A case of Kennedy disease complicated with serum antibody-negative myasthenia gravis
Zhao Chao1,2, Shi Di1, Wang Nuan1, Chen Guofang3.
1Department of Neurology, the Xuzhou Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, China; 2Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215021, China; 3Department of Neurology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou 221009, China
Abstract:ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical diagnostic features of a case of Kennedy disease (KD) with serum antibody-negative myasthenia gravis (SNMG). MethodsThe clinical data of a patient with KD combined with SNMG admitted to the Department of Neurology, Xuzhou Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University on June 25, 2024 was retrospectively analyzed. The clinical diagnostic characteristics of KD with SNMG were summarized, and the literature was reviewed. ResultsThe patient was male, 52 years old, and had intermittent limb weakness for 2 years. The symptoms were chronic, progressive and fluctuating, gradually progressing from the proximal end to the distal end, with mild symptoms in the morning and severe symptoms in the evening, accompanied by muscle spasm at the onset of the disease, and tremor was obvious when the upper limbs were raised horizontally. Physical examination showed mild development of the male breast, perioral muscle atrophy, tongue muscle fibrillation, double palmar thenar muscle atrophy, double upper limb deltoid muscle atrophy, double lower limb slender, bilateral limb muscle strength grade 4, postural tremor when both upper limbs were raised horizontally. Serum creatine kinase increased. Electromyography indicated chronic neurogenic injury, with damage to the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord, involving the muscles of the upper and lower limbs, the rectus abdominis and the trapezius. Neostigmine test was positive. The number of CAG repeats in exon 1 region of androgen receptor gene was abnormally amplified. All 5 myasthenia gravis antibodies were negative. KD combined with SNMG was considered. Treatment with the cholinesterase inhibitor pyridostigmine bromide and coenzyme Q10 resulted in significant remission of the patient′s symptoms. ConclusionThe early misdiagnosis rate of KD combined with SNMG is very high, and clinicians should pay more attention to muscle fatigue as the first symptom of KD. Gene detection is important for the diagnosis of KD.
[1]La Spada AR,Wilson EM,Lubahn DB,et al .Androgen receptor gene mutations in X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy[J].Nature,1991,352(6330):77-79.DOI:10.1038/352077a0.
[2]鲁明,南丁,安红,等.以咀嚼肌无力为首发和主要症状的肯尼迪病1例[J].中华神经科杂志,2024,57(2):176-179.DOI:10.3760/cma.j.cn113694-20231011-00225.
[3]Hashizume A,Katsuno M,Banno H,et al.Longitudinal changes of outcome measures in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy[J].Brain,2012,135(Pt 9):2838-2848.DOI:10.1093/brain/aws170.
[4]Millere E, Rots D, Glazere I, et al. Clinical phenotyping and biomarkers in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy[J].Front Neurol,2020(11):586610.DOI:10.3389/fneur.2020.586610.
[5]Breza M,Koutsis G.Kennedy's disease (spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy):a clinically oriented review of a rare disease[J].J Neurol,2019,266(3):565-573.DOI:10.1007/s00415-018-8968-7.
[6]Manzano R,Sorarú G,Grunseich C,et al.Beyond motor neurons:expanding the clinical spectrum in Kennedy′s disease[J].J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry,2018,89(8):808-812.DOI:10.1136/jnnp-2017-316961.
[7]中国免疫学会神经免疫分会.中国重症肌无力诊断和治疗指南(2020版)[J].中国神经免疫学和神经病学杂志,2021,28(1):1-12.DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1006-2963.2021.01.001.
[8]郭海晓,鲁明,樊东升.肯尼迪病1234量表的初步设计和检验[J].中华神经科杂志,2015,48(4):298-301.DOI:10.3760/cma.j.issn.1006-7876.2015.04.011.
[9]Parboosingh JS,Figlewicz DA,Krizus A,et al.Spinobulbar muscular atrophy can mimic ALS:the importance of genetic testing in male patients with atypical ALS[J].Neurology,1997,49(2):568-572.DOI:10.1212/wnl.49.2.568.
