Exercise intolerance due to a nonsense mutation in the mtDNA ND4 gene.

We report the first molecular defect in an NADH-dehydrogenase gene presenting as isolated myopathy. The proband had lifelong exercise intolerance but no weakness. A muscle biopsy showed cytochrome c oxidase (COX)-positive ragged-red fibers (RRFs), and analysis of the mitochondrial enzymes revealed complex I deficiency. Sequence analysis of the mitochondrial genes encoding the seven NADH-dehydrogenase subunits showed a G-to-A transition at nucleotide 11832 in the subunit 4 (ND4) gene, which changed an encoded tryptophan to a stop codon. The mutation was heteroplasmic (54%) in muscle DNA. Defects in mitochondrially encoded complex I subunits should be added to the differential diagnosis of mitochondrial myopathies.     

Overexpressions of myoglobin and antioxidant enzymes in ragged-red fibers of skeletal muscle from patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy

To determine the relationship between myoglobin (Mb) and the defense system against reactive oxygen species in various myopathies, we performed immunohistochemical analyses of Mb and various antioxidant enzymes, including manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), copper zinc SOD (CuZn-SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Biopsied muscle specimens were obtained from patients with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO), Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and polymyositis (PM). In patients with CPEO/KSS, stainings of Mb, SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px in nonatrophic ragged-red fibers (RRFs) were more intense than those in non-RRFs. These pronounced stainings corresponded to ragged-red lesions. The staining intensities of these antioxidant enzymes were significantly correlated with that of Mb (P < 0.001). Atrophic RRFs in specimens from patients with CPEO/KSS showed intense stainings of these antioxidant enzymes but not intense staining of Mb. In specimens from patients with DMD/PM, the antioxidant enzymes but not Mb were overexpressed in degenerative fibers. These results suggest that oxidative stress is associated with Mb expression specifically in mitochondrial diseases. The antioxidant enzymes seem to be upregulated to protect against muscle damage in nonatrophic RRFs. However, the Mb-mediated oxidative damage may become more extensive and result in further mitochondrial dysfunction and progressive atrophy of RRF with impaired upregulation of Mb.     

Mitochondrial damage in patients with long-term corticosteroid therapy: development of oculoskeletal symptoms similar to mitochondrial disease

Two patients with long-term corticosteroid administration sporadically developed limb muscle wasting followed by ophthalmoplegia, and the skeletal muscle pathology revealed ragged-red fibers (RRFs) with abnormal mitochondria, in addition to the findings of corticosteroid myopathy. The oculoskeletal symptoms of the present cases resemble those of chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia, a type of mitochondrial disease. The ocular muscles have more RRFs than limb muscles, and large multiple deletions of mitochondrial DNA was detected in ocular and limb muscles of the two patients by PCR but not by Southern blotting. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal were intensely stained in skeletal muscles of these patients particularly in RRFs. High-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection analysis revealed an increase in 8-OH-dG from mitochondrial DNA. These findings may suggest that long-term corticosteroid administration potentially induces oxidative stress-mediated mitochondrial damage, resulting in the development of the oculoskeletal symptoms in some patients.     

Congenital or late-onset myopathy in patients with the T14709C mtDNA mutation

Three patients with different clinical phenotypes harbored the same point mutation at nucleotide 14709 (T14709C) in the tRNAGlu gene of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The first patient was a 21-month-old child with severe congenital myopathy, respiratory distress and mild mental retardation. Muscle biopsy showed about 12% cytochrome c oxidase (COX)-negative ragged-red fibers (RRFs), and markedly decreased activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, III and IV. The other two patients were 51- and 55-year-old siblings with slowly progressive myopathy and diabetes mellitus. Muscle biopsy showed focal COX-negative RRFs and decreased activities of complexes I, III and IV. In all three patients, the T14709C mutation was abundant in muscle but present at lower levels in accessible tissues. Previously described patients with the same mutation also showed congenital or late-onset myopathy. Diabetes is frequently associated with both phenotypes and is a clinical clue to the molecular diagnosis.     

