Cross-sectional survey study of the natural history of LAMA2-related dystrophy

Background

LAMA2-related dystrophies (LAMA2-RD) are a rare group of neuromuscular disorders with a broad spectrum of phenotype severity, ranging from mild to severe. We performed a cross-sectional study of LAMA2-RD through motor function and pulmonary tests to establish the disease's natural history.

Methods

Forty-four individuals with LAMA2-RD were included and evaluated once through functional outcome measures including Motor Function Measure 32 (MFM32), Revised Upper Limb Module (RULM), goniometry, and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC). Fixed Effect Regression Model (ERM) and Kaplan-Meier curve were used for calculating the rate of the disease progression

Results

Patients were between 2 and 25 years old (mean 11.4), the most frequent phenotype presentation was non-ambulant (N=36, 81.8%) while eight patients (18,2 %) were ambulant. The non-ambulant group presented a more severe progression of the disease. Non-ambulant patients had a 1.85 % decrease in FVC/year against 1.32 %/year among ambulant patients. In the non-ambulant group, there was a 4.2 % drop/year in the MFM32-D2 domain (p<0.00001), a 2.6 % drop/year in the D3 domain (p<0.0001), and a 2.7 % drop/year in the MFM32 global assessment (p<0.0001). However, the non-ambulant group's evaluation of upper limb function through the RULM scale did not show a statistically significant reduction. In the non-ambulant group, elbow and knee retractions worsened 3.22 degrees/year (p=0.00087) and 1.92 degrees/year, respectively. While in those patients who acquired gait, elbow and knee retractions worsened 2.45 degrees/year (p=0.0003) and 1.73 degrees/year (p=0.01), respectively.

Conclusion

This study confirmed the progressive nature of LAMA2-RD, both in ambulant and non-ambulant patients. MFM32, FVC, and goniometry were identified as promising outcome measures for natural history studies and clinical trials in LAMA2-RD.