Two emerging phenotypes of atypical inclusion body myositis: illustrative cases.

OBJECTIVES: Sporadic inclusion body myositis (IBM) is the most common acquired myopathy in those aged above 50. It is classically heralded by weakness in the long finger flexors and quadriceps. The aim of this article is to describe five atypical cases of IBM, outlining two potential emerging clinical subsets of the disease. METHODS: We reviewed relevant clinical documentation and pertinent investigations for five patients with IBM. RESULTS: The first phenotype we describe is young-onset IBM in two patients who had symptoms since their early thirties. The literature supports that IBM can rarely present in this age range or younger. We describe a second phenotype in three middle-aged women who developed early bilateral facial weakness at presentation in tandem with dysphagia and bulbar impairment followed by respiratory failure requiring non-invasive ventilation (NIV). Within this group, two patients were noted to have macroglossia, another possible rare feature of IBM. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the classical phenotype described within the literature IBM can present in a heterogenous fashion. It is important to recognise IBM in younger patients and investigate for specific associations. The described pattern of facial diplegia, severe dysphagia, bulbar dysfunction and respiratory failure in female IBM patients requires further characterisation. Patients with this clinical pattern may require more complex and supportive management. Macroglossia is a potentially under recognised feature of IBM. The presence of macroglossia in IBM warrants further study, as its presence may lead to unnecessary investigations and delay diagnosis.

Heart rate and perceived muscle pain responses to a functional walking test in McArdle disease.

The aim of this study was to assess a 12-min self-paced walking test in patients with McArdle disease. Twenty patients (44.7 ± 11 years; 11 female) performed the walking test where walking speed, distance walked, heart rate (HR) and perceived muscle pain (Borg CR10 scale) were measured. Median (interquartile range) distance walked was 890 m (470-935). From 1 to 6 min, median walking speed decreased (from 75.0 to 71.4 m∙min(-1)) while muscle pain and %HR reserve increased (from 0.3 to 3.0 and 37% to 48%, respectively). From 7 to 12 min, walking speed increased to 74.2 m∙min(-1), muscle pain decreased to 1.6 and %HR reserve remained between 45% and 48%. To make relative comparisons, HR and muscle pain were divided by walking speed and expressed as ratios. These ratios rose significantly between 1 and 6 min (HR:walking speed P = .001 and pain:walking speed P < .001) and similarly decreased between 6 and 11 min (P = .002 and P = .001, respectively). Peak ratios of HR:walking speed and pain:walking speed were inversely correlated to distance walked: rs (HR) = -.82 (P < .0001) and rs (pain) = -.55 (P = .012). Largest peak ratios were found in patients who walked < 650 m. A 12-min walking test can be used to assess exercise capacity and detect the second wind in McArdle disease.

Comprehensive analysis of the TRPV4 gene in a large series of inherited neuropathies and controls.

BACKGROUND: TRPV4 mutations have been identified in Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 (CMT2), scapuloperoneal spinal muscular atrophy and distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to screen the TRPV4 gene in 422 British patients with inherited neuropathy for potentially pathogenic mutations. METHODS: We sequenced TRPV4 coding regions and splice junctions in 271 patients with CMT2 and 151 patients with dHMN. Mutations were clinically and genetically characterised and screened in ≥345 matched controls. RESULTS: 13 missense and nonsense variants were identified, of which five were novel and absent from controls (G20R, E218K, N302Y, Y567X and T701I). N302Y and T701I mutations were present in typical CMT2 cases and are potentially pathogenic based on in silico analyses. G20R was detected in a patient with dHMN and her asymptomatic father and is possibly pathogenic with variable expressivity. The Y567X variant segregated with disease in a family with severe CMT2 but also with a MFN2 mutation reported to cause a mild CMT2 phenotype. Although Y567X caused nonsense mediated mRNA decay, the amount of TRPV4 protein on western blotting of patient lymphoblasts was no different to control. Y567X is therefore unlikely to be pathogenic. E218K is unlikely to be pathogenic based on segregation. CONCLUSIONS: In this comprehensive analysis of the TRPV4 gene, we identified mutations in <1% of patients with CMT2/dHMN. We found that TRPV4 likely harbours many missense and nonsense non-pathogenic variants that should be analysed in detail to prove pathogenicity before results are given to patients.

