Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2A (LGMD2A) or calpainopathy is the most common type of LGMD worldwide, representing about 30-40% of all described cases. Nevertheless, its prevalence in sub-Saharan African countries is unknown. We report two young siblings from Guinea-Bissau with recessive calpainopathy due to novel null homozygous c.1702Gdup mutation in CAPN3 gene. Their phenotype was quite aggressive concerning limb-girdle atrophy and muscle weakness as well as respiratory involvement. The proband needed nocturnal non-invasive ventilation at the age of 32, and his 33-year-old affected sister succumbed to an acute respiratory arrest after an intercurrent infection. This is the first description of calpainopathy in the sub-Saharian African region. Although there is no consistent genotype-phenotype correlation in calpainopathy, the new null homozygous mutation found in the CAPN3 gene may be associated with the particularly severe phenotype observed in our patients.
Keywords: Calpainopathy; Guinea-Bissau; Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A; Null homozygous mutation; Severe phenotype.
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