4. What is Muscular Dystrophy?
Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is a a group of inherited
genetic conditions that gradually cause muscle wasting
and leading to muscle weakness and motoric disability.
Definition
Muscular Dystrophy is a progressive condition. This
condition often begins by only affecting a particular group
of muscles, before affecting the muscles more widely.
NHS. Muscular Dystrophy. Cited on September 29th 2023 [https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/muscular-dystrophy]
5. The cause of Muscular Dystrophy
Etiology
Genes inherited
from a person's
parents
Changes of genes
structures
(Genes mutation)
Changes in the
muscle fibres
interfere with the
muscles' ability to
function and increase
disability.
NHS. Muscular Dystrophy. Cited on September 29th 2023 [https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/muscular-dystrophy]
6. TYPES OF MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY
Duchenne MD Becker MD
Fascioscapulahumeral MD
Emery-Dreifuss MD
Limb-girdle MD
Distal MD
Oculopharyngeal MD
A
B
C
D
E
F
Emery AE. The muscular dystrophies. The Lancet. 2002 Feb 23;359(9307):687-95.
Types
8. Duchenne MD is an X-Linked Disorder, caused by
mutations in DMD gene that eliminate the
production of dystrophin in muscle.
DMD prevent the production of the muscle
isoform of dystrophin (Dp427m).
Mutations in DMD can also cause Becker MD – a
milder disease with later onset and slower
progression than Duchenne.
ABOUT
Duchenne MD
Duan D, Goemans N, Takeda SI, Mercuri E, Aartsma-Rus A. Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 2021 Feb 18;7(1):13.
9. Mutations in DMD can also cause Becker MD – a milder disease
with later onset and slower progression than Duchenne.
Duan D, Goemans N, Takeda SI, Mercuri E, Aartsma-Rus A. Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 2021 Feb 18;7(1):13.
10. Overview: Muscle
● Myofiber: functional unit of muscle
● Sarcolemma: muscle cell membrane
● Sarcoplasm: cytoplasm of myofiber
● Sarcomere: contracting unit (actin-
containing thin filaments & myosin-
containing thick filaments)
● Costamere: sub-membranous, Z-line
associated structures found in striated
muscle
● Myofibril: protein to connect to the
sarcolemma along the Z-disks
Sarcolemma should firmly attached to the basal lamina, which consists of ECM proteins.
Failure to attach properly results in sarcolemmal disruption, which is the predominant underlying
cause of several forms of muscular dystrophies.
Rahimov F, Kunkel LM. Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying muscular dystrophy. Journal of Cell Biology. 2013 May 13;201(4):499-510.
11. CONCEPTS
Dystrophin is an intracellular, rod-shaped protein localized to the inner surface of the
sarcolemma with a high abundance at costameres.
1 Recessive, frameshifting deletions and duplications OR nonsense mutations
2 Complete loss of OR Expression of nonfunctional dystrophin in Myofibers
Duan D, Goemans N, Takeda SI, Mercuri E, Aartsma-Rus A. Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 2021 Feb 18;7(1):13.
12. CONCEPTS
The N terminal and a portion of the
middle rod domain interact with the
cytoskeletal filamentous actin (F-actin)
The C-terminal domain interacts with multiple
proteins to assemble the dystrophin-associated
protein complex (DAPC)
Duan D, Goemans N, Takeda SI, Mercuri E, Aartsma-Rus A. Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 2021 Feb 18;7(1):13.
13. CONCEPTS
The integrity of DAPC is crucial for the contracting myofiber to
withstand the mechanical stress and to prevent its fragile
sarcolemma.
Duan D, Goemans N, Takeda SI, Mercuri E, Aartsma-Rus A. Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 2021 Feb 18;7(1):13.
14. CONCEPTS
Muscle cells that lack of dystrophin become FRAGILE and EASILY DAMAGE,
resulting in muscle atrophies and leading to muscle weakness
Duan D, Goemans N, Takeda SI, Mercuri E, Aartsma-Rus A. Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 2021 Feb 18;7(1):13.
15. Pathophysiology of Duchenne MD
The France Foundation: Genes, Exons, and Pathophysiology of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Cited on September 29th 2023 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9H9syJXU4s]
16. Symptoms of Duchenne MD
Muscle weakness
Delayed motor milestones
Young males
(aged 2–4 years old)
the Gowers sign
Cognitive impairment and
speech delay
Duan D, Goemans N, Takeda SI, Mercuri E, Aartsma-Rus A. Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 2021 Feb 18;7(1):13.
