Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) is a rare neuromuscular disorder typically characterised by early contractures, slowly progressive muscular wasting and life‐threatening heart conduction disturbances, which can develop into a cardiomyopathy. There is a wide intrafamilial and interfamilial clinical variability. Genetically, X‐linked recessive, autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive forms can be distinguished. Female carriers of the X‐linked forms may manifest with cardiac symptoms. By molecular genetic methods, EDMD can be associated with mutations in several genes encoding nuclear envelope proteins. These proteins are lamin A, emerin, FHL1, nesprins and SUN proteins. Still only approximately half of unrelated patients diagnosed with EDMD have a mutation in known genes pointing to further genetic heterogeneity in EDMD. The molecular pathogenesis is not fully resolved, but there are effects on signalling, mechanical stability and gene expression.
Key Concepts
Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) is a neuromuscular disorder recognised clinically by three features: early contractures, a characteristic pattern of muscle wasting and cardiac conduction defects.
EDMD was originally described as an X‐linked disorder, later found to be caused by mutations in the
EMD
gene encoding a nuclear membrane protein, emerin.
Molecular genetic analysis allows precise subtyping of EDMD into X‐linked forms (
EMD
and
FHL1
associated), autosomal dominant forms (
LMNA
,
SYNE1
/
SYNE2
associated) and autosomal recessive forms (
LMNA
and
SUN1
associated).
Wide clinical variability of EDMD and clinical overlap with other clinical entities frequently require consideration of patients not completely fulfilling the EDMD diagnostic criteria for molecular genetic differentiation in
EMD
,
LMNA
,
SYNE1/SYNE2
,
SUN1
and
FHL1
.
Digenic pathogenesis has been observed including
LMNA
/
EMD
,
LMNA
/
DES
,
SYNE1/SYNE2
,
LMNA
/
SUN1
,
LMNA
/
SUN2
and
EMD
/
SUN1
.
In all cases, EDMD mutations affect proteins located at the nuclear envelope where they interact with each other.
Many patients do not have mutations in genes identified so far, so further genes are expected to be involved in the pathogenesis of EDMD.