Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0026850 (muscular dystrophy)
 5,870 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy is an X-linked neuromuscular disorder caused by defects in the STA gene on Xq28, which codes for a nuclear protein named emerin. Affected patients usually present in early adolescence with scapulo-peroneal muscle weakness and wasting, and contractures of the tendo Achilles, elbows and paraspinal muscles, resulting in spine rigidity. We present here a case of Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy with an unusually severe, early presentation. He presented at 2.5 years with predominantly proximal weakness and mild equinovarus deformity of the right foot. Serum creatine kinase activity was elevated (1994 IU/I) and a muscle biopsy at the age of 4 years showed marked dystrophic abnormalities. Normal expression of dystrophin, and no detectable deletion in the corresponding gene, excluded a diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Similarly, normal expression of alpha-sarcoglycan made a limb-girdle muscular dystrophy caused by a defect in a sarcoglycan unlikely. Several years later, examination of the proband's maternal cousin, aged 14 years, suggested Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy. This was confirmed in both affected boys by the absence of emerin in muscle and leucocytes, and identification of a mutation in exon 4 of the STA gene. Carrier status in both mothers was also confirmed by mutational and protein analysis. Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy should therefore be considered in the differential diagnosis of cases of early onset muscular dystrophy, even in the absence of the typical clinical features.
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PMID:Early presentation of X-linked Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy resembling limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. 960 59

X-linked Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EMD) is caused by mutations in the emerin gene. Since the emerin gene is ubiquitously expressed and since all EMD mutations published so far should be detectable by an RNA-based mutation assay, we have designed a protein truncation test for emerin. To facilitate the detection of mutations in the translation initiation site, reported for several EMD-cases, the standard tailed forward PTT-primer had to be modified. The effectiveness of the assay was established by a mutation scan in four EMD-patients. Two patients could be shown to carry emerin mutations, one affecting the ATG translation initiation codon. The PTT-assay did not detect a mutation in the two other patients. Since an immunohistochemical analysis of patient-derived cells revealed normal emerin levels, these patients are thus affected by another muscular dystrophy, most likely autosomal dominant EMD.
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PMID:A protein truncation test for Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EMD): detection of N-terminal truncating mutations. 1039 52

Emerin encoded by the STA gene is the first nuclear protein linked with a muscular dystrophy. Emerin is a 34 kDa, predominantly hydrophilic protein with a single hydrophobic region supposed to serve as a transmembrane domain. It was classified as a type II integral membrane protein localized at the inner nuclear membrane/nuclear lamina with an ubiquitous tissue distribution. It is speculated that emerin is required for the stability and normal function of rigorously moving nuclei in skeletal muscle and heart. During mitosis, emerin is cell-cycle-dependent phosphorylated and shows stage-dependent changes in distribution and localization suggesting that it plays a role in re-assembly of nuclear membranes. Mutations of the emerin gene have been associated with X-linked Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy clinically defined by early joint contractures, progressive muscle weakness, and cardiomyopathy. Hopefully, identification of the protein defect may promote new therapeutic strategies concerning muscle fiber development and stability.
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PMID:Emerin. 1053 81

The nuclear lamina is a protein meshwork lining the nucleoplasmic face of the inner nuclear membrane and represents an important determinant of interphase nuclear architecture. Its major components are the A- and B-type lamins. Whereas B-type lamins are found in all mammalian cells, A-type lamin expression is developmentally regulated. In the mouse, A-type lamins do not appear until midway through embryonic development, suggesting that these proteins may be involved in the regulation of terminal differentiation. Here we show that mice lacking A-type lamins develop to term with no overt abnormalities. However, their postnatal growth is severely retarded and is characterized by the appearance of muscular dystrophy. This phenotype is associated with ultrastructural perturbations to the nuclear envelope. These include the mislocalization of emerin, an inner nuclear membrane protein, defects in which are implicated in Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD), one of the three major X-linked dystrophies. Mice lacking the A-type lamins exhibit tissue-specific alterations to their nuclear envelope integrity and emerin distribution. In skeletal and cardiac muscles, this is manifest as a dystrophic condition related to EDMD.
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PMID:Loss of A-type lamin expression compromises nuclear envelope integrity leading to muscular dystrophy. 1057 12

