Muscle histology vs MRI in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

作者：Kinali M; Arechavala Gomeza V; Cirak S; Glover A; Guglieri M; Feng L; Hollingsworth K G; Hunt D; Jungbluth H; Roper H P; Quinlivan R M; Gosalakkal J A; Jayawant S; Nadeau A; Hughes Carre L; Manzur A Y; Mercuri E; Morgan J E; Straub V; Bushby K; Sewry C; Rutherford M; Muntoni F^*

来源：Neurology, 2011, 76(4): 346-353.

DOI：10.1212/WNL.0b013e318208811f

Objective: There are currently no effective treatments to halt the muscle breakdown in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), although genetic-based clinical trials are being piloted. Most of these trials have as an endpoint the restoration of dystrophin in muscle fibers, hence requiring sufficiently well-preserved muscle of recruited patients. The choice of the muscles to be studied and the role of noninvasive methods to assess muscle preservation therefore require further evaluation.
Methods: We studied the degree of muscle involvement in the lower leg muscles of 34 patients with DMD >8 years, using muscle MRI. In a subgroup of 15 patients we correlated the muscle MRI findings with the histology of open extensor digitorum brevis (EDB) muscle biopsies. Muscle MRI involvement was assigned using a scale 0-4 (normal-severe).
Results: In all patients we documented a gradient of involvement of the lower leg muscles: the posterior compartment (gastrocnemius > soleus) was most severely affected; the anterior compartment (tibialis anterior/posterior, popliteus, extensor digitorum longus) least affected. Muscle MRI showed EDB involvement that correlated with the patient's age (p = 0.055). We show a correlation between the MRI and EDB histopathologic changes, with MRI 3-4 grades associated with a more severe fibro-adipose tissue replacement. The EDB was sufficiently preserved for bulk and signal intensity in 18/22 wheelchair users aged 10-16.6 years.
Conclusion: This study provides a detailed correlation between muscle histology and MRI changes in DMD and demonstrates the value of this imaging technique as a reliable tool for the selection of muscles in patients recruited into clinical trials. Neurology (R) 2011;76:346-353

• 出版日期2011-1-25