This is the largest study conducted in Europe on the initiative of clinicians at the Institute of Myology, involving 26 patients with mutations in the BAG3 (BCL2-associated athanogene 3) gene, which are very rare.
The c.626C>T p.(Pro209Leu) variant, carried by 16 patients, causes motor impairment of the lower limbs or heart failure from childhood onwards.
This variant is associated with a more severe course, with, In most cases, demyelinating polyneuropathy, orthopaedic impairment (contractures, foot deformities, scoliosis and/or stiff spine), loss of walking ability (at an average age of 18.6 years), respiratory failure and restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Eight patients in this group died at an average age of 22.5 years, often from sudden death.
The 10 patients carrying other BAG3 variants present a later clinical picture (onset around the age of 40) and less severe clinical picture, without loss of walking ability or cardiorespiratory involvement.
There is a clinical-genetic correlation, with patients carrying the p.(Pro209Leu) variant presenting specific symptoms that require proactive, multidisciplinary monitoring, particularly cardiorespiratory monitoring.
