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To investigate the nature of the inflammatory response in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), we analyzed mononuclear cells
in muscle sections obtained from 18 FSHD patients and 8 controls.
Monoclonal antibodies reactive for T cells, T cell subsets, B cells, and
NK cells were used for cell typing. Macrophages were identified by acid
phosphatase reaction. The localization of perforin, granzyme A, MHC-I
and -11, dystrophin, and a-actinin antigens was also examined. We
found that all FSHD patients, both familiar and sporadic cases, had
greater amounts of mononuclear cellular infiltrates in muscle than controls, in whose specimens only few extra vascular mononuclear cells
were counted. Seventy-two percent (13 of 18) of the patients had more
than 50 inflammatory mononuclear cells per 1000 muscle fibers, and
33% (6 of 18) patients had numerous inflammatory cells exceeding 600
per 1000 muscle fibers (1835 & 482 SE). Nonnecrotic fibers invaded by
mononuclear cells with either T8+, perforin+, or granzyme A + were not
observed in FSHD, while a few degenerating fibers were superficially
invaded by T cells and macrophages. Occasional T cells were observed
moving through the blood vessel wall. The increased number of necrotic fibers was paralleled by an increased number of inflammatory
cells ( r = 0.783, P = 0.0001). Genetic analysis, using the probes p13E11, pFR-1, D4S139, and D4S163, was done in 6 patients (3 familiar, 3
sporadic) who had numerous inflammatory infiltrates. These 6 patients
had small (<28 kb) EcoRl fragments associated with the disease, and
the disease was linked to 4q35. These results suggest that, in chromosome b l i n k e d FSHD: (1) inflammatory changes in muscle are a common histological feature; (2) mononuclear cellular infiltrates may enhance muscle fiber damage; but (3) T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity
directed against muscle fibers is unlikely. We speculate that the immune effector mechanism in FSHD is different from that in previously
reported inflammatory myopathies and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
0 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Key words: facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy inflammatory
response lymphocyte subsets genetic diagnosis
MUSCLE & NERVE Suppl2:S56-S66 1995
INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE IN
FACIOSCAPULOHUMERAL MUSCULAR
DYSTROPHY (FSHD):
IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL AND
GENETIC ANALYSES
KllCHl ARAHATA, MD, TADAYUKI ISHIHARA, MD, HlDETOSHl FUKUNAGA, MD,
SATOSHI ORIMO, MD, JE HYEON LEE, PhD, KANAKO GOTO, BS, and
IKUYA NONAKA, MD
From the National Institute of Neuroscience (NCNP), Tokyo, Japan (Drs
Arahata, Orimo, and Lee, Ms Goto, and Dr Nonaka); National HigashiSaitama Hospital, Saitama, Japan (Dr. Ishihara); National Minami-Kyushu
Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan (Dr. Fukunaga); and Kanto Chuo Hospital,
Tokyo, Japan (Dr. Orimo).
Acknowledgments: We thank Dr. Hideo Sugita (President, NCNP, Japan)
for his helpful discussion and advice, Drs. ~ u n eR. Frants, ciscawi].
menga, Egben Bakker, and G ~ ~ B. van
J Ommen
~ ~ (Department of G ~ .
netics Leiden Universitv. Leiden. The Netherlands) and Barbara Weiffenbach (Collaborative Research lnc , Waltham, MA) for their very kind
technical help, and providing us the plasmids This study was supported
by Research Grants 91A1208 and 5A-2 from the Ministry of Health and
S56
FacioscapulohurneralMuscular Dystrophy
Welfare, Japan, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) and Developmental Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science, and
Culture, Japan; a research grant from the Uehara Memorial Foundation;
and by a research grant from the Muscular Dystrophy Association (USA)
(K.A )
zyxwv
Address reprint requests to Dr Kiichi Arahata. MD, Department of NeurOmUSCUlar Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, NCNP, 4-1-1
ogawa-higashi' Kodaira, Tokyo ' 8 7 , Japan
CCC 0148-639X/95/S20S56-11
0 1995 John Wiley & Sons Inc
MUSCLE & NERVE
Supplement 2 1995
of these cellular infiltrates in FSHD muscle reF a c i o s c a p u l o h u m e r a l muscular dystrophy
mains unclear.