Mitochondrial dysfunction with myoclonus epilepsy and ragged-red fibers point mutation in nerve,muscle, and adipose tissue of a patient with multiple isymmetric lipomatosis

We report a 64-year-old man presenting with multiple symmetric lipomatosis (MSL) and mitochondrial encephalomyoneuropathy. The diagnosis of a mitochondrial cytopathy was based on the typical clinical symptoms and signs, including chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia, hearing impairment, cerebellar ataxia, proximal myopathy, and polyneuropathy, and on molecular genetic and histological examinations. As a unique finding, the A → G⁽⁸³⁴⁴⁾ myoclonus epilepsy and ragged-red fibers point mutation was found in peripheral nerve, muscle, and adipose tissue. Muscle biopsy revealed multiple ragged-red fibers and other morphological signs of a mitochondrial myopathy. Sural nerve biopsy demonstrated a mixed axonal and demyelinating neuropathy with extensive loss of myelinated fibers and conspicuous onion bulb formations, as well as structural mitochondrial abnormalities on electron microscopy. These findings clearly demonstrate mitochondrial dysfunction in muscle, adipose tissue, and for the first time also in nervous tissue of an MSL patient, and strongly support the concept of mitochondrial cytopathy as one of the possible causes of multiple symmetric lipomatosis. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 20: 833–839, 1997     

Vascular pathology in chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia with ragged-red fibers]

Vascular involvement in biopsied muscle specimens from 11 patients with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO) with ragged-red fibers (RRF) was studied. Almost none of 69 intramuscular arteries examined were strongly stained with succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) except one patient who had 2 SSV (strongly SDH-reactive blood vessels) in his muscle biopsy. Although RRF and focal cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) deficiency in muscle fibers were the common histochemical changes in muscle biopsy specimens from CPEO patients, all mitochondria in both endothelial and smooth muscle cells of the arteries had normal morphology except for the two SSV and all mitochondria in the blood vessels had normal CCO activity by electron cytochemistry. The findings obtained from the present study were quite different from those in mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), and myoclonus epilepsy associated with ragged-red fibers (MERRF) in which the striking vascular involvement with SSV is the most common and major abnormality in muscle biopsy specimens. To study vascular involvement in mitochondrial encephalomyopathies is the one of very important clues to understand the pathophysiology of phenotypic expressions in mitochondrial encephalomyopathies.     

Multiple mitochondrial DNA deletions in a patient with mitochondrial myopathy and cardiomyopathy but no ophthalmoplegia

Deletions of muscle mitochondrial DNA are known in mitochondrial myopathy patients who have chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO). A 41-year-old patient with no apparent family history of this condition suffers from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, slight muscle atrophy, and weakness of the extremities, but not from CPEO. A muscle biopsy showed the presence of ragged-red fibers, and Southern blot analysis disclosed multiple deletions of muscle mitochondrial DNA. This combination of clinical features in our patient is atypical in mitochondrial myopathy with demonstrable deleted muscle mitochondrial DNA. Pleomorphic clinical expression is suggested. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Apoptosis-related changes in skeletal muscles of patients with mitochondrial diseases

Much interest has recently been shown in apoptosis-mediated roles in the pathophysiology of mitochondrial diseases, because mitochondrial defects are implicated in a wide variety of degenerative diseases. We investigated whether apoptotic events occurred in skeletal muscles of patients with mitochondrial diseases, including chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO), Kearns-Sayer syndrome (KSS), and mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). In a immunohistochemical study, stainings for 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), 4-hydroxy-nonenal (4-HNE), Mn-SOD, Bcl-2, cytochrome c, DNase I and Bcl-x L showed a pronounced granular distribution in the cytochrome c oxidase (COX)-negative ragged-red fibers (RRFs). On the other hand, the signals for Bax, p53, Fas and caspase 3 were not obviously increased in RRFs. In situ labeling of DNA breaks demonstrated preferential signals not only in myonuclei but also in subsarcolemmal regions of RRFs, indicating that mitochondrial as well as myonuclear DNA is fragmented in RRFs. An immunoblotting study demonstrated that cytochrome c was increased in the cytosol of diseased muscles and that DNase I was increased in mitochondria, compared to that of normal muscles. No difference was observed between protein bands at 20 kDa corresponding to caspase 3 in diseased and normal muscles. These findings demonstrate that these mitochondrial diseases harbor unique apoptosis-related changes that differ from caspase 3-dependent apoptosis. It is thought that these changes are induced by superoxide overproduction and cytochrome c release resulting from an inherent mitochondrial defect and that the events are associated with DNase I activation.     

