Original Articles Anticipation Resulting in Elimination of the Myotonic
J7 Med Genet 1994;31:595-601 595 Original articles J Med Genet: first published as 10.1136/jmg.31.8.595 on 1 August 1994. Downloaded from Anticipation resulting in elimination of the myotonic dystrophy gene: a follow up study of one extended family C E M de Die-Smulders, C J Howeler, J F Mirandolle, H G Brunner, V Hovers, H Bruggenwirth, H J M Smeets, J P M Geraedts Abstract muscular manifestations, it is characterised by We have re-examined an extended myo- multiple systemic effects including cataract, tonic dystrophy (DM) family, previously mental retardation, cardiac involvement, and described in 1955, in order to study the testicular atrophy. Extreme variability is one of long term effects of anticipation in DM the hallmarks of the disease; clinical studies and in particular the implications for have led to the recognition of four disease types families affected by this disease. This fol- on the basis of age at onset and core symptoms: low up study provides data on 35 gene late onset (mild) type, adult onset (classical) carriers and 46 asymptomatic at risk type, childhood, and congenital type.'"3 family members in five generations. Anticipation, increasing severity and earlier Clinical anticipation, defined as the cas- age at onset in successive generations, has been cade ofmild, adult, childhood, or congen- observed in DM since the beginning of this ital disease in subsequent generations, century, but remained unexplained and contro- appeared to be a relentless process, oc- versial until recently."- With the discovery of curring in all affected branches of the an unstable CTG trinucleotide repeat in the 3' family.
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