The utility of electrodiagnostic testing in unprovoked rhabdomyolysis in the era of next-generation sequencing.

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: Rhabdomyolysis is an etiologically heterogeneous, acute necrosis of myofibers characterized by transient marked creatine kinase (CK) elevation associated with myalgia, muscle edema, and/or weakness. The study aimed to determine the role of electrodiagnostic (EDX) testing relative to genetic testing and muscle biopsy in patients with unprovoked rhabdomyolysis in identifying an underlying myopathy. METHODS: EDX database was reviewed to identify unprovoked rhabdomyolysis patients who underwent EDX testing between January 2012 and January 2022. Each patient's clinical profile, EDX findings, muscle pathology, laboratory, and genetic testing results were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 66 patients identified, 32 had myopathic electromyography (EMG). Muscle biopsy and genetic testing were performed in 41 and 37 patients, respectively. A definitive diagnosis was achieved in 15 patients (11 myopathic EMG and 4 nonmyopathic EMG; p = .04) based on abnormal muscle biopsy (4/11 patients) or genetic testing (12/12 patients, encompassing 5 patients with normal muscle biopsy and 3 patients with nonmyopathic EMG). These included seven metabolic and eight nonmetabolic myopathies (five muscular dystrophies and three ryanodine receptor 1 [RYR1]-myopathies). Patients were more likely to have baseline weakness (p < .01), elevated baseline CK (p < .01), and nonmetabolic myopathies (p = .03) when myopathic EMG was identified. DISCUSSION: Myopathic EMG occurred in approximately half of patients with unprovoked rhabdomyolysis, more likely in patients with weakness and elevated CK at baseline. Although patients with myopathic EMG were more likely to have nonmetabolic myopathies, nonmyopathic EMG did not exclude myopathy, and genetic testing was primarily helpful to identify an underlying myopathy. Genetic testing should likely be first-tier diagnostic testing following unprovoked rhabdomyolysis.

Mutational spectrum and genotype-phenotype correlation in Mexican patients with infantile-onset and late-onset Pompe disease.

BACKGROUND: Pompe Disease (PD) is a metabolic myopathy caused by variants in the GAA gene, resulting in deficient enzymatic activity. We aimed to characterize the clinical features and related genetic variants in a series of Mexican patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of clinical records of patients diagnosed with LOPD, IOPD or pseudodeficiency. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients were included in the study, comprising these three forms. Overall, age of symptom onset was 0.1 to 43 years old. The most frequent variant identified was c.-32-13T>G, which was detected in 14 alleles. Among the 23 different variants identified in the GAA gene, 14 were classified as pathogenic, 5 were likely pathogenic, and 1 was a variant of uncertain significance. Two variants were inherited in cis arrangement and 2 were pseudodeficiency-related benign alleles. We identified two novel variants (c.1615 G>A and c.1076-20_1076-4delAAGTCGGCGTTGGCCTG). CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this series represent the largest phenotypic and genotypic characterization of patients with PD in Mexico. Patients within our series exhibited a combination of LOPD and IOPD associated variants, which may be related to genetic diversity within Mexican population. Further population-wide studies are required to better characterize the incidence of this disease in Mexican population.

New perspectives for the treatment and follow-up of glycogen storage disease type V: DL-3-hydroxybutyric acid with modified Atkins diet and quadriceps femoris shear wave elastography.

OBJECTIVES: Glycogen storage disease type V is caused by the mutations in muscle glycogen phosphorylase gene. This is the first report which DL-3-hydroxybutyric acid was used in combination with modified Atkins diet for the treatment of a patient with glycogen storage disease type V and quadriceps femoris shear wave elastography was performed to evaluate the treatment efficacy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 13-year-old girl was referred with fatigue and muscle cramps with exercise and there were no pathological findings in physical examination. Creatine kinase levels with 442 U/L. No phosphorylase enzyme activity was detected in muscle biopsy, a homozygous c.1A>G (p.M1V) pathogenic mutation was found in PYGM gene. She was started on DL-3-hydroxybutyric acid and modified Atkins diet at age 16. Her walking and stair climbing capacity increased, the need for rest during exercise decreased. The stiffness of the quadriceps femoris exhibited a reduction. CONCLUSIONS: DL-3-hydroxybutyric acid and modified Atkins diet may provide an alternative fuel and shear wave elastography may be useful in demonstrating treatment efficacy. More clinical and pre-clinical studies are obviously needed to reach more definite conclusions.