Rigid spine syndrome is a term first proposed by Dubowitz to describe a subset of patients affected by myopathy with early spinal contractures as a prominent feature. While spinal rigidity is a nonspecific feature, found in Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy and in some congenital myopathies, it is also a prominent feature in a group of patients with merosin-positive congenital muscular dystrophy, where it is generally associated with stable or only slowly progressive weakness and early respiratory insufficiency. Recently, the first locus for congenital muscular dystrophy in association with rigid spine syndrome was mapped to chromosome 1p35-p36 in consanguineous Moroccan, Turkish, and Iranian families. We present here a detailed phenotypic description of the familial syndrome linked to this locus, describing 4 siblings (3 boys and 1 girl) of Northern European-American heritage who are the offspring of a nonconsanguineous marriage. All 4 siblings were affected by hypotonia and prominent neck weakness in infancy, early spinal rigidity, and early scoliosis. After initial improvement, muscle strength stabilizes or slowly declines, and skeletal deformities and respiratory insufficiency supervene. Muscle biopsy in an affected child at age 9 months revealed minimal, nonspecific myopathic changes, leading to a diagnosis of "minimal change myopathy." Muscle biopsy in his sibling, at the age of 14 years, revealed chronic and severe myopathic (dystrophic) changes, with normal staining for laminin-2 and for proteins of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. A possible explanation for these biopsy findings is that magnetic resonance imaging of the thighs reveals stereotyped selective muscle involvement, with the selectivity more pronounced early in the disease course followed by widespread muscular signal abnormalities in the late stages of the disease. In this family, linkage to the chromosome 1p rigid spine syndrome locus (RSMD1) is supported by maximum LOD scores for several markers of 1.81 at theta = 0, representing the maximum statistical power possible for this family. In combination with the previous report, this syndrome is linked to the RSMD1 locus with a summated maximum LOD score of 6.29, and analysis of recombination events in our family narrows the previously reported RSMD1 locus to 3 centiMorgans.
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PMID:Congenital muscular dystrophy with rigid spine syndrome: a clinical, pathological, radiological, and genetic study. 1066 83

Immunocytochemistry is an essential tool for the assessment of muscle biopsies from patients with muscular dystrophy, especially the recessive forms. Antibodies can detect primary defects when there is an alteration in expression, in particular in Xp21 muscular dystrophies, Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, the limb-girdle dystrophies caused by abnormal expression of the sarcoglycans, and in the form of congenital muscular dystrophy linked to the gene for laminin alpha2. Absence of a protein is easily observed and reduction in expression can be assessed provided adequate controls and baselines are established. Assessment of secondary defects can also be of diagnostic value; they widen the understanding of pathology changes, and are helping in the development of therapeutic strategies.
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PMID:Immunocytochemical analysis of human muscular dystrophy. 1067 62

Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) is an X-linked recessive or autosomal dominant progressive muscular dystrophy characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness with scapulo-humero-peroneal distribution, early contracture and cardiomyopathy with conduction block. The responsible gene for EDMD, designated as 'STA', has been mapped to Xq 28 and cloned. It encodes a serine-rich protein of 254-amino-acid, called 'emerin', localized in the inner nuclear rim. We performed genetic analysis of a 23-year-old male clinically diagnosed as EDMD and found a novel point mutation. Total RNA was extracted from skeletal muscle and reverse-transcription and polymerase chain reaction amplification was performed using a set of oligonucleotide primers between 5'-flanking site of exon 1 and exon 4. Our patient gave a smaller PCR product (about 30 bp) than normal control. The determined cDNA sequence revealed a deletion of 29 bp, spanning position 164 to 192 in exon 1. To clarify the mutant allele, we performed genomic DNA sequence. Genomic DNA sequence from the initiation of exon 1 to the upstream lesion of exon 2 confirmed a novel point mutation G to C, at nucleotide 197 in the donor splice site of intron 1. This point mutation may interfere with the correct splicing of the mRNA and cause frameshift, resulted in truncation of predicted protein by premature stop. We report a novel point mutation G to C, at nucleotide 197 in the intron 1 of STA gene corresponding the truncation of predicted protein, which differs from any of the previously reported mutations.
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PMID:[A novel splice-site mutation in the STA gene in a Japanese patient with Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy]. 1068 37