(FSHD) is an inherited disease transmitted in an
We have recently examined a total of 158 Japautosomal-dominant f a ~ h i o n . ' ~ , ~T'h~e ' dis~~~~
anese individuals that included 18 unrelated
ease locus has been mapped to chromosome
FSHD families with 38 affected and 73 healthy
4q,28,394',47,48251
although genetic heterogeneity
family members, as well as 35 Japanese controls,
exists in rare fa mi lie^.^^,^^ Both males and females
for genetic diagnosis, using the probes p13E-11
have a 50% chance of inheriting the gene from an
and pFR- 1. I 7 In our patient population, the probes
affected parent, but the gene may also be defective
DNA rearrangements associated with
because of a new m ~ t a t i o n . ' ~A~ recently
~ ~ , ~ ~ , ~detected
~
FSHD; i.e., most of the Japanese FSHD patients
identified probe, p13E-11 (D4F104Sl), usually de(97.4%) had specific small (<28 kb) EcoRI fragtects specific smaller (<28 kb) EcoRI fragments
ments which cosegregated with the disease, and
that cosegregate with FSHD'7,27,4','6,49,'2; delethe disease was linked to chromosome 4q35. In
tions of the tandemly repeated 3.2- (or 3.3) -kb
contrast, none of the patients with neurogenic
KpnI units (D4Z4) in the EcoRI fragment are
thought to cause the d i ~ e a s e . ~ ~ ~ ' ~ ~ HOW~ " ~ ' ~ " "scapuloperoneal
.~~
muscular atrophy had small
ever, the molecular genetic mechanisms underlyEcoRI fragments associated with the disease.
ing the disease are still unclear. T h e p13E-11
In the present study, we examined subsets of
mononuclear cells in the muscles of 18 patients
probe has since been mapped to the 4q35-qter region distal to the D4S139 locus (cen-D4S139with FSHD and 8 controls, using qualitative and
quantitative immunocytochemistry to elucidate the
D4F35S 1-D4F104S 1-FSHD-tel),4694Y754
and the
role of the inflammatory response in FSHD. We
probe is considered to have immediate diagnostic
value for FSHD, although this probe can be used
also accomplished DNA-based genetic analysis of
as a tightly linked polymorphic marke~-.'~*~'
the 6 FSHD patients who had numerous mononuInflammatory changes in muscle are frequently
clear cellular infiltrates in muscle, using the probes
(40-80%) observed in FSHD patients and somep13E-11 and pFR-1.
times become very marked.8,9,'2 In 1948, Ogryzlo
described a small focal accumulation of lymphocytes in muscle in a sporadic patient with facioMATERIALS AND METHODS
scapulohumeral atrophy.33 In 1955, Nattrass reported an adult patient with severe polymyositis
Analysis of Mononuclear Cell Subsets in Muscle.
who was initially thought to have sporadic FSHD
Clinical Materials. Limb muscle specimens (obbecause of the presence of symmetrical wasting of
tained from biceps bracii) were examined for difacial, scapular, and upper-arm muscles3' More
agnostic purposes, after informed consent was obtained from the subjects. The muscle specimens
than 15 similar patients have since been reported,7,11,19,23,29,38,44,55 and the presence of FSH
were flash frozen in isopentane chilled with liquid
nitrogen. Specimens from 18 patients with FSHD
syndrome due to an inflammatory myopathy has
been ~ o n s i d e r e d .Facial
~
muscle involvement has
[9 familiar, 9 sporadic; 6-62 years old; 29 +- 18
been reported in about 7-11% of patients diagyears (SE)] and 8 controls (unrelated, with no
nosed with p o l y m y o s i t i ~ . " ~Massive
~~
inflammaknown myopathy and no histologic abnormality by
tory cellular infiltration in muscle also occurs in
ordinary examinations) were studied. The diagnothose FSHD patients who have a positive family
sis of FSHD was based on the clinical, histological,
In addition, in the first family reand electromyographic finding^.^','"^"^^ Nine of
the 18 FSHD patients had elevated serum creatine
ported by Bacq et aL5 both the affected mother
kinase (CK) activity; and the overall mean value
and her daughter had inflammatory changes in
was 378 65 (SE) U/L (normal 12-280).
