毛细管电泳多重PCR诊断杜氏/贝氏进行性肌营养不良

目的用毛细管电泳技术结合多重PCR方法分析DMD基因缺失位点,以建立一种快速、准确、适用于临床的DMD的诊断技术.方法将对缺失热区18对引物分成两套,用毛细管电泳分析7个DMD/BMD家系中的7名患者的二步多重PCR产物.结果毛细管电泳能快速、准确分离18对引物多重PCR产物,判断出DMD基因缺失位点.结论毛细管电泳定量PCR方法能高效、准确、快速诊断缺失型DMD患者,具有很好临床应用价值.     

杜氏进行性肌营养不良的临床实践指南

杜氏进行性肌营养不良(Duchemiemusculardystmphy.DMD)是最常见的X连锁隐性遗传性肌肉变性疾病,在男性新生儿中的发病率约为1/3500。DMD是由于Xp21.2区的抗肌萎缩蛋白基因(dystrop,DMD)突变所致,患者的主要临床表现包括进行性、对称性肌无力。由于呼吸肌和心肌受累,通常在30岁前死亡。通过基因检测,可以为93.1%的患者找到遗传学病因,为早期治疗和指导家庭成员的生育奠定基础,有利于改善患者的生存质量,预防这些家庭再次生育DMD患儿。本指南结合了国内外的相关研究和指南共识,总结了DMD相关的医学遗传学知识和临床处置要点,期望能给予临床工作者帮助,为DMD患者及其家庭提供规范的诊断、治疗和预防。     

Pure intronic rearrangements leading to aberrant pseudoexon inclusion in dystrophinopathy: a new class of mutations?

We report on two unprecedented cases of pseudoexon (PE) activation in the DMD gene resulting from pure intronic double‐deletion events that possibly involve microhomology‐mediated mechanisms. Array comparative genomic hybridization analysis and direct genomic sequencing allowed us to elucidate the causes of the pathological PE inclusion detected in the RNA of the patients. In the first case (Duchenne phenotype), we showed that the inserted 387‐bp PE was originated from an inverted ～57 kb genomic region of intron 44 flanked by two deleted ～52 kb and ～1 kb segments. In the second case (Becker phenotype), we identified in intron 56 two small deletions of 592 bp (del 1) and 29 bp (del 2) directly flanking a 166‐bp PE located in very close proximity (134 bp) to exon 57. The key role of del 1 in PE activation was established by using splicing reporter minigenes. However, the analysis of mutant constructs failed to identify cis elements that regulate the inclusion of the PE and suggested that other splicing regulatory factors may be involved such as RNA structure. Our study introduces a new class of mutations in the DMD gene and emphasizes the potential role of underdetected intronic rearrangements in human diseases. Hum Mutat 32:1–9, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Gene therapy: therapeutic applications and relevance to pathology

This review discusses gene therapy as a new treatment paradigm where genetic material is introduced into cells for therapeutic benefit. The genetic material is the 'drug'. It can have a transient or ongoing effect depending on whether or not the introduced genetic material becomes part of the host cell DNA. Different delivery and gene technologies are chosen by investigators to maximise gene delivery to, and expression within, the target cells appropriate for the disease indication. The presence and expression of the introduced genetic material is monitored by molecular means so that treatment efficacy can be assessed via changes in surrogate and/or actual markers of disease. Of interest to the pathologist will be the approaches being developed for the disease indications highlighted and the monitoring of treatment efficacy.     

A family with autism and rare copy number variants disrupting the Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy gene DMD and TRPM3

Autism spectrum disorder is a genetically complex and clinically heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder. A recent study by the Autism Genome Project (AGP) used 1M single-nucleotide polymorphism arrays to show that rare genic copy number variants (CNVs), possibly acting in tandem, play a significant role in the genetic aetiology of this condition. In this study, we describe the phenotypic and genomic characterisation of a multiplex autism family from the AGP study that was found to harbour a duplication of exons 31-44 of the Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy gene DMD and also a rare deletion involving exons 1-9 of TRPM3. Further characterisation of these extremely rare CNVs was carried out using quantitative PCR, fluorescent in situ hybridisation, long-range PCR amplification and sequencing of junction fragments. The maternal chrX:32,097,213-32,321,945 tandem duplication and paternal chr9:72,480,413-73,064,196 deletion (NCBI build 36 coordinates) were transmitted to both affected boys, potentially signifying a multi-hit mechanism. The DMD reading frame rule predicts a Becker phenotype, characterised by later onset and milder symptoms. When last evaluated, neither child had developed signs of muscular dystrophy. These data are consistent with a degree of comorbidity between autism and muscular dystrophy and suggest that genomic background as well as the position of the mutation within the DMD gene may impact on the neurological correlates of Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy. Finally, communicating unexpected findings such as these back to families raises a number of ethical questions, which are discussed.     