Malan syndrome: Sotos-like overgrowth with de novo NFIX sequence variants and deletions in six new patients and a review of the literature.

De novo monoallelic variants in NFIX cause two distinct syndromes. Whole gene deletions, nonsense variants and missense variants affecting the DNA-binding domain have been seen in association with a Sotos-like phenotype that we propose is referred to as Malan syndrome. Frameshift and splice-site variants thought to avoid nonsense-mediated RNA decay have been seen in Marshall-Smith syndrome. We report six additional patients with Malan syndrome and de novo NFIX deletions or sequence variants and review the 20 patients now reported. The phenotype is characterised by moderate postnatal overgrowth and macrocephaly. Median height and head circumference in childhood are 2.0 and 2.3 standard deviations (SD) above the mean, respectively. There is overlap of the facial phenotype with NSD1-positive Sotos syndrome in some cases including a prominent forehead, high anterior hairline, downslanting palpebral fissures and prominent chin. Neonatal feeding difficulties and/or hypotonia have been reported in 30% of patients. Developmental delay/learning disability have been reported in all cases and are typically moderate. Ocular phenotypes are common, including strabismus (65%), nystagmus (25% ) and optic disc pallor/hypoplasia (25%). Other recurrent features include pectus excavatum (40%) and scoliosis (25%). Eight reported patients have a deletion also encompassing CACNA1A, haploinsufficiency of which causes episodic ataxia type 2 or familial hemiplegic migraine. One previous case had episodic ataxia and one case we report has had cyclical vomiting responsive to pizotifen. In individuals with this contiguous gene deletion syndrome, awareness of possible later neurological manifestations is important, although their penetrance is not yet clear.

Emotionally-intense situations can result in rhabdomyolysis in McArdle disease.

Despite the majority of patients with McArdle disease reporting symptoms including fatigue, cramps and episodes of myoglobinuria from early childhood, diagnosis is often delayed by several decades. Additionally, many individuals with rhabdomyolysis remain undiagnosed. The occurrence of symptoms during exercise, particularly isometric muscle contraction such as heavy lifting, is well known in McArdle disease. However, isometric muscle contraction that occurs with emotion is not recognised as exercise and may be missed as a trigger for rhabdomyolysis, potentially leading to a delay in diagnosis. Three patients are presented here, all with symptoms from childhood including episodes of rhabdomyolysis induced by tense emotional situations without physical exertion; two patients reported recurrent episodes while watching rather than playing football. The remaining patient developed rhabdomyolysis during a heated argument. These patients' histories emphasise the risk from sustained isometric muscle contraction that occurs in emotive situations for patients with McArdle disease.

Cell models for McArdle disease and aminoglycoside-induced read-through of a premature termination codon.

McArdle disease results from mutations in the gene encoding muscle glycogen phosphorylase (PYGM) protein and the two most common mutations are a premature termination codon (R50X) and a missense mutation (G205S). Myoblasts from patients cannot be used to create a cell model of McArdle disease because even normal myoblasts produce little or no PYGM protein in cell culture. We therefore created cell models by expressing wild-type or mutant (R50X or G205S) PYGM from cDNA integrated into the genome of Chinese hamster ovary cells. These cell lines enable the study of McArdle mutations in the absence of nonsense-mediated decay of mRNA transcripts. Although all cell lines produced stable mRNA, only wild-type produced detectable PYGM protein. Our data suggest that the G205S mutation affects PYGM by causing misfolding and accelerated protein turnover. Using the N-terminal region of PYGM containing the R50X mutation fused to green fluorescent protein, we were able to demonstrate both small amounts of truncated protein production and read-through of the R50X premature termination codon induced by the aminoglycoside, G418.