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Summary: Background: Muir–Torre syndrome (MTS) is a subtype of Lynch syndrome, which encompasses the combination of sebaceous skin tumours or keratoacanthomas and internal malignancy, due to mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes. Sebaceous neoplasms (SNs) may occur before other malignancies, and may lead to the diagnosis, which allows testing of other family members, cancer surveillance, risk‐reducing surgery or prevention therapies. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of universal immunohistochemistry (IHC) screening of SNs in a service setting. Methods: Patients with SNs were ascertained by a regional clinical pathology service over a 3‐year period. Results of tumour IHC, clinical genetics notes and germline genetic testing were retrospectively reviewed. Results: In total, 62 patients presented with 71 SNs; 9 (15%) of these patients had previously diagnosed MTS. Tumour IHC was performed for 50 of the 53 remaining patients (94%); 26 (52%) had loss of staining of one or more mismatch repair proteins. Fifteen patients were referred to the Clinical Genetics department, and 10 patients underwent germline genetic testing. Two had a new diagnosis of MTS confirmed, with heterozygous pathogenic mutations detected in the MSH2 and PMS2 genes (diagnostic yield 20%). The PMS2 mutation was identified in a 57‐year‐old woman with a sebaceous adenoma and history of endometrial cancer; to our knowledge, this is the first time a PMS2 mutation has been reported in MTS. Conclusions: Universal IHC screening of SNs is an effective method to identify cases for further genetic evaluation. Rates of referral to clinical genetics were only moderate (58%). Increased awareness of MTS could help improve the rate of onward referral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Centronuclear myopathy (CNM) is a rare congenital myopathy characterized by prominence of central nuclei on muscle biopsy. CNM has been associated with mutations in MTM1, DNM2, and BIN1 but many cases remain genetically unresolved. RYR1 encodes the principal sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release channel and has been implicated in various congenital myopathies. We investigated whether RYR1 mutations cause CNM. Methods We sequenced the entire RYR1 coding sequence in 24 patients with a diagnosis of CNM from South Africa (n = 14) and Europe (n = 10) and identified mutations in 17 patients. The most common genotypes featured compound heterozygosity for RYR1 missense mutations and mutations resulting in reduced protein expression, including intronic splice site and frameshift mutations. Results The high incidence in South African patients (n = 12/14) in conjunction with recurrent RYR1 mutations associated with common haplotypes suggested the presence of founder effects. In addition to central nuclei, prominent histopathological findings included (often multiple) internalized nuclei and type 1 fiber predominance and hypotrophy with relative type 2 hypertrophy. Although cores were not typically seen on oxidative stains, electron microscopy revealed subtle abnormalities in most cases. External ophthalmoplegia, proximal weakness, and bulbar involvement were prominent clinical findings. Interpretation Our findings expand the range of RYR1-related phenotypes and suggest RYR1 mutations as a common cause of congenital myopathies with central nuclei. Corresponding to recent observations in X-linked CNM, these findings indicate disturbed assembly and/or malfunction of the excitation-contraction machinery as a key mechanism in CNM and related myopathies.ANN NEUROL 2010 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a semiautomated approach to amplify 25 exons of the dystrophin gene using two fluorescent multiplex PCR assays which detect over 98% of reported deletions and 90% of duplications causing Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy. The 5' multiplex detects 11 exons from the proximal deletion hotspot of the gene while the 3' multiplex detects 14 exons from the central deletion hotspot. The PCR products are accurately sized and quantified by a fluorescent DNA sequencer after only 18 cycles of amplification. The amount of product amplified from each exon in a multiplex is divided by that from each of the other exons, and this ratio is compared with those from control samples to obtain a series of dosage quotients (DQ), from which the copy number of each exon is determined. No overlap was observed between the DQ values obtained from single and double copy loci. The assays can be used to screen both affected males and at risk female relatives for a mutation. The method has been evaluated as a female carrier test by conducting a blind trial on 150 coded samples. Sixty-three deletion carriers, two duplication carriers, and 84 normal female controls were all correctly identified, showing that carrier diagnosis is possible even in families where the nature of the mutation is unknown. Additionally the analysis showed a non-pathogenic duplication involving the muscle specific promoter and exon 1. Together these two multiplex assays detect over 70% of all mutations in the dystrophin gene, greatly simplifying and partly automating molecular diagnosis in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Deletions in the dystrophin gene give rise to both Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies. Good correlation is generally found between the severity of the phenotype and the effect of the deletion on the reading frame: deletions that