muscle, suggesting the possibility that the inflamImmunoreugents. The antibodies used in this
matory response in FSHD is intrinsically involved
study were: monoclonal antibodies reactive for T
with the disease process. Although some studies
have analyzed inflammatory cellular subsets in pacells, T-cell subsets (T4, TS), B cells, NK cells,
MHC-I and -11 antigens, and polyclonal antitients with a clinical diagnosis of FSH myopathy of
perforin and -granzyme A antigens. The specificFSHD,'5x21genetic analysis has not been accomity of each antibody has been described previousplished. We still do not know the relationship beIy.2-4,13,34Monoclonal antibodies for dystrophin
tween inflammatory infiltrates and dystrophic
muscle histology (necrosis, phagocytosis, regener(4C5) and a-actinin (AB- 1) were also used in some
cases. Affinity-purified fluorescein isothiocyanate
ation, variation in fiber size, and proliferation of
(F1TC)-labeled goat F(ab')2 anti-mouse and anticonnective tissues), and therefore, the significance
zyxwvut
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*
Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy
zyxwvuts
MUSCLE & NERVE
Supplement 2 1995
S57
zyx
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rabbit IgG were obtained from Tago Inc., and
used as the second layer antibodies.
Immunocytochemistry. Four-micron serial cryostat sections were thawed on gelatinized cover slips,
fixed in 100% ice-cold acetone for 5 min, air-dried
for 30 min, soaked in 0.1% Nonidet-P40 for 3
min, and then preincubated with PBS containing
2% BSA and 5% heat-inactivated normal goat
serum at pH 7.4. The sections were incubated with
primary antibodies for 2 h at 37°C and with secondary antibodies (10 pg/mL) for 1 h at room temperature. The sections were mounted in a glycerolbased medium, and observed under a Zeiss
Axiophot microscope with epifluorescence. Specificity of the immunostaining was examined by
replacement of the primary antibody with control mouse myeloma IgG or preimmune rabbit
serum.
Quantitative Analysis of Mononuclear Cells in Muscle. For quantitative analysis, a region that contained at least 1000 muscle fibers was selected at
random in each specimen, and the same region
was analyzed in each serial section. We counted all
muscle fibers and all reactive cells for each antibody in the randomly chosen region, and calculated the average cell number per 1000 muscle fi-
bers. The analysis was done according to sites of
accumulation, as described.23'"
Genetic Analysis of FSHD Patients with Numerous In.
flammatory Infiltrates in Muscle. Probes. T h e
probes used in this study were p13E-11 (0.8-kb insert in pBS isolated by SacIIEcoRI doubledigestion, kindly provided by Dr. Rune R. Frants)
and our own pFR-1 l 7 (1.1-kb fragment isolated by
HindIII/HincII double digestion from the 4.9-kb
KpnI fragment of the plasmid pSMl kindly supplied by Dr. Barbara Weiffenbach). We also used
other 4q35 markers (D4S139, D4S163). These
probes were labeled with 32P-dCTP for Southern
blot analysis, using a Random Primed DNA Labeling Kit (Boehringer).
