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Diaphragmatic spinal muscular atrophy with bulbar weakness.

We present the clinical and histopathological features of a child affected by diaphragmatic spinal muscular atrophy. The child was born with mild distal arthrogryposis, mild hypotonia and developed marked diaphragmatic and bulbar muscle weakness in the first week of life. Electrophysiological and pathological investigations performed at presentation were not conclusive, while the investigations performed at 3 months showed a clear neurogenic picture. Genetic studies excluded involvement of the SMN gene, or of other genes located on chromosome 5q, confirming that this syndrome represents a different entity from typical proximal spinal muscular atrophy.

Bulbar Palsy, Progressive↗

X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy without proximal atrophy.

We report on a case of genetically proven X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (X-SBMA) with prominent distal muscle atrophy and without proximal muscle involvement. The patient was a 35-year-old man who had a history of slow progressive hand and distal leg muscle weakness and wasting for 10 years. Motor nerve conduction velocities were normal with reduced compound muscle action potential amplitudes of hand and foot muscles. Sensory action potential amplitudes were small. Needle EMG revealed a chronic partial denervation with reduced interference in hand and distal leg muscles but with normal heading in all tested proximal muscles. Genetic studied showed an expansion of CAG repeat in the first exon of the androgen receptor gene, which suggests diagnosis of X-SBMA. The importance of genetic studies in this patient with unusual clinical presentation is emphasized.

Adult↗

Radioprotection by WR-151327 against the late normal tissue damage in mouse hind legs from gamma ray radiation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the protective effect of WR-151327 on late radiation-induced damage to normal tissues in mice. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The right hind legs of mice with or without WR-151327 administration (400 mg/kg) were irradiated with 137Cs gamma rays. Leg contracture and skin shrinkage assays were performed at 380 days after irradiation. The mice were killed on day 400 postirradiation and histological sections of the legs were made. The thickness of the dermis, epidermis, and skin (dermis plus epidermis) was measured. The muscular area of the legs and the posterior knee angle between the femur and tibia were also measured. The left hind legs were similarly assessed as nonirradiated controls. Group means and standard deviations were calculated and dose-response curves were drawn for every endpoint. Then, the dose modifying factor (DMF) for each endpoint and the correlations among endpoints were determined. RESULTS: Late damage assayed by leg contracture and skin shrinkage progressed with increasing radiation dose. However, it was reduced by drug treatment. The significant effect was indicated for skin shrinkage by a DMF of 1.8 at 35%. The DMF for leg contracture was 1.3 at 6 mm. In the irradiated legs, epidermal hyperplasia and dermal fibrosis in the skin, muscular atrophy, and extension disturbance of the knee joint were observed. These changes progressed with increasing radiation dose. Skin damage assayed by the present endpoints was also reduced by drug treatment by DMFs of 1.4 to 1.7. However, DMFs for damage to the muscle and knee were not determined because no isoeffect was observed. There were good correlations between leg contracture or skin shrinkage and the other endpoints in both untreated and drug-treated mice. CONCLUSIONS: WR-151327 has the potential to protect against radiation-induced late normal tissue damage.

Animals↗

Survival motor neuron (SMN) protein in rat is expressed as different molecular forms and is developmentally regulated.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by a progressive degeneration of motoneurons in spinal cord and brainstem. The telomeric copy of a duplicated gene termed survival motor neuron (smn), which maps to chromosome 5q13, has been found to be deleted in most patients. The encoded gene product is a novel protein which recently has been shown to accumulate in specific nuclear organelles (gemini of coiled bodies, GEMS), and to play a part in the formation of the spliceosome complex. We have cloned and sequenced the rat smn cDNA. Antibodies generated against an N-terminus peptide recognized a main protein of 32 kDa in immunoblots of rat embryonic tissue extracts. Minor bands of 35 kDa, 45 kDa and, in perinatal muscle, of 24 kDa were also specifically detected, indicating that SMN is expressed as different molecular forms. Subcellular fractionation indicated that the 32 kDa form is mainly soluble, while the 35 kDa and 45 kDa products segregate to the microsomal-mitochondrial fraction. SMN protein is highly regulated during development: expression is high in embryonic tissues (central nervous system, muscle, lung and liver), and then progressively decreases to very low levels in most tissues of the adult. The demonstration of different molecular forms of SMN along with its developmental regulation may help to understand the contribution of this protein in the appearance of SMA phenotype.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy with diffuse and massive peripheral nerve hypertrophy: distinctive clinical and magnetic resonance imaging features.

