Journal of neurology
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Journal of neurology · Apr 2016
Utility of a next-generation sequencing-based gene panel investigation in German patients with genetically unclassified limb-girdle muscular dystrophy.
Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) are genetically heterogeneous and the diagnostic work-up including conventional genetic testing using Sanger sequencing remains complex and often unsatisfactory. We performed targeted sequencing of 23 LGMD-related genes and 15 genes in which alterations result in a similar phenotype in 58 patients with genetically unclassified LGMDs. ⋯ In two patients, pathogenic mutations were identified in genes that are not classified as LGMD genes (glycogen branching enzyme and valosin-containing protein). Thus, a focused next-generation sequencing-based gene panel is a rather satisfactory tool for the diagnosis in unclassified LGMDs.