Novel Mutations of the GNE Gene in Distal Myopathy with Rimmed Vacuoles Presenting with Very Slow Progression

GNE myopathy caused by a synonymous mutation leading to aberrant mRNA splicing

GNE myopathy is a rare autosomal recessive myopathy caused by bi-allelic mutations in GNE. We report the case of a 36-year-old man who presented with typical clinical and pathological features of GNE myopathy including distal dominant muscle weakness from the age of 29 and numerous rimmed vacuoles on muscle biopsy. Targeted next-generation sequencing revealed a novel synonymous mutation, c.1500A>G (p.G500=), together with a common Japanese mutation c.620A>T (p.D207V). The cDNA analysis of the biopsied muscle revealed that this synonymous mutation creates a cryptic splice donor site that causes aberrant splicing. This report will expand our understanding of the genetic heterogeneity of GNE myopathy emphasizing the importance of interpreting synonymous variants in genetic testing.

Clinical and Electrophysiological Findings in Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy Compared With Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis

OBJECTIVE

To compare the clinical and electrophysiological findings in hereditary inclusion body myopathy (hIBM) and sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified 8 genetically proven hIBM patients and 1 DNAJB6 myopathy with pathological features of hIBM, and compared their clinical, electromyographic, and serological data with a group of 51 pathologically proven sIBM patients.

RESULTS

hIBM patients had a younger mean age of onset (36 vs. 60 years, P = 0.0001). Diagnostic delay was shorter in sIBM (6 vs. 15 years, P = 0.0003). Wrist flexors (P = 0.02), digit flexors (P = 0.01), digit extensors (P = 0.02), and quadriceps (P = 0.008) muscles were more frequently affected in sIBM. Fibrillation potentials were more common in sIBM patients (P = 0.03). Electrical myotonia was found in 4 hIBM patients, not significantly different from sIBM patients (P = 0.45). Creatinine kinase was higher in sIBM patients (799 vs 232, P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

sIBM and hIBM seem to have similar electromyographic changes. The combination of clinical, serological, and histopathological findings can guide genetic testing to the final diagnosis.

Novel Pathogenic Variants in a French Cohort Widen the Mutational Spectrum of GNE Myopathy

Background: GNE myopathy is a rare autosomal recessively inherited muscle disease resulting from mutations in the gene encoding GNE (UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase), a key enzyme in sialic acid biosynthesis. 154 different pathogenic variants have been previously associated with GNE myopathy.

Objective: Describe novel pathogenic variants associated with GNE myopathy in a large French cohort.

Methods: We analyzed mutational data from 32 GNE myopathy index patients. Novel, as well as previously published pathogenic variants, were examined for possible deleterious effects on splicing.

Results: We describe 13 novel pathogenic variants in GNE, identified in the first large French cohort reported to date. We also find that 6 published pathogenic variants might have a previously unrecognized deleterious effect on splicing.

Conclusions: Novel pathogenic GNE variants described here raise the total number of different pathogenic variants reported to 167, complementing the recently published GNE mutation update. Our novel findings on possible splice-disrupting effects by several variants suggest that the pathogenicity mechanism of these variants could be reinterpreted, expanding our knowledge about the GNE mutational spectrum.

Three novel serum biomarkers, miR-1, miR-133a, and miR-206 for Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, and Becker muscular dystrophy

OBJECTIVES

Muscular dystrophies are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of inherited myogenic disorders. In clinical tests for these diseases, creatine kinase (CK) is generally used as diagnostic blood-based biomarker. However, because CK levels can be altered by various other factors, such as vigorous exercise, etc., false positive is observed. Therefore, three microRNAs (miRNAs), miR-1, miR-133a, and miR-206, were previously reported as alternative biomarkers for duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, no alternative biomarkers have been established for the other muscular dystrophies.

METHODS

We, therefore, evaluated whether these miR-1, miR-133a, and miR-206 can be used as powerful biomarkers using the serum from muscular dystrophy patients including DMD, myotonic dystrophy 1 (DM1), limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), and distal myopathy with rimmed vacuoles (DMRV) by qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification assay.

RESULTS

Statistical analysis indicated that all these miRNA levels in serum represented no significant differences between all muscle disorders examined in this study and controls by Bonferroni correction. However, some of these indicated significant differences without correction for testing multiple diseases (P < 0.05). The median values of miR-1 levels in the serum of patients with LGMD, FSHD, and BMD were approximately 5.5, 3.3 and 1.7 compared to that in controls, 0.68, respectively. Similarly, those of miR-133a and miR-206 levels in the serum of BMD patients were about 2.5 and 2.1 compared to those in controls, 1.03 and 1.32, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our data demonstrate that levels of miR-1, miR-133a, and miR-206 in serum of BMD and miR-1 in sera of LGMD and FSHD patients showed no significant differences compared with those of controls by Bonferroni correction. However, the results might need increase in sample sizes to evaluate these three miRNAs as variable biomarkers.

Mutation profile of the GNE gene in Japanese patients with distal myopathy with rimmed vacuoles (GNE myopathy)

BACKGROUND

GNE myopathy (also called distal myopathy with rimmed vacuoles or hereditary inclusion body myopathy) is an autosomal recessive myopathy characterised by skeletal muscle atrophy and weakness that preferentially involve the distal muscles. It is caused by mutations in the gene encoding a key enzyme in sialic acid biosynthesis, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase (GNE).

METHODS

We analysed the GNE gene in 212 Japanese GNE myopathy patients. A retrospective medical record review was carried out to explore genotype-phenotype correlation.

RESULTS

Sixty-three different mutations including 25 novel mutations were identified: 50 missense mutations, 2 nonsense mutations, 1 insertion, 4 deletions, 5 intronic mutations and 1 single exon deletion. The most frequent mutation in the Japanese population is c.1714G>C (p.Val572Leu), which accounts for 48.3% of total alleles. Homozygosity for this mutation results in more severe phenotypes with earlier onset and faster progression of the disease. In contrast, the second most common mutation, c.527A>T (p.Asp176Val), seems to be a mild mutation as the onset of the disease is much later in the compound heterozygotes with this mutation and c.1714G>C than the patients homozygous for c.1714G>C. Although the allele frequency is 22.4%, there are only three homozygotes for c.527A>T, raising a possibility that a significant number of c.527A>T homozygotes may not develop an apparent disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Here, we report the mutation profile of the GNE gene in 212 Japanese GNE myopathy patients, which is the largest single-ethnic cohort for this ultra-orphan disease. We confirmed the clinical difference between mutation groups. However, we should note that the statistical summary cannot predict clinical course of every patient.