Southern Blot Hybridization. Fifteen micrograms of genomic DNA (isolated from peripheral
blood lymphocytes) was digested with the restriction enzyme EcoRI at 37°C for 12 h, as recommended by the manufacturer's protocol. The DNA
was separated on 0.3% HGT agarose gel for 72 h
at 15 mA (0.5 V/cm), and was then transferred to
H ybond N (Amersham). Hybridization was carried
out overnight at 65°C. The filter was thoroughly
washed in 1 x SSC/O.l% SDS for 1 h at 60"C, fol~
~~
Table 1. Summary of pathological and immunocytological findings of 18 FSHD cases
~
Case
1
2
3
4
5
6
Total
cellst
(n)
No of
nec*
Cell
Nec
Rege
Size
Nuc
Ang
Conn
3757
2342
2019
1654
632
607
10
7
18
15
4
2
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
4
4
3
2
2
2
3
2
1
1
4
4
4
4
2
4
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
3
1
2
2
1
4
3
4
267
149
101
72
66
65
52
35
33
32
19
16
2
3
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
3
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
2
4
1
2
4
1
1
1
0
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
0
1
0
3
4
3
2
1
0
0
1
4
4
1
2
4
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
Mean 2 SE
662 2 252
3.6 2 1.3
Controls (n = 8)
9.2 2 2.1 SE
Age
Sex
13
1
4
M
M
M
6
9
F
F
61
38
1
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
~~~
7
6
a
15
15
-
+
+
F
F
2
17
58
43
32
45
17
+
+
-
M
10
6
Fa*
-
M
-
M
+
+
+
+
+
M
-
M
F
-
M
F
F
F
M
Qualitative analysis of muscle pathology§
4
3
4
EcoRl
(kb)Ii
17
13
177
13
24
24
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
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-
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0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
*Family history.
j 7 cells + B cells
macrophages
NK cells per 1000 muscle fibers.
#Number of necrotic fibers per 1000 muscle fibers.
50 = Not found; 1: slight; 2 mild; 3: moderate; 4: marked. (Cell.: cellular infiltrations; Nec.. necrotic fibers, Rege.. regenerated fibers; Slze: vanation In
fiber size diameter; Nuc . internal nuclei; Ang: small angular fibers; Conn : connective tissue proliferation).
"Size of the FSHD-associated genomic EcoRl fragment which is detected by the probes p13E-11 and pFR-1
Father of case 1.
+
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+
Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy
MUSCLE & NERVE
Supplement 2 1995
these patients had numerous inflammatory cells,
exceeding 600 per 1000 muscle fibers [835 482
(SE), range 607-3757]; the remaining 12 patients
had small to moderate amounts of inflammatory
cells [76 & 21 (SE), range 16-2671. There was no
significant difference in total number of the inflammatory cells between FSHD patients who had
a positive family history and those who had no
family history (clinically new mutations). Although
the average number of necrotic fibers (confirmed
by complement C9 and C5b-9 membrane attack
complex) per 1000 muscle fibers was low [3.6 ? 1.3
(SE)] in FSHD, this number increased in parallel
with the number of the inflammatory cells ( r =
0.783, P = 0.0001) (Table 1, Fig. 1). Chronic dystrophic changes, characterized by the presence of
either regenerated fibers, fiber size variation, increased connective tissue elements, or internal nuclei, were found in all FSHD muscles examined
(Table 1).
In the 6 FSHD patients who had numerous
cellular infiltrates, B cells were most abundant at
5.0% of
perivascular sites, accounting for 25.4
the total. The T4/T8 ratio at the perivascular site
was 1.51 i 0.55, and N K cells were least abundant
(Table 2). Macrophages accounted for about one
third of all mononuclear cells. At the endomysial
site, T cells were most abundant (Table 2), inflammatory cells were diffusely scattered, and there
were no nonnecrotic muscle fibers invaded by
mononuclear cells that included T 8 + , perforin+,
or granzyme A+ cells. Only a few degenerating
*
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zyxwvutsrqpon
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-2
0
2
4
6
8 10 12 14 16 18 20
nec. fibers
FIGURE 1. Positive correlation is shown between the total
number of inflammatory cells and the number of necrotic
muscle fibers per 1000 muscle fibers in FSHD. ( r = 0.783, P
= 0.0001).
lowed by autoradiography for 2 4 h using a BAS
2000 image analyzer, and for 3 days using Konica
AX film with an intensifying screen.