We present 3 patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) with extensive and diffuse hypertrophy of the nerve roots and peripheral nerves. They exhibited slowly progressive sensory impairment and distally predominant limb weakness and muscular atrophy, and markedly enlarged palpable nerve trunks. They responded beneficially to corticosteroid. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated diffuse and extensive hypertrophy of the peripheral nerves in the four limbs and the spinal nerve roots, with gadolinium enhancement in the nerve roots but not in the peripheral nerves. These patients were considered to have a hypertrophic variant of CIDP.

Aged↗

Real-time ultrasonography in neuromuscular problems in children.

Ultrasound imaging of 20 cases of progressive muscular dystrophy and 10 cases of suspected infantile spinal muscular atrophy in children was performed by us, as a double-blind plot study matched against 25 controls. Open muscle biopsy was restricted to the muscular dystrophy group. The ultrasonographic findings were correlated with parameters such as functional disability of muscle and muscle biopsy features in the dystrophy group. It was interesting to observe that the muscle echogram was abnormal in both types of neuromuscular problems, the controls giving a normal muscle echogram. Ultrasonography was helpful in detection of unequivocal changes in our cases with mild clinical disability. It had a close correlation with changes in gross muscle architecture, as seen on muscle biopsy.

Adolescent↗

Gracile axonal dystrophy (GAD), a new neurological mutant in the mouse.

A new neurological mutant has been found in the F2 offspring of CBA/Nga and RFM/Nga mice. Affected mice exhibited ataxia beginning at about 80 days of age, followed by tremor, difficulty in moving, and muscular atrophy of the hind limbs. The neurological signs became progressively severe, and death occurred by 5 to 6 months of age. Since the animals could be distinguished from normal mice by the abnormal positions of the hind limbs when the mouse was hung by the tail after 1 month of age, they could be bred until onset of the signs. Pathological examination revealed neuroaxonal dystrophy and degeneration in the gracile nucleus of the medulla oblongata and the gracile fascicules of the spinal cord, which could be the main cause of the clinical signs. The mutation is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. It was, therefore, named gracile axonal dystrophy (GAD) with the gene symbol gad. The mice could be a new pathological model for the study of neuroaxonal dystrophy.

Animals↗

Anterior-horn cell degeneration and gross calf hypertrophy with adolescent onset. A new spinal muscular atrophy syndrome.

A new variant of spinal muscular atrophy (S.M.A.), characterised by adolescent onset, gross hypertrophy of calves, and a slowly progressive clinical course, was found in 5 patients, 3 of them in a series of 102 cases being studied in North-East England. Biopsy and electrophysiological studies indicated the presence of chronic progressive degeneration of anterior-horn cells.

Adolescent↗

[Cervical collar therapy for juvenile muscular atrophy of distal upper extremity (Hirayama disease): results from 38 cases].

BACKGROUND: Juvenile muscular atrophy of distal upper extremity is a peculiar type of cervical myelopathy affecting young people characterized by localized amyotrophy in the forearm and hand that is initially progressive, and then stabilized in a few years. The anterior horn cell damage may be induced by forward displacement of the lower cervical dural sac and spinal cord on neck flexion. We proposed that the forward displacement was one of pathogenic factors, and reported that therapeutic intervention using a cervical collar in order to minimize neck flexion halted the progressive weakness in some patients. OBJECTIVE: To examine effectiveness of cervical collar treatment for this disease and to investigate clinical and radiological profiles that predict a favorable outcome before treatment. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients who had progressive illness within 5 years after onset underwent cervical collar therapy (treatment group). Forty-five patients in a previous case series without any therapeutic intervention made up a control group. The duration of progressive phase of illness was compared between the two groups. In the treatment group, the time interval from onset and the measurements of cervical cord atrophy and its flattening on neck flexion at the introduction of treatment by CT-myelography or MRI were analyzed with respect to prognosis. RESULTS: All the patients in the treatment group showed no further progression after introduction of treatment. The duration of the progressive period was shorter in the treatment group (mean 1.8 +/- 1.2 years) than in the control group (mean 3.2 +/- 2.3 years) (p < 0.005). In the treatment group, 15 of 31 patients within 2.5 years after the onset showed not only stabilization but also improvement of muscular weakness or cold paresis. Five of 7 patients who had no or mild cord atrophy at the introduction showed improvement after treatment. CONCLUSION: Cervical collar therapy induces a premature arrest of this disease. Improvement is expected in patients who have shorter duration of illness and have mild cord atrophy in a neutral neck position. Early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention may minimize the functional disability of young patients.

