H ypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most commonly inherited monogenic cardiac disease with an estimated prevalence of 1:500.1 HCM is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait with a variable expression and age-related penetrance.2,3 In ≈35% to 60% of cases, HCM is caused by mutations in genes encoding sarcomere proteins. 4,5 To date, >1400 mutations in >13 genes have been identified, with the MYH7 (β-myosin heavy chain) and MYBPC3 (myosin-binding protein C) most commonly affected, accounting for >70% of genotyped families.
2,6See Editorial by Tower-Rader and Desai See Clinical PerspectiveAlthough thin-filament disease seems to have distinct phenotypic features in terms of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH), cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) distribution, and diastolic abnormalities, 7 findings on the phenotypic differences between patients with MYH7 and MYBPC3 gene mutations have been inconsistent.Background-The 2 most commonly affected genes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are MYH7 (β-myosin heavy chain) and MYBPC3 (β-myosin-binding protein C). Phenotypic differences between patients with mutations in these 2 genes have been inconsistent. Scarce data exist on the genotype-phenotype association as assessed by tomographic imaging using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Methods and Results-Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 358 consecutive genotyped hypertrophic cardiomyopathy probands at 5 tertiary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy centers. Genetic testing revealed a pathogenic mutation in 159 patients (44.4%). The most common genes identified were MYH7 (n=53) and MYBPC3 (n=75); 33.1% and 47% of genopositive patients, respectively. Phenotypic characteristics by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging of these 2 groups were similar, including left ventricular volumes, mass, maximal wall thickness, morphology, left atrial volume, and mitral valve leaflet lengths (all P=non-significant). The presence of late gadolinium enhancement (65% versus 64%; P=0.99) and the proportion of total left ventricular mass (%late gadolinium enhancement; 10.4±13.2% versus 8.5±8.5%; P=0.44) were also similar. Conclusions-This multicenter multinational study shows lack of phenotypic differences between MYH7-and MYBPC3-associated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy when assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Postmutational mechanisms appear more relevant to thick-filament disease expression and outcome than the disease-causing variant per se. (Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2017;10:e005311.