RESULTS
inflammatory Infiltrates. A summary of the pathological and immunocytochemical findings is shown
in Table 1. In control muscles, only a few [9.2 k
2.1 (SE) per 1000 muscle fibers] extravascular
mononuclear cells were observed. All 18 patients
with FSHD (9 familiar, 9 sporadic) had much
higher total numbers of inflammatory mononuclear cells (T cells B cells + macrophages + N K
cells), with the mean value being 662 k 252 (SE)
per 1000 muscle fibers (range 16-3757). Six of
+
~~
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*
~
Table 2. Quantitative analysis of mononuclear cells in FSHD
Perivascular
cells
Cell type or marker
FSHD with numerous (>600 cells per 1000 fibers) cellular infiltrates ( n
25.4 2 5.0*
B cells (B1 + ) (%)
Macrophages (%)
23.6 -+ 12.9
5 1 . 0 2 11 9
T cells ( T l l + ) (%)
46.5 2 11.6
T 8 + K cells (%)
61.1 2 14.1
T 4 + n cells (%)
1.51 2 0 55*
T4+K8+ ratio
B/T ratio
0.52 i 0.14*
8.1 2 3.3
Leu-7+ cells (%)
=
Perirnysial
cells
Endomysial
cells
8.1 t 5.3t
35.6 2 11.1
56.4 2 12.6
64.5 2 18.7
42.2 2 14.4
0.86 2 0.37
0.16 2 0 . l O t
11.1 2 4.7
63252*
2362101
701 2 1 1 5
6 5 9 2 160
4 2 5 2 168
0 79 2 0 67
010+008*
101 2-46
1.9 2
32.4 5
66.5 2
53 7 2
52.0 -+
0.96 2
0.03 2
17.6 2
04210
2262197
7 9 0 2 175
5 7 O r 173
4752191
0 84 2 0 77
0 04 2 0 01
2 0 0 2 191
6)
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FSHD with sparse to mild (<300 cells per 1000 fibers) cellular infiltrates (n
4.7 2 7.4
B cells (B1+) (%)
Macrophages (%)
37.1 2 29.0
58.2 2 28.8
T cells ( T l l + ) (%)
57.1 2 31.6
T 8 + n cells (%)
T 4 + n cells (%)
57.2 2 31.4
T 4 + n 8 + ratio
0.85 2 0.73
BIT ratio
0.05 2 0.08
18.6 2 17 6
Leu-7+ cells (%)
Values are expressed as mean
?
SD
=
12)
3.9
17.7
18 1
19.8
20.5
0.67
0.06
14 3
Significantly dffferent from the values in FSHD with sparse to mild cellular infdtrates 'P
Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy
MUSCLE & NERVE
< 0 005 and f P < 0 025
Supplement 2 1995
S59
zyxwvutsrqpo
zyxwvutsrqp
zyx
zyx
FIGURE 2. Muscle biopsies of FSHD patients often have a relatively normal appearance, although there is some variation in size,
in the presence or absence of an internal nucleus, in endomysial fibrosis, and in numbers of mononuclear cells (a: H & E).
Changes in fiber size diameter often become prominent with large and very small fibers being exhibited (b: mGT). Consecutive
frozen sections obtained from FSHD patients were stained with H & E (c) and rnGt (e), and immunoreacted for dystrophin (d) and
a-actinin (f). Note, partially degenerating fibers in the center are focally surrounded by and superficially invaded by mononuclear
cells, but no nonnecrotic fibers are invaded by mononuclear cells. (a and b: x125; c-f: x250).
fibers were surrounded by and superficially invaded by mononuclear cells (Fig. 2). In contrast,
blood vessels were frequently surrounded by a
compact collection of cells (Fig. 3) and were often
invaded by T4+ and T8+ T cells (Fig. 4). Presumably, these cells were passing through the vessel
wall.