Adolescent↗

Extracardiac vascular and neural lesions in the toxic oil syndrome.

The toxic oil syndrome is a multisystemic disease caused by the ingestion of adulterated rapeseed oil. The basic lesion is a peculiar vasculitis that affects mainly the intima, showing the features of an endovasculitis. Vessels of every type and size are involved, affecting practically every organ. The vascular lesions begins with endothelial damage that varies from cellular swelling to cellular necrosis. It then progresses by mixed cellular inflammatory infiltration of the intima and, in some cases, of the media and adventitia. In some cases the infiltrate is rich in eosinophils and a few show foamy histiocytes. Proliferation of myointimal cells and in advanced stages fibroblastic proliferation causes narrowing or obliteration of the vascular lumen. Thromboembolic complications perpetuate the vascular lesion and compound the ischemia and parenchymal atrophy of several organs. The peripheral nerve lesions begin with an inflammatory neuropathy with lymphocytic perineuritis and progress to perineural fibrosis with secondary axonal degeneration. Skeletal muscle lesions exhibit an interstitial inflammatory myopathy at first, followed by a neurogenic muscular atrophy. A direct effect of unidentified toxic substances, possibly free radicals, may cause the endothelial lesion. Other factors, such as immunopathologic mechanisms of delayed hypersensitivity, may contribute to the progression of the vascular lesions.

Brassica↗

Severe childhood muscular dystrophy affecting both sexes and frequent in Tunisia.

The authors reported a large study of 93 children presenting a severe form of progressive muscular dystrophy. The first clinical symptoms were noticed between 3 to 12 years. The atrophy affects, predominantly, the girdle and truncal muscles. The hypertrophy of the calves is almost consistent. The progression of the disease is severe, often like that the Duchenne type. In most of the cases, inability to walk occurs between 10 and 20 years. The serum creatine kinase activity is markedly high in the first stages of the disease. There is a necrotic regenerative pattern at muscle biopsy, associated with a marked type 1 predominance. The disease appears to be inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, with equal distribution among the two sexes. There is a marked variability in the intensity of symptoms and in the severity of the course of the disease from one sibling to another, and from one family to another. This disease is frequent in Tunisia and seems to be related to the high degree of consanguinity in this country.

Adolescent↗

[Neurodegenerative diseases of the spinal cord].

Numerous classifications have been applied to describe degenerative diseases of the spinal cord before the era of molecular analysis. The present challenge is to match in an appropriate manner old and new clinical classifications with the results of genetic analysis. This work is now well advanced for spinocerebellar degeneration but needs to be developed for hereditary spastic paraplegia, spinal muscular atrophies and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The widening of clinical spectrum observed in hereditary neurodegenerative diseases of the spinal cord raises the question of modulating factors (environmental or genetic). Clinicians in charge of patients with progressive spinal cord signs should bear in mind that the field of degenerative diseases is a moving one and that a degenerative aetiology has to be suspected more widely than in the past.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗

[Facial hemiatrophy (Parry-Romberg syndrome)].

Three cases of a rare and little studied disease which is characterized by progressive atrophy of the tissues of one half of the face. The muscular layer gets injured to a less extent. Dysembryogenesis underlies the disease while the hypothalamic formations are primarily damaged. The animal nervous system does not experience gross changes. The cases described may be referred to the idiopathic form of the syndrome. In one of the cases, the process progressed to the transition to the hand and body, in the other two ones, the process was combined with vegetovascular dystonia. All the patients were examined for the status of the vegetative nervous system according to the evoked cutaneous sympathetic potentials, the time of the pupillary cycle and the cardiovascular tests. The data obtained failed to reveal any lesions of the peripheral vegetative nervous system, which is likely to point to the interest of the suprasegmental vegetative structures.

Adult↗