disrupt the reading frame result in a severe phenotype, while in frame deletions are associated with a milder disease course. Rare exceptions to this rule, mainly owing to frameshift mutations in the 5' region of the gene (in particular deletions involving exons 3 to 7) which are associated with a milder than expected phenotype, have been reported previously. In order to characterise better the relationship between genotype and phenotype as a result of mutations arising in the 5' region of the gene, we have studied a large cohort of patients with small in frame and out of frame deletions in the first 13 exons of the dystrophin gene. Fifty-five patients with a deletion in this area were identified; approximately one third of them had a phenotype different from that theoretically expected. Patients were divided into two groups: (1) patients with a severe clinical phenotype despite the presence of a small, in frame deletion and (2) patients with a mild phenotype and an out of frame deletion. Noticeable examples observed in the first group were Duchenne boys with a deletion of exon 5, of exon 3, and of exons 3-13. In the second group we observed several patients with an intermediate or Becker phenotype and out of frame deletions involving not only the usual exons 3-7 but also 5-7 and 3-6. These data indicate that a high proportion of patients with a deletion in the 5' end of the gene have a phenotype that is not predictable on the basis of the effect of the deletion on the reading frame. The N-terminus of dystrophin has at least one actin binding domain that might be affected by the small, in frame deletions in this area. The effect of the in frame deletions of exon 3, 5, and 3-13 on this domain might account for the severe phenotype observed in these patients. Other mechanisms, such as unexpected effect of the deletion on splicing behaviour, might, however, also be implicated in determining the phenotype outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Females manifesting Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) are even more rarely observed than for the allelic condition Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The male proband has typical BMD with greatly raised CK activity and a myopathic muscle biopsy. His mother experienced walking difficulties from 35 years of age and has a myopathy with marked calf hypertrophy, a raised CK, and a myopathic muscle biopsy. Dystrophin analysis was undertaken on both the proband and his mother. Immunoblotting showed a protein of normal size but of reduced abundance in both. Immunocytochemical analysis in the proband indicated that the majority of the fibres showed weak dystrophin labelling and in his mother both dystrophin positive and dystrophin negative fibres were present. Non-random X inactivation at locus DXS255, was observed in DNA isolated from peripheral lymphocytes of the mother. Neither extended multiplex PCR performed on DNA from the proband nor analysis of lymphocyte derived mRNA showed a structural alteration in the dystrophin gene suggesting that an unusual mutation was responsible for BMD in this family. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A direct, non-radioactive method of quantitative PCR amplification has been investigated for the diagnosis of deletion and duplication carriers in the dystrophin gene. The simultaneous amplification of two loci, or several loci using multiplex PCR, allows for the direct comparison of relative amounts of products from normal homozygous loci and potentially heterozygous deleted/duplicated loci. Sufficient cycles of PCR are performed to enable visual analysis or densitometric quantification of products on ethidium bromide stained gels. The method has been verified in blind trials performed on known genotypes and by showing that under the conditions used the assay remains within the exponential phase of amplification. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Existing reactions for the multiplex PCR amplification of exons in the dystrophin gene have been modified to produce two multiplex reactions which separately cover the 5' and 3' major deletion 'hotspots' in the gene, and together detect approximately 98% of all deletions detectable by Southern cDNA hybridisation. A comparative study of 148 patients showed mistypings in both the cDNA hybridisation data (4%) and the PCR analysis (1.2%). We suggest means of circumventing the underlying problems in order to avoid mistyping and subsequent misdiagnosis, and conclude that, with appropriate precautions, multiplex PCR amplification can be the method of choice for detecting deletions in the dystrophin gene. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cloned cDNA sequences representing exons from the Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) gene were used for deletion screening in a population of 287 males males affected with DMD or BMD. The clinical phenotypes of affected boys were classified into three clinical severity groups based on the age at which ambulation was lost. Boys in group 1 had DMD, losing ambulation before their 13th birthday; those in group 2 had disease of intermediate severity, losing ambulation between the ages of 13 and 16 years; and boys in group 3 had BMD, being ambulant beyond 16 years. A fourth group consisted of patients too young to be classified. Clinical group allocation was made without previous knowledge of the DNA results. A gene deletion was found in 124 cases where the clinical severity group of the affected boy was known. The extent of the deletions was delineated using