular Dystrophy Research Association of Western Australia     

分子病理确诊的肢带型肌营养不良2A型患者五例临床及病理特点

目的 通过总结5例肢带型肌营养不良2A型(LGMD2A)患者的病例资料,探讨其临床和病理特点.方法 对病理诊断排除LGMD2B(7例)之后的30例分型未明的LGMD患者的肌肉标本进行免疫组织化学染色和钙激活蛋白酶-3(calpain-3)蛋白免疫印迹分析.结果 30例患者肌肉标本中有5例calpain-3蛋白条带缺失或遗留痕迹,从而被确诊为钙蛋白酶肌病,即LGMD2A.该5例患者起病年龄10～45岁,病程2～10年.其中2例的同胞兄妹有相似的临床表现,而父母无异常,提示本病的常染色体隐性遗传方式.5例均以下肢近端肌无力起病,肌萎缩明显;血清肌酸激酶639～8237 U/L,平均2502 U/L,肌电图均为肌源性损害.5例肌肉活体组织检查病理符合典型肌营养不良的病理特点,表现为肌纤维大小明显不等,可见坏死伴吞噬及再生,内核纤维增多,还原型辅酶Ⅰ四氮唑还原酶染色2例见分叶状纤维.5例LGMD2A患者dystrophin、caveolin-3和α-、β-、γ-、δ-sarcoglycan免疫组织化学染色均正常,2例dysferlin染色减低,余3例正常.结论 LGMD2A的临床表现和肌活体组织检查病理均缺乏特异性,免疫印迹分析有助于此病的诊断和鉴别诊断.     

Skeletal muscle pathology in ovine congenital progressive muscular dystrophy

Summary Fiber-type proportions were determined in 12 skeletal muscles (peronaeus tertius, tibialis cranialis, tensor fascia lata, psoas major, extensor digitorum lateralis, tensor fascia antibrachii, vastus intermedius, soleus, anconaeus, and flexor digitorum superficialis of fore and hind limb) from infantile (20 weeks), juvenile (16 months) and adult (2.5 and 3.5 years) Merino sheep with ovine congenital progressive muscular dystrophy and in age-matched controls. Although confined to type I fibers, lesions were severe not only in type I fiber dominant muscles (vastus intermedius, soleus and anconaeus) but also in the type II dominant medial triceps brachii and in the superficial digital flexors which had approximately equal proportions of both fiber types. The frequency distribution curves of myofiber diameter in dystrophic anconaeus and superficial digital flexor of the fore limb altered as the disease progressed. In young sheep (20 weeks) type I fibers increased in size, then in juvenile and adult sheep the curves became flatter and broader and lost symmetry due to the presence of hypertrophic and atrophic fibers. The fiber diameter profiles were similar to those seen in Duchenne dystrophy in humans.Supported in part by the Muscular Dystrophy Research Association of Western Australia     

Molecular genetics of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is an autosomal dominant neuromuscular disorder. The disease affects specific muscles of the face, shoulder-girdle and upper arm. The biochemical defect underlying FSHD is unknown and there are no specific tests that are diagnostic of FSHD. Genetic linkage studies have mapped the FSHD gene to chromosome 4q35. A DNA marker (p13E-11; D4F104S1, formerly D4S810) has been isolated which recognizes two highly polymorphic loci detectable by EcoRI or HindIII; one locus maps to chromosome 4q35 and shows fragments between about 50 and 320 kb. In FSHD patients deletions occur within this EcoRI/HindIII fragment, yielding fragments that are usually smaller than 28 kb. Characterization of the polymorphic fragments demonstrates that they consist of a 3.2 kb tandem repeat; their number can range between approximately 12 and 96 within the 4q35-specific fragments. In FSHD patients, an integral number of these tandem repeats are deleted, leaving at maximum eight copies.     

