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Ruggiero L, Mele F, Manganelli F, Bruzzese D, Ricci G, Vercelli L, Govi M, Vallarola A, Tripodi S, Villa L, Di Muzio A, Scarlato M, Bucci E, Antonini G, Maggi L, Rodolico C, Tomelleri G, Filosto M, Previtali S, Angelini C, Berardinelli A, Pegoraro E, Moggio M, Mongini T, Siciliano G, Santoro L, Tupler R. Phenotypic Variability Among Patients With D4Z4 Reduced Allele Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e204040. [PMID: 32356886 PMCID: PMC7195625 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is considered an autosomal dominant disorder, associated with the deletion of tandemly arrayed D4Z4 repetitive elements. The extensive use of molecular analysis of the D4Z4 locus for FSHD diagnosis has revealed wide clinical variability, suggesting that subgroups of patients exist among carriers of the D4Z4 reduced allele (DRA). OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical expression of FSHD in the genetic subgroup of carriers of a DRA with 7 to 8 repeat units (RUs). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This multicenter cross-sectional study included 422 carriers of DRA with 7 to 8 RUs (187 unrelated probands and 235 relatives) from a consecutive sample of 280 probands and 306 relatives from the Italian National Registry for FSHD collected between 2008 and 2016. Participants were evaluated by the Italian Clinical Network for FSHD, and all clinical and molecular data were collected in the Italian National Registry for FSHD database. Data analysis was conducted from January 2017 to June 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The phenotypic classification of probands and relatives was obtained by applying the Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Form which classifies patients in the 4 following categories: (1) participants presenting facial and scapular girdle muscle weakness typical of FSHD (category A, subcategories A1-A3), (2) participants with muscle weakness limited to scapular girdle or facial muscles (category B, subcategories B1 and B2), (3) asymptomatic or healthy participants (category C, subcategories C1 and C2), and (4) participants with myopathic phenotypes presenting clinical features not consistent with FSHD canonical phenotype (category D, subcategories D1 and D2). RESULTS A total of 187 probands (mean [SD] age at last neurological examination, 53.5 [15.2] years; 103 [55.1%] men) and 235 relatives (mean [SD] age at last neurologic examination, 45.1 [17.0] years; 104 [44.7%] men) with a DRA with 7 to 8 RUs and a molecular diagnosis of FSHD were evaluated. Of 187 probands, 99 (52.9%; 95% CI, 45.7%-60.1%) displayed the classic FSHD phenotype, whereas 86 (47.1%; 95% CI, 39.8%-54.3%) presented incomplete or atypical phenotypes. Of 235 carrier relatives from 106 unrelated families, 124 (52.8%; 95% CI, 46.4%-59.7%) had no motor impairment, whereas a small number (38 [16.2%; 95% CI, 9.8%-23.1%]) displayed the classic FSHD phenotype, and 73 (31.0%; 95% CI, 24.7%-38.0%) presented with incomplete or atypical phenotypes. In 37 of 106 families (34.9%; 95% CI, 25.9%-44.8%), the proband was the only participant presenting with a myopathic phenotype, while only 20 families (18.9%; 95% CI, 11.9%-27.6%) had a member with autosomal dominant FSHD. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study found large phenotypic variability associated with individuals carrying a DRA with 7 to 8 RUs, in contrast to the indication that a positive molecular test is the only determining aspect for FSHD diagnosis. These findings suggest that carriers of a DRA with 7 to 8 RUs constitute a genetic subgroup different from classic FSHD. Based on these results, it is recommended that clinicians use the Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Form for clinical classification and, whenever possible, study the extended family to provide the most adequate clinical management and genetic counseling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Ruggiero
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive, and Odontostomatological Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabiano Mele
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Fiore Manganelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive, and Odontostomatological Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Dario Bruzzese
- Department of Preventive Medical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Giulia Ricci
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Neurological Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Liliana Vercelli
- Center for Neuromuscular Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Monica Govi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Antonio Vallarola
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Silvia Tripodi
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Luisa Villa
- Neuromuscular Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Dino Ferrari Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Muzio
- Center for Neuromuscular Disease, Center for Excellence on Aging, Gabrile D’Annunzio University Foundation, Chieti, Italy
| | - Marina Scarlato
- Neuromuscular Repair Unit, Inspe and Division of Neuroscience, IRCSS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Bucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs, S. Andrea Hospital, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Antonini
- Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs, S. Andrea Hospital, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Maggi
- IRCCS Foundation, C. Besta Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Carmelo Rodolico
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuliano Tomelleri
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Previtali
- Neuromuscular Repair Unit, Inspe and Division of Neuroscience, IRCSS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Angela Berardinelli
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS, Casimiro Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Elena Pegoraro
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Maurizio Moggio
- Neuromuscular Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Dino Ferrari Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Tiziana Mongini
- Center for Neuromuscular Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Gabriele Siciliano
- Neurological Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Lucio Santoro
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive, and Odontostomatological Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Rossella Tupler
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
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Margraf N, Wrede A, Deuschl G, Schulz-Schaeffer W. Pathophysiological Concepts and Treatment of Camptocormia. JOURNAL OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE 2016; 6:485-501. [PMID: 27314757 PMCID: PMC5008234 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-160836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Camptocormia is a disabling pathological, non-fixed, forward bending of the trunk. The clinical definition using only the bending angle is insufficient; it should include the subjectively perceived inability to stand upright, occurrence of back pain, typical individual complaints, and need for walking aids and compensatory signs (e.g. back-swept wing sign). Due to the heterogeneous etiologies of camptocormia a broad diagnostic approach is necessary. Camptocormia is most frequently encountered in movement disorders (PD and dystonia) and muscles diseases (myositis and myopathy, mainly facio-scapulo-humeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD)). The main diagnostic aim is to discover the etiology by looking for signs of the underlying disease in the neurological examination, EMG, muscle MRI and possibly biopsy. PD and probably myositic camptocormia can be divided into an acute and a chronic stage according to the duration of camptocormia and the findings in the short time inversion recovery (STIR) and T1 sequences of paravertebral muscle MRI. There is no established treatment of camptocormia resulting from any etiology. Case series suggest that deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) is effective in the acute but not the chronic stage of PD camptocormia. In chronic stages with degenerated muscles, treatment options are limited to orthoses, walking aids, physiotherapy and pain therapy. In acute myositic camptocormia an escalation strategy with different immunosuppressive drugs is recommended. In dystonic camptocormia, as in dystonia in general, case reports have shown botulinum toxin and DBS of the globus pallidus internus (GPi-DBS) to be effective. Camptocormia in connection with primary myopathies should be treated according to the underlying illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- N.G. Margraf
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany
| | - A. Wrede
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - G. Deuschl
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany
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G R, M Z, R T. Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy: More Complex than it Appears. Curr Mol Med 2014; 14:1052-1068. [PMID: 25323867 PMCID: PMC4264243 DOI: 10.2174/1566524014666141010155054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2013] [Revised: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) has been classified as an autosomal dominant myopathy, linked to rearrangements in an array of 3.3 kb tandemly repeated DNA elements (D4Z4) located at the 4q subtelomere (4q35). For the last 20 years, the diagnosis of FSHD has been confirmed in clinical practice by the detection of one D4Z4 allele with a reduced number (≤8) of repeats at 4q35. Although wide inter- and intra-familial clinical variability was found in subjects carrying D4Z4 alleles of reduced size, this DNA testing has been considered highly sensitive and specific. However, several exceptions to this general rule have been reported. Specifically, FSHD families with asymptomatic relatives carrying D4Z4 reduced alleles, FSHD genealogies with subjects affected with other neuromuscular disorders and FSHD affected patients carrying D4Z4 alleles of normal size have been described. In order to explain these findings, it has been proposed that the reduction of D4Z4 repeats at 4q35 could be pathogenic only in certain chromosomal backgrounds, defined as "permissive" specific haplotypes. However, our most recent studies show that the current DNA signature of FSHD is a common polymorphism and that in FSHD families the risk of developing FSHD for carriers of D4Z4 reduced alleles (DRA) depends on additional factors besides the 4q35 locus. These findings highlight the necessity to re-evaluate the significance and the predictive value of DRA, not only for research but also in clinical practice. Further clinical and genetic analysis of FSHD families will be extremely important for studies aiming at dissecting the complexity of FSHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricci G