Enfermedad de Pompe de inicio infantil en siete niños mexicanos / Infantile-onset Pompe disease in seven Mexican children

Resumen Introducción: La enfermedad de Pompe (EP) es una forma rara de miopatía metabólica; la presentación infantil clásica es severa y el fallecimiento acontece antes del año de vida, y la forma no clásica es de progresión más lenta y la sobrevivencia puede superar el año. Objetivo: Describir genotipo y características de pacientes mexicanos con EP de inicio infantil. Métodos: Se incluyeron siete pacientes con enfermedad confirmada mediante actividad enzimática y estudio molecular del gen GAA. Se revisaron las mutaciones en bases de datos genómicas. Resultados: La mediana de la edad de inicio de los síntomas fue de cuatro meses (1-12 meses) y la edad de diagnóstico fue de ocho meses (4-16 meses). Todos los pacientes tenían cardiomiopatía: cuatro que fallecieron antes del año presentaron mutaciones que predicen enfermedad severa (c.2431dup, c.2560C>T, c.655G>A, c.1987delC) y CRIM (cross-reactive immunologic material) negativo; tres sobrevivieron después del año de edad con terapia de reemplazo enzimático, uno casi cinco años, otro 18 meses y una niña tenía casi tres años al momento de este informe; sus variantes patogénicas predecían enfermedad potencialmente menos severa (c.1979G>A, c.655G>A, c.1447G>A) y CRIM positivo. Conclusión: Existió buena correlación entre genotipo y fenotipo en niños con enfermedad de Pompe.

Abstract Introduction: Pompe disease (PD) is a rare form of metabolic myopathy; the classic infantile presentation is severe, with death occurring before reaching one year of life, and the non-classical form is of slower progression and survival can exceed one year. Objective: To describe the genotype and characteristics of Mexican patients with infantile-onset PD. Methods: Seven patients with PD confirmed by enzymatic activity determination and GAA gene molecular analysis were included. Mutations were reviewed in genomic databases. Results: Median age at symptom onset was four months (1-12 months) and age at diagnosis was eight months (4-16 months). All patients had cardiomyopathy: four who died before one year of age had mutations that predicted severe disease (c.2431dup, c.2560C>T, c.655G>A, c.1987delC) and were negative for cross-reactive immunologic material (CRIM). Three patients survived after one year of age with enzyme replacement therapy; one survived almost five years, another 18 months, and one girl was almost three years of age at the time of this report; their pathogenic variants predicted potentially less severe disease (c.1979G>A, c.655G>A, c.1447G>A) and they were positive for CRIM. Conclusion: There was a good correlation between genotype and phenotype in children with Pompe disease.

McArdle's disease: Diagnostic approach after clinical symptoms of vigorous exercise intolerance in a snowboarder in Alpes / Enfermedad de McArdle: enfoque diagnóstico después de los síntomas clínicos de intolerancia al ejercicio vigoroso en un snowboarder en los Alpes

ABSTRACT McArdle's disease (glycogen storage disease type V) is an energy-dependent disorder of skeletal muscle caused by a deficiency of myophosphorylase, an important enzyme of carbohydrate metabolism that converts glycogen to glucose-1-phosphate. A 46 year-old man was sent to the rheumatology outpatient department with a 3-year history of severe exercise-induced cramps and myalgias. The episodes began when he worked in France and used to practice ski and snowboard in the Alps Mountain, with exercise intolerance, muscle cramps, and myoglobinuria. The laboratory results showed elevated serum creatine kinase levels (~15,000 U/L), and the biopsy of the deltoid muscle revealed glycogen subsarcolemmal vacuoles and absence of myophosphorylase enzymatic activity. This clinical case emphasises the importance of taking into account this metabolic disorder when faced with a patient with exercise intolerance and cramps, especially after vigorous/anaerobic exercise and elevated levels of CK activity. It is fundamental to explain the aetiology of the patient symptoms in order to improve quality of life and avoid unnecessary complications.

R E S U M E N La enfermedad de McArdle (enfermedad de almacenamiento de glucógeno tipo V) es un trastorno del músculo esquelético dependiente de la energía causado por una deficiencia de miofosforilasa, una importante enzima del metabolismo de los hidratos de carbono que convierte el glucógeno en glucosa-1-fosfato. Un hombre de 46 años de edad fue enviado al departamento de reumatología para pacientes ambulatorios con un historial de 3 años de calambres y mialgias severos inducidos por el ejercicio. Los episodios comenzaron cuando trabajó en Francia y solía practicar esquí y snowboard en el macizo de los Alpes, con intolerancia al ejercicio, calambres musculares y mioglobinuria. Las pruebas de laboratorio mostraron niveles elevados de creatina quinasa sérica (~ 15.000 U/l) y la biopsia del músculo deltoides reveló vacuolas subsarcolémicas de glucógeno y ausencia de actividad enzimática de la miofosforilasa. Nuestro caso clínico enfatiza la importancia de pensar en este trastorno metabólico cuando tenemos un paciente con intolerancia al ejercicio y calambres, especialmente después de un ejercicio vigoroso/anaeróbico y niveles elevados de actividad CK. Es fundamental explicar la etiología de los síntomas del paciente para mejorar la calidad de vida y evitar complicaciones innecesarias.