cells Article Genetic Modifiers of Hereditary Neuromuscular Disorders and Cardiomyopathy Sholeh Bazrafshan 1, Hani Kushlaf 2 , Mashhood Kakroo 1, John Quinlan 2, Richard C. Becker 1 and Sakthivel Sadayappan 1,* 1 Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute, Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA;
[email protected] (S.B.);
[email protected] (M.K.);
[email protected] (R.C.B.) 2 Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, Neuromuscular Center, University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA;
[email protected] (H.K.);
[email protected] (J.Q.) * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +1-513-558-7498 Abstract: Novel genetic variants exist in patients with hereditary neuromuscular disorders (NMD), including muscular dystrophy. These patients also develop cardiac manifestations. However, the association between these gene variants and cardiac abnormalities is understudied. To determine genetic modifiers and features of cardiac disease in NMD patients, we have reviewed electronic medical records of 651 patients referred to the Muscular Dystrophy Association Care Center at the University of Cincinnati and characterized the clinical phenotype of 14 patients correlating with their next-generation sequencing data. The data were retrieved from the electronic medical records of the 14 patients included in the current study and comprised neurologic and cardiac phenotype and genetic reports which included comparative genomic hybridization array and NGS. Novel associations were uncovered in the following eight patients diagnosed with Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophy, Bethlem Myopathy, Necrotizing Myopathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, Peripheral Citation: Bazrafshan, S.; Kushlaf, H.; Kakroo, M.; Quinlan, J.; Becker, R.C.; Polyneuropathy, and Valosin-containing Protein-related Myopathy.