cDNA probes. There were 74 different deletions. Fifty-five of these were unique to individual patients, but the other 19 were found in at least two unrelated patients. The different clinical groups showed generally similar distributions of deletions, and the number of exon bands deleted (that is, deletion size) was independent of phenotype. Some specific deletion types, however, correlated with the clinical severity of the disease. Deletion of exons containing HindIII fragments 33 and 34 and 33 to 35 were associated with BMD and were not found in patients with DMD. Deletions 3 to 7 occurred in four patients with the intermediate phenotype and one patient with BMD. Other shared deletions were associated with DMD, although in four cases patients with disease of intermediate severity apparently shared the same deletion with boys with DMD. The range of phenotypes observed, and the overlap at the genetic level between severe and intermediate and mild and intermediate forms of dystrophy, emphasizes the essential continuity of the clinical spectrum of DMD/BMD. There were no characteristic deletions found in boys with mental retardation or short stature which differed from deletions in affected boys without these features. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

OBJECTIVE--To assess the efficiency, reliability, and ease of use of DNA diagnosis for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies (DMD/BMD) using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DESIGN--DNA from the patients was screened for deletion mutations using multiplex PCR, and the results were compared with those obtained by Southern blot analysis. The PCR multiplex reaction detects nine specific "hot-spot" exons in the dystrophin gene while the Southern analysis detects 66 specific dystrophin gene restriction fragments. The multiplex reaction requires 50-fold less DNA than Southern analysis and thus is considerably more sensitive. SETTING--Fourteen university-affiliated and private genetic disease diagnostic laboratories. PATIENTS--Male patients with clinical signs of DMD/BMD. Cases were selected for analysis randomly, without knowledge of whether a deletion was present within the dystrophin gene. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--The percentage of cases that were detectable by multiplex PCR in comparison with Southern analysis, the frequency, extent, and location of the detected deletion mutations. In some cases, duplication mutations were monitored. RESULTS--The accuracy of a single PCR multiplex amplification (nine exons) was compared with Southern analysis with 10 cDNA probes that cover the full length of the gene. The multiplex PCR analytic method detected 82% of those deletions detected by Southern analysis methods. In one of 745 analyses, the multiplex method suggested a single exon deletion, which was not confirmed by Southern analysis, representing a false-positive rate of 0.013%. CONCLUSIONS--Multiplex PCR represents a sensitive and accurate method for deletion detection of 46% of all cases of DMD/BMD. The method requires 1 day for analysis, is easy to perform, and does not use radioactive tracers. As such, multiplex PCR represents an efficient and rapid method for prenatal or postnatal diagnosis of DMD/BMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: X-linked myotubular myopathy is a predominantly severe congenital myopathy with central nuclei on muscle biopsy due to mutations in the MTM1 gene encoding myotubularin. We report a boy with typical features of X-linked myotubular myopathy. Sequencing of the MTM1 gene did not reveal any causative mutations. Subsequent MLPA analysis identified a duplication of MTM1 exon 10 both in the patient and his mother. Additional quantitative fluorescent PCR and long-range PCR revealed an additional large deletion (2536bp) within intron 10, 143bp downstream of exon 10, and confirmed the duplication of exon 10. Our findings suggest that complex rearrangements have to be considered in typically affected males with X-linked myotubular myopathy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: We report clinical safety and biochemical efficacy from a dose-ranging study of intravenously administered AVI-4658 phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.Method: We undertook an open-label, phase 2, dose-escalation study (0·5, 1·0, 2·0, 4·0, 10·0, and 20·0 mg/kg bodyweight) in ambulant patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged 5-15 years with amenable deletions in DMD. Participants had a muscle biopsy before starting treatment and after 12 weekly intravenous infusions of AVI-4658. The primary study objective was to assess safety and tolerability of AVI-4658. The secondary objectives were pharmacokinetic properties and the ability of AVI-4658 to induce exon 51 skipping and dystrophin restoration by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and immunoblotting. The study is registered, number NCT00844597.Findings: 19 patients took part in the study. AVI-4658 was well tolerated with no drug-related serious adverse events. AVI-4658 induced exon 51 skipping in all cohorts and new dystrophin protein expression in a significant dose-dependent (p=0·0203), but variable, manner in boys from cohort 3 (dose 2 mg/kg) onwards. Seven patients responded to treatment, in whom mean dystrophin fluorescence intensity increased from 8·9% (95% CI 7·1-10·6) to 16·4% (10·8-22·0) of normal control after treatment (p=0·0287). The three patients with the greatest responses to treatment had 21%, 15%, and 55% dystrophin-positive fibres after