- Department of Life Sciences, “Miogen” Laboratory, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Neurology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Zatz M
- Human Genome Research and Stem Cell Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Tupler R
- Department of Life Sciences, “Miogen” Laboratory, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Program in Gene Function and Expression, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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Schreiber O, Schneiderat P, Kress W, Rautenstrauss B, Senderek J, Schoser B, Walter MC. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy 1A - evidence for "double trouble" overlapping syndromes. BMC MEDICAL GENETICS 2013; 14:92. [PMID: 24041033 PMCID: PMC3848428 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2350-14-92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 09/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We report on a patient with genetically confirmed overlapping diagnoses of CMT1A and FSHD. This case adds to the increasing number of unique patients presenting with atypical phenotypes, particularly in FSHD. Even if a mutation in one disease gene has been found, further genetic testing might be warranted in cases with unusual clinical presentation. CASE PRESENTATION The reported 53 years old male patient suffered from walking difficulties and foot deformities first noticed at age 20. Later on, he developed scapuloperoneal and truncal muscle weakness, along with atrophy of the intrinsic hand and foot muscles, pes cavus, claw toes and a distal symmetric hypoesthesia. Motor nerve conduction velocities were reduced to 20 m/s in the upper extremities, and not educible in the lower extremities, sensory nerve conduction velocities were not attainable. Electromyography showed both, myopathic and neurogenic changes. A muscle biopsy taken from the tibialis anterior muscle showed a mild myopathy with some neurogenic findings and hypertrophic type 1 fibers. Whole-body muscle MRI revealed severe changes in the lower leg muscles, tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles were highly replaced by fatty tissue. Additionally, fatty degeneration of shoulder girdle and straight back muscles, and atrophy of dorsal upper leg muscles were seen. Taken together, the presenting features suggested both, a neuropathy and a myopathy. Patient's family history suggested an autosomal dominant inheritance.Molecular testing revealed both, a hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type 1A (HMSN1A, also called Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy 1A, CMT1A) due to a PMP22 gene duplication and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) due to a partial deletion of the D4Z4 locus (19 kb). CONCLUSION Molecular testing in hereditary neuromuscular disorders has led to the identification of an increasing number of atypical phenotypes. Nevertheless, finding the right diagnosis is crucial for the patient in order to obtain adequate medical care and appropriate genetic counseling, especially in the background of arising curative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Schreiber
- Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Ziemssenstrasse 1, D-80336 Munich, Germany.
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Hassan A, Jones LK, Milone M, Kumar N. Focal and other unusual presentations of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Muscle Nerve 2012; 46:421-5. [PMID: 22907234 DOI: 10.1002/mus.23358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) presents classically with facial and shoulder-girdle weakness. We report focal atypical presentations of FSHD. Our aim was to identify focal/unusual phenotypes in genetically confirmed FSHD cases. METHODS We undertook a retrospective review of an academic center database of the period from 1996 to 2011. Of 139 FSHD cases, 7 had atypical genetically confirmed disease. Clinical data were abstracted. RESULTS Seven cases (4 men) had a mean age of 37 years at onset (range 18-63 years) and mean 43 years at diagnosis (range 20-74 years). Presenting symptoms were monomelic lower limb (n = 3) or upper limb (n = 2) atrophy, or axial weakness (n = 2). Five patients had focal weakness on examination. CK was normal to borderline high. Two patients had a relative with FSHD. Coexistent unusual features included dyspnea (n = 1), S1 radicular pain with calf atrophy (n = 2), and peripheral neuropathy (n = 1). Almost all patients had myopathic EMG changes. DNA analysis showed a D4Z4 EcoRI fragment size ranging from 20 to 37 kilobases. CONCLUSIONS FSHD may present with focal weakness, dyspnea and myopathic EMG changes. These findings should raise the possibility of FSHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anhar Hassan
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA
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