<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is classified according to the age of onset and severity of the clinical manifestations into: acute (Werding-Hoffman disease or type I), intermediate (type II) and juvenile (Kugelberg-Wilander disease or type III) forms. All three SMAs have been linked to markers at 5q11.2-q13.3. Two candidate genes deleted in SMA patients are the survival motor neuron (SMN) gene and the neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP) gene. We have performed molecular analyses of these genes in 30 unrelated Macedonian families (17 with type I, eight with type II and five with type III forms of the disease). Deletions of exons 7 and 8 of the SMN gene were found in 76.6% (23/30) of patients (94.1% in type I, 87.5% in type II). Among these 23 families, 19 had both exons deleted, while four had deletions only of exon 7. Deletions of exon 5 of the NAIP gene were found in 41.2% (7/17) patients with type I SMA and in 12.5% (1/8) of patients with type II SMA. No deletions of the SMN gene were found in 30 parents and 30 normal controls. We found 2/30 (6.7%) parents to be homozygous for the deletion of exon 5. Our data support the hypothesis that the telomeric SMN gene plays a major role in determining the clinical course of the disease, while the defects in the NAIP gene have only a modifying effect on the phenotype.</p></abstract>

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is classified according to the age of onset and severity of the clinical manifestations into: acute (Werding-Hoffman disease or type I), intermediate (type II) and juvenile (Kugelberg-Wilander disease or type III) forms. All three SMAs have been linked to markers at 5q11.2-q13.3. Two candidate genes deleted in SMA patients are the survival motor neuron (SMN) gene and the neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP) gene. We have performed molecular analyses of these genes in 30 unrelated Macedonian families (17 with type I, eight with type II and five with type III forms of the disease). Deletions of exons 7 and 8 of the SMN gene were found in 76.6% (23/30) of patients (94.1% in type I, 87.5% in type II). Among these 23 families, 19 had both exons deleted, while four had deletions only of exon 7. Deletions of exon 5 of the NAIP gene were found in 41.2% (7/17) patients with type I SMA and in 12.5% (1/8) of patients with type II SMA. No deletions of the SMN gene were found in 30 parents and 30 normal controls. We found 2/30 (6.7%) parents to be homozygous for the deletion of exon 5. Our data support the hypothesis that the telomeric SMN gene plays a major role in determining the clinical course of the disease, while the defects in the NAIP gene have only a modifying effect on the phenotype.

Molecular Analysis of Survival Motor Neuron and Neuronal Apoptosis Inhibitory Protein Genes in Macedonian Spinal Muscular Atrophy Patients

Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Research Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

Pediatric Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

Neurology Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

Balkan Journal of Medical Genetics

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is classified according to the age of onset and severity of the clinical manifestations into: acute (Werding-Hoffman disease or...

Molecular Analysis of Survival Motor Neuron and Neuronal Apoptosis Inhibitory Protein Genes in Macedonian Spinal Muscular Atrophy Patients

Published Online: May 30, 2008

Page range: 55 - 60

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10034-008-0007-z

Keywords
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Survival motor neuron (SMN) gene, Neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP) gene

This content is open access.

Molecular Analysis of Survival Motor Neuron and Neuronal Apoptosis Inhibitory Protein Genes in Macedonian Spinal Muscular Atrophy Patients

Published Online: May 30, 2008

Page range: 55 - 60

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10034-008-0007-z

KeywordsSpinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Survival motor neuron (SMN) gene, Neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP) gene

This content is open access.

Keywords
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Survival motor neuron (SMN) gene, Neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP) gene