The overall perivascular (PV), perimysial (PMY),
and endomysial (EMY) average cell counts per
1000 fibers in FSHD were, respectively: T cells, 97,
56, 277; B cells, 43, 6, 30; Leu-7+ cells, 14, 5 , 33;
L e u - l l + cells, 2, 1, 2; and macrophages, 40, 32,
81. The T4/T8 ratios were 1.1, 0.7, and 1.0, respectively.
MHC-I expression was not detected in control
muscle fibers, but was found in the surface membranes of a few muscle fibers in FSHD (Fig. 3).
Vascular endothelial cells and mononuclear cells
expressed MHC-I in both control and FSHD muscles. MHC-I1 expression was limited to vascular
endothelial cells and some mononuclear cells
(Fig. 3).
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FIGURE 3. Inflammatory cells in FSHD. Serial sections were stained with H & E and reacted for T11, E l , HLA-I, and HLA-II
markers, and acid phosphatase (AP).The perivascular exudates are intermingled with predominantly T and B cells. HLA-I antigen
is expressed in all inflammatory cells, vascular endothelial cells, and in the plasma membrane of some adjacent muscle fibers.
HLA-II antigen is expressed in vascular endothelial cells and in some inflammatory cells, but not in the plasma membrane of the
muscle fiber ( ~ 2 5 0 ) .
Genetic analysis was accomplished in the 6 FSHD patients (from 5 unrelated
families) who had numerous mononuclear cellular
infiltrates. The disease in these patients was linked
to 4q35 (Fig. 5) and the patients’ specimens exhibited small (<28 kb) EcoRI fragments (13-24 kb)
that cosegregated with the disease (Figs. 5-7, and
Table 1).
Genetic Analysis.
DISCUSSION
The presence of inflammatory cellular infiltrates
in the skeletal muscle of patients with FSHD is one
of the characteristic features of the disease, and
can be observed in 40-80% of patient^,^"'^^ while
general histological changes in FSHD muscle are
rather nonspecific (variations in fiber size, scattered small angulated fibers, etc.). In the present
Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy
study, 6 of 18 (33%) FSHD patients had marked
inflammatory cellular exudates in muscle, with a
mean value of 1835 ? 482 (SE) cells per 1000 muscle fibers (range 607-3756), these changes being
paralleled by increasing numbers of necrotic fibers. Genetic analysis revealed that FSHD was
linked to chromosome 4q35 in these 6 patients (3
familiar, 3 sporadic) and that they had FSHDassociated small EcoRl fragments (<28 kb) detected by the probes p13E-ll and pFR-1 (Table 1,
Figs. 5-7). The remaining 12 patients had less
marked inflammatory infiltrates, but still showed
more inflammatory cells [76 21 (SE), range 162671 than the controls [9.2 k 2.1 (SE)]. Thus, our
findings suggest that inflammatory cellular response in muscle is a common histological feature
of chromosome 4-associated FSHD in both famil-
*
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MUSCLE & NERVE
Supplement 2 1995
S61
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zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedc
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FIGURE 4. Perivascular inflammatory cells in FSHD. The T4+ cells are most prominent at perivascular sites. Both T4+ and T8+
cells are seen occasionally moving through the vessel wall (arrow), but they do not invade the adjacent nonnecrotic muscle fibers
(x410).
I
I
Markers
Alleles
I14S139
P, p, 3,1,5,6
UJS163
A,u,3,4,5,6
p13E-ll/ EcoRI
46 47 48 49 50
D4S139 / TaqI
46 47 48 49 5 0
kb
16
I
47
47.034.623.1-
FIGURE 5. Southern blot analysis of a FSHD patient (case 6:49) and his family in whose muscle specimen numerous inflammatory
infiltrates were shown (p13E-11 probe). Each affected member had a small (24 kb) fragment (arrow) associated with the disease;
this feature was not detected in the healthy family member^.^^,^' Other chromosome 4q35 markers (D4S139, D4S163) revealed
that the disease in this family was associated with chromosome 4q35.