treatment and these findings were confirmed with western blot, which showed an increase after treatment of protein levels from 2% to 18%, from 0·9% to 17%, and from 0% to 7·7% of normal muscle, respectively. The dystrophin-associated proteins α-sarcoglycan and neuronal nitric oxide synthase were also restored at the sarcolemma. Analysis of the inflammatory infiltrate indicated a reduction of cytotoxic T cells in the post-treatment muscle biopsies in the two high-dose cohorts.Interpretation: The safety and biochemical efficacy that we present show the potential of AVI-4658 to become a disease-modifying drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.Funding: UK Medical Research Council; AVI BioPharma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Congenital myopathy with fibre type disproportion (CFTD) has been associated with mutations in ACTA1, SEPN1, RYR1 and TPM3 genes. We report the clinico-pathological and electrophysiological features of 2 unrelated cases with heterozygous TPM3 mutation. Case1 is a 19-year-old lady who presented with motor delay in infancy, respiratory failure in early teens requiring non-invasive ventilation despite being ambulant, ptosis, axial more than proximal weakness and scoliosis. Case 2 is a 7-year-old boy with hypotonia, feeding difficulties, motor delay and scoliosis, also requiring non-invasive ventilation while ambulant. Muscle biopsies in both cases showed fibre type disproportion. Muscle MRI (Case1) showed mild uniformly increased interstitial tissue in and around the muscles. Sequencing of TPM3 in case 1 revealed a previously described heterozygous c.503G>A(pArg168His) missense variant in exon 5 and a novel heterozygous missense mutation c.521A>C(pGlu174Ala), also in exon 5, in case 2. A mild abnormality in the single fibre EMG was documented on electrophysiology in both cases. These cases highlight the neuromuscular transmission defect in CFTD secondary to TPM3 mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Dystrophin mutations occurring at the 5′ end of the gene frequently behave as exceptions to the “frame rule,” their clinical severity being variable and often not related to the perturbation of the translation reading frame. The molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotypic variability of 5′ dystrophin mutations have not been fully clarified. We have characterized the genomic breakpoints within introns 2, 6 and 7 and identified the splicing profiles in a cohort of DMD/BMD patients with deletion of dystrophin exons 3–7, 3–6 and duplication of exons 2–4. Our findings indicate that the occurrence of intronic cryptic promoter as well as corrective splicing events are unlikely to play a role in exons 3–7 deleted patients phenotypic variability. Our data suggest that re-initiation of translation could represent a major mechanism responsible for the production of a residual dystrophin in some patients with exons 3–7 deletion. Furthermore, we observed that the out-of-frame exon 2a is almost constantly spliced into a proportion of the dystrophin transcripts in the analysed patients. In the exons 2–4 duplicated DMD patient, producing both in-frame and out-of-frame transcripts, this splicing behaviour might represent a critical factor contributing to the severe phenotype. In conclusion, we suggest that multiple mechanisms may have a role in modulating the outcome of 5′ dystrophin mutations, including recoding mechanisms and unusual splicing choices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Prenatal diagnosis for chromosome abnormality is routinely undertaken by full karyotype analysis of chromosomes from cultured cells; pregnant women must wait on average 13-14 days for their results. Autosomal trisomies, which account for around 80% of significant abnormalities, can be detected by quantitative fluorescence (QF) PCR. We report on the development and implementation of this technique as the first such routine service within a diagnostic department of the UK National Health Service (NHS). Methods: We designed a "one-tube test" comprising four primer pairs for polymorphic tetranucleotide repeat sequences on chromosome 21, four primer pairs for sequences on chromosome 18, three primer pairs for sequences on chromosome 13, and one primer pair to identify the sex chromosomes. All prenatal samples received by our NHS diagnostic department between April, 2000, and April, 2001, were tested. After DNA extraction, PCR amplification was done and the products separated on a capillary-based genetic analyser; the results were interpreted with dedicated software. Follow-up karyotype analysis was done on all samples. Findings: 1148 amniotic fluid samples, 188 chorionic villus samples, and 37 fetal tissue samples were tested; the amplification failure rate was zero with our current protocol. QF-PCR results were obtained and reported on 1314 (98%) of the prenatal samples; the remaining 22 (2%) were uninformative because of maternal-cell contamination. One case of mosaicism in a chorionic villus sample, and two cases indicating somatic expansion of a tetranucleotide repeat were found. No false positive or false negative results were obtained. The mean reporting time for the last 4 months of data collection was 1.25 working days. Interpretation: QF-PCR aneuploidy testing is an efficient and accurate technique for the detection of autosomal trisomies in prenatal samples. Implementation of this service has led to the rapid diagnosis of abnormalities and early reassurance for women with normal results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]