A study of mitochondrial electron transfer chain in myotonic dystrophy

Ragged-red fibers (RRFs) are mainly seen in mitochondrial myopathy and related to biochemical defects in electron transfer chain on some occasions. Recently, some papers reported the occurrence of RRFs in the biopsied muscle of myotonic dystrophy (MyD). To examine whether the mitochondrial function is disturbed in MyD, we have studied the biopsied muscles of 12 cases with MyD (10 males and 2 females averaging 38 years of age) morphologically and mainly biochemically. RRFs, ranging from 2--20% of the muscle fibers, were identified in 5 out of 12 cases. On electron microscopy, these fibers had aggregated abnormally enlarged mitochondria with dene bodies, concentrically whirled membranous cristae and paracrystalline inclusions. Clinically, 4 of 5 cases with RRFs had mild to moderate and only 2 of 7 without RRFs had ophthalmoplegia. Bicycle ergometer exercise test showed abnormal increase of lactate/pyruvate ratio in three cases with RRFs. Histochemically, cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) activity was absent selectively in all of the RRFs. Immunohistochemical staining showed the presence of CCO protein by using monoclonal antibody which was specific to CCO subunit IV. Biochemical study with crude muscle extract of 11 cases of MyD showed decreases in NADH dehydrogenase, NADH CoQ reductase, succinate CoQ reductase (SCR), CCO, carnitine actyl transferase activities in most of cases regardless RRFs. To avoid the influence possibly derived from the various stages of muscle degeneration in the biopsied specimens, we calculated the ratio of the enzyme activities compared with succinate dehydrogenase which was located in the electron transfer chain and did not show any statistical difference regardless of RRFs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Familial mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with deaf-mutism, ophthalmoplegia and leukodvstrophy.

We report two sisters (32 and 36 years old) with familial deaf-mutism, progressive external ophthalmoplegia, leukodystrophy and mitochondrial myopathy. T2-weighted brain MRI demonstrated diffuse symmetrical high intensity areas in the white matter. Their muscle biopsies showed ragged-red fibers and cytochrome c oxidase (CCO)-negative fibers. CCO activity in biopsied muscle decreased to about 20% of normal control. They had no deletions of the mitochondrial DNA and no point mutations in mitochondrial tRNA. Their brother was diagnosed as having Kugelberg-Welander disease, grand mal seizures and urinary dysfunction. Their parents and grandparents had consanguinity. Three relatives were found to have deaf-mutism without accompanying ophthalmoplegia. This rare combination of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy and familial deaf-mutism might be caused by a nuclear DNA mutation in these sisters.     

Adult-onset chorea and mitochondrial cytopathy.

We report on 2 adult patients presenting with choreic movements as the main clinical feature of mitochondrial cytopathy. One patient exhibited a sensory neuronopathy and ophthalmoplegia. The other had ptosis, a proximal myopathy, and a sensory neuropathy. The diagnosis of mitochondrial cytopathy was established by the presence of ragged red fibers, cytochrome C oxydase-negative fibers, and a defect of the complex IV of the respiratory chain in muscle biopsy. No mutations in mitochondrial DNA were detected. The choreic movements observed in juvenile forms of mitochondrial cytopathy are rarely observed in adults. Although striatal vulnerability is commonly reported in patients with mitochondrial disorders, the mechanism by which the mitochondrial dysfunction leads to chorea is not known.     

Two pathogenic mutations in the mitochondrial DNA tRNA Leu(UUR) gene (T3258C and A3280G) resulting in variable clinical phenotypes

We studied two patients with ragged-red fibers and combined defects of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in their muscle biopsy. One had mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes, and harbored a T3258C transition in the tRNA(Leu(UUR)) gene. The other showed myopathy plus cardiomyopathy and had an A3280G mutation in the same gene. Both mutations were heteroplasmic, abundant in muscle of the patients, less abundant in blood, and still less abundant in blood from their maternal relatives. In both patients, single muscle fiber analysis revealed greater abundance of mutant genomes in ragged-red fibers than in normal fibers, supporting the pathogenicity of both mutations.     