Case report Myophosphorylase deficiency and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy in the same pedigree

We report 2 familial patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGD). The parents of patient 1 showed a consanguineous marriage and patient 2 was a paternal cousin of patient 1. Slowly progressive muscular weakness/wasting and dystrophic changes in the biopsied muscles were observed in both patients. However, a quantitative assay revealed a severely reduced myophosphorylase activity in patient 1 with normal activity in patient 2. A semi-ischemic exercise test disclosed no elevation of venous lactate in patient 1 with a normal increase in patient 2. A leukocytes DNA analysis in patient 1 did not show the gene deficits previously recognized in patients with McArdle's disease (McD). Patient 1 may only have abnormal myophosphorylase activity with dystrophic changes secondary to the myophosphorylase deficiency or coincidentally two genomic abnormalities for McD and LGD. LGD still has heterogenous etiologies and the responsible genes for these two disorders may be closely mapped.     

Childhood-onset autosomal-dominant limb-girdle muscular dystrophy with cardiac conduction block

We report childhood-onset autosomal-dominant limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) in a Chinese family with complete atrioventricular conduction block in the adult members. Six patients, including 5 men and 1 woman with an age of onset from 3 to 7 years, were affected. The grandfather had exercise intolerance since childhood and complete heart block with pace-maker placement at age 52. Three siblings had proximal muscle weakness and/or wasting since age 5 and heart block in their 40s. Two grandsons at the ages 7 and 3 showed exercise intolerance, and proximal muscle weakness and wasting. Sinus bradycardia was present in the elder grandson. Muscle enzymes were elevated in 3, particularly in childhood. Muscle biopsies from the proband showed myopathic changes with fatty degeneration, whorled fibers, and rimmed vacuoles. In adult patients, muscle magnetic resonance imaging scans disclosed atrophic changes and fatty degeneration in the gluteal, quadriceps, adductors, hamstrings, gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles, while in child probands the early atrophic changes were seen in the gluteal and hamstrings muscles. We conclude that this distinct family is characterized by childhood-onset autosomal-dominant LGMD with heart block and that prevention of sudden death in these patients is important. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve, 20, 286–292, 1997.     

Duchenne肌营养不良模型鼠基因型及肌肉病理的研究

目的研究Duchenne肌营养不良(DMD)模型鼠mdx基因型及肌肉病理改变。方法分别采用光镜、免疫荧光、EvansBlue染料、电镜等方法研究mdx小鼠与正常对照组C57/BL6小鼠腓肠肌病理改变,并检测mdx小鼠的基因型。结果经Dys-3、δ-sarcoglican抗体染色后mdx小鼠肌膜基本未见绿色荧光,正常对照组C57/BL6小鼠肌膜呈明显网状绿色荧光;荧光显微镜观察EvansBlue红色荧光染料,mdx小鼠肌纤维呈明显红色荧光,而肌膜完整的正常对照组C57/BL6小鼠肌纤维不摄取红色荧光染料。mdx模型鼠肌丝排列紊乱,方向不一,肌细胞核位于肌纤维中央,Z盘模糊,肌膜局部不连续,C57/BL6小鼠肌丝排列整齐,Z盘清晰可见。结论mdx小鼠以肌纤维变性、坏死为特征,肌细胞膜缺损是mdx小鼠主要病理改变之一。mdx小鼠dystrophin基因缺陷同时伴有dystrophin相关蛋白缺失,mdx小鼠肌肉病理为DMD进一步治疗研究奠定了基础。     

A scapular onset muscular dystrophy without facial involvement: Possible allelism with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

A dominantly inherited muscular dystrophy with onset in the shoulder girdle and later progression to the lower limbs is described. The disorder was clinically distinguishable from known facioscapulohumeral, scapulohumeral and limb girdle syndromes. A 38 kb allele detected by probe p13E-11 (D4F104S1) segregated with the disease. Linkage analysis gave a maximum lod score of z = 1.61 at θ = 0.01 with the 4q35 marker D4S184 (affected only analysis z = 1.20 at θ = 0.01) suggesting probable allelism with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.     

Infantile facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: new observations

Clinical, electrodiagnostic, and biopsy findings in a family with infantile facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy are reported. Four of eight family members having the disorder, all with onset in infancy, developed severe weakness leading to death in adolescence. The clinical course and prognosis of infantile facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy may, therefore, be as devastating as that of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The unusual infantile presentation and high mortality in our affected family members suggest that the gene coding for this disorder may be different from that responsible for conventional facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.