1. A 20-year Clinical and Genetic Neuromuscular Cohort Analysis in Lebanon: An International Effort
- Author
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Andre Megarbane, Sami Bizzari, Asha Deepthi, Sandra Sabbagh, Hicham Mansour, Eliane Chouery, Ghassan Hmaimess, Rosette Jabbour, Cybel Mehawej, Saada Alame, Abeer Hani, Dana Hasbini, Ismat Ghanem, Salam Koussa, Mahmoud Taleb Al-Ali, Marc Obeid, Diana Bou Talea, Gerard Lefranc, Nicolas Lévy, France Leturcq, Stephany El Hayek, Valérie Delague, J. Andoni Urtizberea, Human Genetics Department [LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine], Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine [Lebanese American University], Lebanese American University (LAU)-Lebanese American University (LAU), Institut Jérôme Lejeune, Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS), Hôtel-Dieu de France (HDF), Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (USJ), Saint George Hospital University Medical Center [UOB LIBAN], University of Balamand [Liban] (UOB), Lebanese University [Beirut] (LU), Lebanese American University (LAU), Neuropediatrics Department [Beirut, Lebanon], Rafic Hariri University Hospital [Beirut, Lebanon], Department of Neurology, Lebanese University Hospital-Geitaoui, Department of Laboratory Science and Technology, American University of Science and Technology (AUST), Institut de génétique humaine (IGH), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM), Marseille medical genetics - Centre de génétique médicale de Marseille (MMG), Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Hôpital de la Timone [CHU - APHM] (TIMONE), Service de biochimie et de génétique moléculaire [CHU Cochin], Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Hôpital Cochin [AP-HP], Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP), Institut de Myologie, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) (AP-HP)-Association française contre les myopathies (AFM-Téléthon)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Gestionnaire, Hal Sorbonne Université
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Population ,Disease ,[SDV.GEN] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics ,Muscular Dystrophies ,Muscular Atrophy, Spinal ,Young Adult ,Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease ,DMD ,medicine ,Genetics ,Humans ,SMA ,[SDV.NEU] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC] ,Muscular dystrophy ,Lebanon ,Motor Neuron Disease ,education ,Child ,Retrospective Studies ,education.field_of_study ,FSHD ,[SDV.GEN]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics ,business.industry ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,CMT ,Infant ,Spinal muscular atrophy ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,LGMD ,Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne ,Neurology ,Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle ,Child, Preschool ,Cohort ,[SDV.NEU]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC] ,Female ,Neurology (clinical) ,neuromuscular ,business ,Cohort study ,Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy - Abstract
Background: Clinical and molecular data on the occurrence and frequency of inherited neuromuscular disorders (NMD) in the Lebanese population is scarce. Objective: This study aims to provide a retrospective overview of hereditary NMDs based on our clinical consultations in Lebanon. Methods: Clinical and molecular data of patients referred to a multi-disciplinary consultation for neuromuscular disorders over a 20-year period (1999–2019) was reviewed. Results: A total of 506 patients were diagnosed with 62 different disorders encompassing 10 classes of NMDs. 103 variants in 49 genes were identified. In this cohort, 81.4% of patients were diagnosed with motor neuron diseases and muscular dystrophies, with almost half of these described with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) (40.3% of patients). We estimate a high SMA incidence of 1 in 7,500 births in Lebanon. Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy were the second most frequently diagnosed NMDs (17% of patients). These disorders were associated with the highest number of variants (39) identified in this study. A highly heterogeneous presentation of Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease was notably identified. The least common disorders (5.5% of patients) involved congenital, metabolic, and mitochondrial myopathies, congenital myasthenic syndromes, and myotonic dystrophies. A review of the literature for selected NMDs in Lebanon is provided. Conclusions: Our study indicates a high prevalence and underreporting of heterogeneous forms of NMDs in Lebanon- a major challenge with many novel NMD treatments in the pipeline. This report calls for a regional NMD patient registry.
- Published
- 2021