Kearns-Sayre syndrome and complex II deficiency

A 25-year-old woman with Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS) had complete external ophthalmoplegia, short stature, ataxia, cardiac conduction defects, and pigmentary retinopathy. Muscle biopsy revealed ragged-red fibers. Electron microscopy showed increased numbers of mitochondria with disordered structure and paracrystalline inclusions. Enzymatic analysis revealed a deficiency of complex II of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and, more specifically, a deficiency of succinic dehydrogenase, although both subunits of this enzyme proved to be present by immunologic analysis. Therapy with vitamin cofactors did not result in short-term improvement. This appears to be the first report of complex II deficiency in a patient with KSS.     

"Ragged-red" fibres in myotonic dystrophy

Twenty-five muscle biopsies (18 from the left biceps and 7 from the left quadriceps) of 25 patients suffering from myotonic dystrophy (MyD) were studied, 13 of which showed "ragged-red" fibres (RRFs); all the RRFs, which were type I fibres, were found in biceps muscles, while none of the quadriceps muscles showed RRFs. The incidence of RRFs varied from 0.5% to 20.0% (average 4.2%). On electron microscopy, RRFs contained enlarged mitochondria, usually in subsarcolemmal clusters, including dense granular matrix materials, concentrically whired membranous cristae, and paracrystalline inclusions, consistent with those of previously reported cases of mitochondrial myopathy, suggesting that RRFs observed in biopsies from patients with MyD are due to abnormal mitochondria. The biopsy findings indicative of MyD including pyknotic nuclear clumps, moth-eaten fibres, ring fibres, type I fibre atrophy, and type I fibre predominance, were much more common findings in biceps muscles than quadriceps muscles, and in biopsies with RRFs than those without RRFs. From our observations, it is possible that RRFs in biopsied muscles from patients with MyD are not incidental observations but are intimately associated with the pathogenesis of this disorder, and that RRFs may be a special form of pathological reaction in which accumulation of abnormal mitochondria occurs.     

Melas: an original case and clinical criteria for diagnosis.

We describe the full history and postmortem findings in one of the first identified cases of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with stroke-like episodes (MELAS). To clarify diagnostic criteria, we analyzed 69 reported cases. The syndrome should be suspected by the following three invariant criteria: (1) stroke-like episode before age 40 yr; (2) encephalopathy characterized by seizures, dementia, or both; and (3) lactic acidosis, ragged-red fibers (RRF), or both. The diagnosis may be considered secure if there are also at least two of the following: normal early development, recurrent headache, or recurrent vomiting. There are incomplete syndromes in relatives of patients with the full syndrome and incomplete syndromes might also be encountered in sporadic cases. Some MELAS patients have features of the Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS) or myoclonic epilepsy with ragged-red fibers (MERRF), but none had the full KSS syndrome. In partial or confusing cases, analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) may point to the correct diagnosis; however, not all patients with clinical MELAS have had the typical mtDNA point mutation and some patients with the mutation have clinical syndromes other than MELAS.     

Kearns-Sayre综合征一例临床病理分析

目的探讨Kearns-Sayre综合征(KSS)的临床与病理形态学表现,旨在提高对该病的认识。方法对1例KSS患者的临床和病理特点进行分析。结果该患者表现为视物不清、双上睑下垂、慢性进行性眼外肌瘫痪、视网膜色素变性,眼底色素改变呈"椒盐状"、晕厥发作、心脏传导阻滞、小脑性共济失调、不育、脑脊液蛋白升高、脑脊液叶酸/血清叶酸比值降低。肌肉活检MGT染色发现有不整红边纤维(RRF),出现比例为11.6%。电镜观察表现为线粒体数目增多,形态异常,嵴排列紊乱等,可见线粒体内类结晶状包涵体。结论本例提示尽管KSS的临床表现多样,但对不明原因的单侧或双侧上睑下垂、眼球运动障碍伴视网膜色素变性和晕厥等症状的患者,应想到KSS的诊断,进行肌肉活检、遗传咨询和采取必要的措施,防止威胁生命的事件发生。     