Combination of steroids and ischial weight-bearing knee ankle foot orthoses in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy prolongs ambulation past 20 years of age--a case report

Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) lose ambulation by age 12. Long-term steroids have lengthened ambulation by 2–5 years. Ischial weight-bearing knee ankle foot orthoses prolong ambulation for 2–3 years. We report the outcome of the ambulatory status of a patient with DMD treated with daily steroid therapy and orthoses. This male patient was diagnosed with DMD at age of 2. He has been treated with daily steroids since age 7 years. He lost the ability to arise from the floor and walk up steps at age 14 and lost ambulation by age 16. He was fitted with orthoses at age 16 following surgical correction of his lower extremity contractures and regained independent ambulation. At age 20, he was able to stand independently in his orthoses and take steps with moderate support. We conclude that a combination of daily steroids and orthoses prolongs ambulation beyond that of the natural history DMD.     

Different pattern of aquaporin-4 expression in extensor digitorum longus and soleus during early development

Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is the neuromuscular water channel expressed at the sarcolemma of mammalian fast-twitch fibers that mediates a high water transport rate, which is important during muscle activity. Clinical interest in the neuromuscular expression of AQP4 has increased as it is associated with the protein complex formed by dystrophin, the product of the gene affected in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The expression of AQP4 during development has not been characterized. In this study, we analyzed the expression of AQP4 in extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus, a fast- and slow-twitch muscle, respectively, during the first weeks after birth. The results show that AQP4 expression in both types of skeletal muscle occurs postnatally. The time course of expression of AQP4 in the two types of muscles was also different. Whereas the expression of AQP4 protein levels in the EDL showed a progressive increase during the first month after birth, reaching levels found in adults by day 24, the levels of the protein in the soleus showed a transient peak between day 12 and day 24 and declined thereafter, an effect that may be related to the transient high number of fast motor units innervating the soleus muscle during this time. The results suggest that AQP4 expression in skeletal muscle is under neuronal influence and contribute to the understanding of the molecular events of fiber differentiation during development.     

Exercise and Duchenne muscular dystrophy: where we have been and where we need to go

Introduction: In this study we investigated whether an association exists between muscle fiber conduction velocity (MFCV) and local muscle oxygen saturation (StO ₂) in the superficial part of the latissimus dorsi muscle of runners and swimmers during exhaustive dynamic exercise. Methods: Participants performed arm cranking with increasing intensity until exhaustion. Results: Runners' MFCV was unchanged with increasing arm‐cranking exercise intensity, but was higher (P < 0.05) than swimmers' MFCV at the same workload. Swimmers' MFCV increased (P < 0.05) with increasing exercise intensity and reached values at exhaustion similar to those of the runners. StO ₂ was similar in swimmers and runners at rest and decreased with increasing exercise intensity. StO ₂ was higher (P < 0.05) at the same workload in swimmers compared with runners. StO ₂ and MFCV were significantly but very weakly correlated in both swimmers and runners. Conclusion: No association exists between surface MFCV and StO ₂ in either trained or untrained human skeletal muscle during exhaustive intense dynamic exercise. Muscle Nerve, 2012     

Comparison of X‐chromosome inactivation in Duchenne muscle/myocardium‐manifesting carriers,non‐manifesting carriers and related daughters

Female carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are usually asymptomatic. However, 2.5–7.8% of them may present muscle symptoms and cardiomyopathy, attributed to a reduced production of dystrophin, probably because of skewed patterns of X‐chromosome inactivation (XCI). To evaluate the role of XCI in symptomatic (at muscle or heart level) and asymptomatic DMD carriers, 44 subjects were selected from our database (12 manifesting, 21 non‐manifesting, 11 healthy females), and XCI pattern determined in the lymphocytes by the androgen receptor methylation‐based assay. The results showed that DMD‐manifesting carriers had a preferential inactivation of the X‐chromosome carrying the normal allele, while non‐manifesting carriers and healthy females showed a random XCI pattern. Moreover, when comparing muscle with heart manifesting carriers, the former group showed a higher degree of skewing. No concordance in XCI was found between mothers and daughters, when symptomatic/asymptomatic mother–daughter pairs were analyzed. The results confirm that DMD clinical manifestations in carriers are associated with non‐random patterns of X inactivation.