Allelic and phenotypic heterogeneity in 49 Italian patients with the muscle form of CPT-II deficiency.

As genotype-phenotype correlations require the study of large patient populations, we investigated 49 Italian patients (33 unreported) with the muscle form of carnitine-palmitoyl-transferase-II (CPT-II) deficiency and CPT2 gene mutations. CPT enzyme activity below 25% of controls would lead to the development of muscle symptoms, and CPT activity below 15% would cause a relatively severe phenotype of the muscle form. Of the 15 different mutations found, 6 are novel (40%). A functional significance of mutations could be derived only for the two homozygous missense mutations found: both the p.S113L and the p.R631C (recurring in four unrelated patients from a genetic isolate) alleles caused a severe CPT enzyme defect (15% and 7%, respectively) and a relatively severe clinical phenotype of the muscle form. We identified three genotypes (homozygous p.R631C, homozygous p.S113L, and heterozygous null mutations) usually associated with a relatively severe and often life-threatening condition, which should be considered both in the clinical management of newly diagnosed patients (to prevent symptoms) and in their possible inclusion in therapeutic trials. We confirmed the existence of symptomatic heterozygous patient(s), through a family study, providing an important issue when offering genetic counseling and suggesting the crucial role of polymorphisms or environmental factors in determining the phenotype.

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: hearing loss and other atypical features of patients with large 4q35 deletions.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients affected by facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) with unusual large 4q35 deletions tend to present atypical features in early childhood. We explored the clinical presentation of patients with a very short 4q35 fragment (10-13 kb) focusing on hearing loss, a still debated FSHD extra-muscular manifestation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated six cases with EcoRI 4q35 fragment size ranging from 10 to 13 kb. Assessment of hearing function was carried out by otoscopy, audiometry and auditory-evoked brainstem responses (ABR). Patient data were compared with those of 28 similar subjects reported in the literature. RESULTS: Sensorineural hearing loss was found in four patients, who presented infantile-onset dystrophic phenotype. Hearing loss was associated with mental retardation in three of them and with epilepsy in two. Auditory ability of the other two cases was mildly impaired. If findings related to 28 similar cases reported to date are also considered, auditory impairment appears evident in 68% of these subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Hearing loss represents a characteristic feature of FSHD patients with a large 4q35 deletion. Moreover, when considering only cases with 10-11 kb, it appears to be associated with early-onset dystrophic phenotype, with mental retardation (92%) and possibly with epilepsy (58%).