肢带型线粒体肌病一个家系的临床和病理特点研究

目的研究肢带型线粒体肌病一个家系中患者的临床和骨骼肌病理特点。方法对一组以进行性肌肉无力为主要特点的家系中的3名患者进行临床资料收集及肌肉活检病理分析,对家系成员行线粒体基因检测。结果该家系患者发病年龄为30~47岁,主要表现为躯干肌及四肢近端肌无力和运动耐力下降,晚期出现呼吸肌受累。血肌酸激酶水平轻度升高,血乳酸升高,电生理检查结果示肌源性损害。骨骼肌病理检查显示3名患者均存在典型的破碎红纤维(RRF),且患者病程越长(分别为2年、4年和14年),肌无力严重程度越重,RRF数量越多(分别为5%、10%和30%)。细胞色素c氧化酶(COX)染色中RRF以深染为主,也可见阴性的RRF。琥珀酸脱氢酶(SDH)染色均未发现琥珀酸脱氢酶高反应性血管(SSVs)。基因检测发现该家系存在mt DNA A3243G突变。结论肢带型线粒体肌病患者选择性累及躯干和四肢近端肌群,骨骼肌中的RRF数量与患者病情进展程度呈正相关。     

Atypical MELAS associated with mitochondrial tRNA(Lys) gene A8296G mutation

We report on a unique patient with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) presenting optic atrophy, cardiomyopathy, and bilateral striatal necrosis before stoke-like episodes became apparent. Skeletal muscle total mitochondrial DNA analysis identified a heteroplasmic A to G point mutation in the tRNA(Lys) gene at position 8296. Skeletal muscle pathology revealed typical MELAS findings, including ragged-red fibers cytochrome c oxidase positive strongly succinate dehydrogenase-reactive blood vessels. Recent reports describe the 8296 mutation identified in patients with diabetes mellitus or myoclonus epilepsy with ragged-red fibers, not MELAS. We conclude that the 8296 mutation is likely to be pathogenic and that it may be not only a mutation responsible for diabetes mellitus or myoclonus epilepsy with ragged-red fibers but also for MELAS.     

Mitochondrial myopathy of childhood associated with depletion of mitochondrial DNA.

We have studied five children with mitochondrial myopathy manifesting within or soon after the first year of life. Muscle biopsies showed ragged-red fibers and decreased respiratory chain activity. All five patients had a severe decrease (2 to 34% of normal) in the amount of muscle mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The depletion of mtDNA correlated with absence of mtDNA-encoded translation products and with loss of cytochrome c oxidase enzyme activity in individual muscle fibers. This mitochondrial myopathy of childhood illustrates one phenotypic expression of a novel pathogenetic mechanism in mitochondrial diseases, the specific depletion of mtDNA in affected tissues.     

Clinical syndromes associated with ragged red fibers

Among 40 patients with ragged red fibers in muscle biopsy, all but two met criteria for one of the recognized mitochondrial myopathies: Kearns-Sayre syndrome (6 patients); other ophthalmoplegias (17): MELAS (3); MERRF (2); limb myopathy (5); and exercise intolerance (3). Two patients had MNGIE (mitochondrial myopathy with neuropathy, gastrointestinal symptoms and encephalopathy) and one had spinal muscular atrophy. The myopathy had features of facioscapulohumeral dystrophy in 4 patients. This analysis provides 4 lines of evidence to reinforce the view that, despite occasional "overlap" cases, distinct syndromes can be recognized. First, there are clinical differences. Second, KSS is almost never familial but MELAS and MERRF are often familial. Third, in this series, as in others, all deletions of mtDNA were found in patients with either KSS or non-familial PEO. With a possible single exception, none of the familial cases had KSS and no familial cases included a deletion of mtDNA. Others have found evidence of mtDNA point mutations in MERRF, and maternal inheritance suggests that point mutations will be found in MELAS. Finally, postmortem findings differ in KSS, MELAS, and MERRF. For all of these reasons, we believe it is useful to separate cases on clinical grounds. Deletions and point mutations of mtDNA are becoming defining characteristics of these syndromes.