S62
Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy
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MUSCLE 8, NERVE
Supplement 2 1995
- zyxwv
n
zyxwvutsr
FSHDwith
numerous cellular infiltrates
u
EZ72 OtherFSHD
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
zyxwvu
zyxwvutsrqponmlk
Y
v)
c
kb
0Controls
v
?!
4
zy
zyxw
J
+
48.538.433.529.924.822.6-
m
n
0
b
n
5
z
I
10
19.4-
+
17.115.0-
4
12.1-
10.1-
8.68.3-
2
I
I
1 5
20
2'5
k 2 8 k b
EcoRl fragment size detected by the
probes pl3E-11 and pFR-1
FIGURE 7. Size distribution of the genomic EcoRl fragment
associated with FSHD in 23 unrelated Japanese families and
35 controls. Probes p13E-11 and pFR-1 were used. All 6 patients (five families) who had numerous inflammatory infiltrates in muscle are shown (black columns).
zyxwvutsrqponm
(CTL)-mediated muscle fiber injuries occur, and
endomysial mononuclear cells (mostly T cells) focally surround, invade, and finally replace nonnecrotic muscle fiber^."'^'^ Perforin+ and granzyme
A + cells appear among these invading cells, and
10-12% of the endomysial T 8 + cells are shown to
be double positive for p e r f 0 1 - h .In
~ ~FSHD muscle,
in contrast, we found no invasion of T8+, perforin+, or granzyme A + cells into nonnecrotic fibers (Fig. 8), although a few degenerating fibers
were focally surrounded by andlor superficially invaded by mononuclear cells (most being T cells
and macrophages) (Fig. 2). These findings suggest
that there is no CTL-mediated immune effector
mechanism directed against muscle fibers in
FSHD.
There are several similarities in the mononuclear cell subsets at perivascular sites in FSHD and
DM,*,14i.e., the high percentage of B cells, the
high T4/T8 ratios, and the close proximity of T 4 +
cells to B cells. Nonnecrotic muscle fibers invaded
by mononuclear cells are also essentially absent in
both diseases (CTL-mediated muscle fiber injury
is thus unlikely in these diseases). However, w e
found no complement deposition on blood vessels
in FSHD (data not shown). Perifascicular atrophy
and ischemic changes or infarction of muscle are
not observed in FSHD. Therefore, the immune effector mechanism of FSHD must be different from
that observed in DM.
Comparison of the immunocytochemical findings in FSHD and DMD is of interest, since patients with these muscular dystrophies often show
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FIGURE 6. Genetic analysis of FSHD patients in whose muscle specimens numerous inflammatory infiltrates were
shown. Southern blot tests for EcoR1-digested genomic DNA
from the families of cases 1 and 2 (pFR-1 probe). Both the
father of case 1 (lane 1: case 3) and his son (lane 3: case 1)
had small (17 kb) EcoRl fragment (arrow). Case 2 (lane 8)
showed a small (13 kb) EcoRl fragment (arrowhead) which
was absent in both parents (lanes 5 and 6 ) , suggesting the
presence of a de novo DNA rearrangement in the patient.