17. How to Diagnose DUCHENNE MD
Screening for CK level
in plasma
Accurate genetic
diagnosis
Evaluating 79 DMD
exons using MLPA
or array CGH
Prenatal
screening
Non-invasive prenatal screening
(based on the analysis of cell-free
DNA in the maternal serum)
Newborn
screening
01
02
03
Duan D, Goemans N, Takeda SI, Mercuri E, Aartsma-Rus A. Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 2021 Feb 18;7(1):13.
Diagnose
18. Duchenne MD
Treatment
Multidisciplinary approach
Respiratory Care Cardiac Care
Orthopaedic Management Endocrinological
Neurodevelopmental and
Neuropsychological
Gastroenterological
Duan D, Goemans N, Takeda SI, Mercuri E, Aartsma-Rus A. Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 2021 Feb 18;7(1):13.
Treatment
Not all types of MD cause severe disability and many don't affect life expectancy.
Mutations in DMD can also cause Becker MD – a milder disease with later onset and slower progression than Duchenne.
In muscle, dystrophin links cytoskeletal F-actin with the extracellular matrix via its N-terminal and C-terminal domains. In DMD, frameshifting mutations (deletions or duplications that involve a number of nucleotides not divisible by three) or nonsense mutations (a point mutation where the code for a codon for an amino acid is changed into a stop codon) cause premature truncation of protein translation, leading to non-functional and unstable dystrophin. Nonsense-mediated decay does not seem to affect these dystrophin transcripts but epigenetic changes cause a reduction in transcript production4. By contrast, in BMD, mutations in the middle of the gene maintain the reading frame (deletions or duplications containing a number of nucleotides divisible by three) and allow the production of dystrophins with fewer spectrin-like repeats but that have both F-actin and extracellular matrix binding domains and are therefore partially functional (Fig. 1).
In muscle, dystrophin links cytoskeletal F-actin with the extracellular matrix via its N-terminal and C-terminal domains. In DMD, frameshifting mutations (deletions or duplications that involve a number of nucleotides not divisible by three) or nonsense mutations (a point mutation where the code for a codon for an amino acid is changed into a stop codon) cause premature truncation of protein translation, leading to non-functional and unstable dystrophin. Nonsense-mediated decay does not seem to affect these dystrophin transcripts but epigenetic changes cause a reduction in transcript production4. By contrast, in BMD, mutations in the middle of the gene maintain the reading frame (deletions or duplications containing a number of nucleotides divisible by three) and allow the production of dystrophins with fewer spectrin-like repeats but that have both F-actin and extracellular matrix binding domains and are therefore partially functional (Fig. 1).
DAPS is a group of proteins that span the sarcolemma of the skeletal and cardiac muscle. DAPC encompasses: (1) dystrophin, (2) intracellular (α1- and β1-syntrophin, α-dystrobrevin, and nNOS), (3) transmembrane (β-dystroglycan, α-, β-, γ-, and δ-sarcoglycan, and sarcospan), and (4) extracellular proteins (α-dystroglycan and laminin-2)
The integrity of DAPC is crucial for the contracting myofiber to withstand the mechanical stress (generated by sarcomeres) and to prevent its fragile sarcolemma (from contraction-induced injuries).
Gowers Sign (patients use their hands to ‘walk’ on their lower limbs when getting up from the floor to compensate for weakness in the upper leg and hip muscles)
Specific attention should be paid to the management of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychological disorders in patients with DMD34,146. Patients with DMD have a higher incidence of cognitive impairment, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder compared with the general population146. A referral for neuropsychological evaluations should be considered at diagnosis of DMD but is essential when concerns about developmental progress arise. Educational support may be required and will be driven by the results of neuropsychological tests, which are increasingly performed as part of routine care. The treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or other behavioural or psychiatric problems is based on the symptoms and follows guidelines for the treatment of these disorders in the general population. Further research to improve the knowledge of these manifestations of DMD and to provide guidelines to identify, monitor and treat these manifestations is crucial as they have a major effect on functioning and QOL of both patients and their families.Corticosteroid Over 6 to 18 months of treatment, indicating that prednisone has a beneficial effect on muscle strength and function in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and recommended that corticosteroids be offered (prednisone 0.75 mg/kg/d and deflazacort 0.9 mg/kg/d) as treatment. indicates that long-term corticosteroid therapy (1) prolongs ambulation by 2 to 5 years, (2) reduces the need for spinal stabilization surgery, (3) improves cardiopulmonary function, (4) delays the need for noninvasive nasal ventilation, and (5) increases survival and the quality of life of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.