[10]Cho HJ, Shin JH, Park YE, et al. Characteristics of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy in South Korea:a cross-sectional study of 157 patients[J].Brain,2023,146(3):1083-1092.DOI:10.1093/brain/awac198.
[11]Pradat PF,Bernard E,Corcia P,et al.The French national protocol for Kennedy′s disease (SBMA):consensus diagnostic and management recommendations[J].Orphanet J Rare Dis,2020,15(1):90.DOI:10.1186/s13023-020-01366-z.
[12]Francini-Pesenti F,Vitturi N,Tresso S,et al.Metabolic alterations in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy[J].Rev Neurol (Paris),2020,176(10):780-787.DOI:10.1016/j.neurol.2020.03.020.
[13]Morfini G,Pigino G,Szebenyi G,et al.JNK mediates pathogenic effects of polyglutamine-expanded androgen receptor on fast axonal transport[J].Nat Neurosci,2006,9(7):907-916.DOI:10.1038/nn1717.
[14]袁军,董芹芹,陈碧红,等.肯尼迪病患者的临床特征、神经电生理及病理学特点[J].癫痫与神经电生理学杂志,2022,31(6):325-332.DOI:10.19984/j.cnki.1674-8972.2022.06.02.
[15]陈君逸,徐迎胜,张朔,等.肯尼迪病患者60例神经电生理研究[J].中华神经科杂志,2023,56(8):871-875.DOI:10.3760/cma.j.cn113694-20230227-00126.
[16]Sperfeld AD,Karitzky J,Brummer D,et al.X-linked bulbospinal neuronopathy:kennedy disease[J].Arch Neurol,2002,59(12):1921-1926.DOI:10.1001/archneur.59.12.1921.
[17]Ni W,Chen S,Qiao K,et al.Genotype-phenotype correlation in Chinese patients with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy[J].PLoS One,2015,10(3):e0122279.DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0122279.
[18]Burgunder JM, Schls L, Baets J, et al. EFNS guidelines for the molecular diagnosis of neurogenetic disorders:motoneuron,peripheral nerve and muscle disorders[J].Eur J Neurol,2011,18(2):207-217.DOI:10.1111/j.1468-1331.2010.03069.x.
[19]国家卫生健康委官网.国家卫健委:完成我国首部罕见病诊疗指南发布[J].中华医学信息导报,2019(5):7.
[20]Lieberman AP.Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy[J].Handb Clin Neurol,2018(148):625-632.DOI:10.1016/B978-0-444-64076-5.00040-5.
[21]Bellai DJ,Rae MG.A systematic review of the association between the age of onset of spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (Kennedy′s disease) and the length of CAG repeats in the androgen receptor gene[J].eNeurologicalSci,2024(34):100495.DOI:10.1016/j.ensci.2024.100495.
[22]Bertolin C,Querin G,Martinelli I,et al.Insights into the genetic epidemiology of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy:prevalence estimation and multiple founder haplotypes in the Veneto Italian region[J].Eur J Neurol,2019,26(3):519-524.DOI:10.1111/ene.13850.
[23]Chen J,Tian DC,Zhang C,et al.Incidence,mortality,and economic burden of myasthenia gravis in China:a nationwide population-based study[J].Lancet Reg Health West Pac,2020(5):100063.DOI:10.1016/j.lanwpc.2020.100063.
[24]Stevic Z,Peric S,Pavlovic S,et al.Myasthenic symptoms in a patient with Kennedy′s disease[J].Acta Neurol Belg,2014,114(1):71-73.DOI:10.1007/s13760-013-0189-3.
[25]Yamada M,Inaba A,Shiojiri T.X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy with myasthenic symptoms[J].J Neurol Sci,1997,146(2):183-185.DOI:10.1016/s0022-510x(96)00303-6.
[26]Boz C,Kalay E,Sahin N,et al.Ocular myasthenia gravis associated with x-linked recessive spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy[J].J Clin Neuromuscul Dis,2004,5(3):115-118.DOI:10.1097/00131402-200403000-00001.