iar and sporadic patients. However, patients with
polymyositis who have facial muscle involvement
(about 8-1 1%) have been rep~rted,"~" but we do
not know whether the disease in these reported
patients is linked to chromosome 4q. We speculate
that at least some of the familiar patients with
polymyositis who have facial and shoulder-girdle
~ e a k n e s s ~ and
, ~ , *the
~ sporadic patients who have
restricted distribution in the face and shoulder
musc~es7,11,19,23,29,38,44,55 represent clinical variants of chromosome 4-linked FSHD. Most of these
patients show only limited clinical benefit with corticosteroid treatment, and have progressive muscle
WeakneSS.23,29,30,32,38,55
The nature of the inflammatory response in
FSHD muscle seems to differ from that observed
in inflammatory myopathies (Fig. 8). In polymyositis (PM) and inclusion body myositis (IBM), but
not in dermatoinyositis (DM), cytotoxic T-cell
FacioscapulohumeralMuscular Dystrophy
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Supplement 2 1995
563
Macrophages
Nec
fibers
\ 5 i
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y
7 cells
100
200
Nonnecrotic fibers invaded
by mononuclear cells
300
/SO0
60D,
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FIGURE 8. Endomysial T cell counts, frequency of necrotic muscle fibers, and frequency of nonnecrotic muscle fibers invaded
by mononuclear cells per 1000 muscle fibers in inclusion body myositis (IBM), polymyositis (PM), Duchenne muscular dystrophy
(DMD), and FSHD. Values represent means in 8 biopsy specimens each of IBM, PM, DMD,3 and 18 biopsy specimens of FSHD.
zy
myopathy with FSH distribution
numerous inflammatory infiltrates in m ~ s c l e . ~ , ' ~ 'inflammatory
~~
shows rapid progression of weakness, occasional myIn DMD, although the number of nonnecrotic fialgia, and marked to moderately elevated serum CK
bers invaded by T cells is low and the invading cells
level, which may respond transiently to corticosteremain at a superficial level, it is possible that the
roid treatment but not sustained.23,29930,32,38.5j
CTL-mediated immune effector mechanism may
Finally, the finding that abundant T cells accuexis t2,3,14 (Fig. 8). In contrast, in FSHD, only demulate in the perivascular site of FSHD muscle is
generating fibers are focally surrounded and suof note. In the blood vessels, occasional mononuperficially invaded by mononuclear cells (Fig. 2),
clear cells were observed moving through vessel
nonnecrotic fibers are not invaded by mononuwalls (Fig. 4). The migration of mononuclear cells
clear cells (Fig. 8), and the surfaces of the adjacent
from the bloodstream is known to be initiated by a
muscle fibers appear normal (Fig. 4). Amounts of
necrotic fibers also differ in the two diseases. DMD
variety of signaling molecules produced locally by
cells (mainly in connective tissue) or by complemuscles have 4.1 times more necrotic fibers than
ment activation, by which vessel walls become more
FSHD (Fig. 8), but the number of endomysial inflammatory T cells is 4.7 times greater in FSHD
permeable.' In 50-70% of FSHD patients, exuda(Fig. 8).2,3,14 These findings suggest that the cellutive retinal vasculopathy with capillary telangiectalar infiltrations in FSHD muscle do not simply
sis, microaneurysms, and capillary closure have
represent nonspecific events triggered by muscle
been reported.".l6 Although retinal vasculopathy
fiber necrosis of dystrophic origin. Therefore,
has not been proven as part of the disease, associit is conceivable that different immune effector
ation of the two diseases is extremely interesting.
mechanisms may be responsible for these two disLeaky capillaries in the retina imply analogous capillary abnormality in muscle. Our immunocytoeases.
We found the increasing number of necrotic
chemical observations in FSHD muscle, together
fibers in FSHD to parallel the increased number of
with our genetic analysis of FSHD patients, suggest
inflammatory cells (Fig. 1). Thus, it appears that
the presence of a T-cell-mediated effector reinflammatory infiltrates in FSHD may accelerate
sponse directed against either connective tissue
secondary muscle fiber breakdown, since the celand/or vascular elements and/or altered muscle filular response in FSHD may not be caused simply
ber component(s) produced by dystrophic muscle
by muscle fiber necrosis, as discussed above. This
fiber degeneration or by other means, in FSHD
possibility is supported by clinical observations that
muscle.
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