LGMD1B is an autosomal dominantly inherited, slowly progressive limb girdle muscular dystrophy, with age-related atrioventricular cardiac conduction disturbances and the absence of early contractures. The disease has been linked to chromosome 1q11-q21. Within this locus another muscular dystrophy, the autosomal dominant form of Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (AD-EDMD) has recently been mapped and the corresponding gene identified. AD-ADMD is characterized by early contractures of elbows and Achilles tendons and a humero-peroneal distribution of weakness combined with a cardiomyopathy with conduction defects. The disease gene of AD-EDMD is LMNA which encodes lamins A/C, two proteins of the nuclear envelope. In order to identify whether or not LGMD1B and AD-EDMD are allelic disorders, we carried out a search for mutations in the LMNA gene in patients with LGMD1B. For this, PCR/SSCP/sequencing screening was carried out for the 12 exons of LMNA on DNA samples of individuals from three LGMD1B families that were linked to chromo-some 1q11-q21. Mutations were identified in all three LGMD1B families: a missense mutation, a deletion of a codon and a splice donor site mutation, respectively. The three mutations were identified in all affected members of the corresponding families and were absent in 100 unrelated control subjects. The present identification of mutations in the LMNA gene in LGMD1B demonstrates that LGMD1B and AD-EDMD are allelic disorders. Further analysis of phenotype-genotype relationship will help to clarify the variability of the phenotype observed in these two muscular dystrophies.
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PMID:Identification of mutations in the gene encoding lamins A/C in autosomal dominant limb girdle muscular dystrophy with atrioventricular conduction disturbances (LGMD1B). 1081 26

Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) was delineated as a separate form of muscular dystrophy nearly 40 years ago, based on the distinctive clinical features of early contractures and humero-peroneal weakness, and cardiac conduction defects. The gene, STA at Xq28, for the commoner X-linked EDMD encodes a 34 kD nuclear membrane protein designated 'emerin', and in almost all cases on immunostaining is absent in muscle, skin fibroblasts, leucocytes and even exfoliative buccal cells, and a mosaic pattern in female carriers. The gene, LMNA at 1q21, for the autosomal dominant Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy encodes other nuclear membrane proteins, lamins A/C. The diagnosis (at present) depends on mutation analysis rather than protein immunohistochemistry. It is still not at all clear how defects in these nuclear membrane proteins are related to the phenotype, even less clear that LMNA mutations can also be associated with familial dilated cardiomyopathy with no weakness, and even familial partial lipodystrophy with diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease! What began as clinical studies in a relatively rare form of dystrophy has progressed to detailed research into the functions of nuclear membrane proteins particularly in regard to various forms of heart disease.
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PMID:Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy - a 40 year retrospective. 1083 46

There are many neuromuscular diseases associated with cardiomyopathy. Cardiac involvement with progressive muscular dystrophy (Duchenne and Becker type) and some type of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy were characterized by impaired left ventricular systolic function, such as dilated cardiomyopathy like status. In Friedreich ataxia various types of left ventricular hypertrophy were reported. While in myotonic dystrophy and Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, conduction disturbance and tachyarrhythmia are common types of cardiac manifestation. The severity of cardiac involvement in these diseases is not necessarily concordant with that of skeletal muscle. Recently the genes of these diseases were identified by linkage analysis. We review cardiac abnormalities of these diseases, especially relationship between severity of cardiac disorder and gene abnormalities.
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PMID:[Secondary cardiomyopathy accompanied by neuromuscular disorders]. 1088 12


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