An overexpression of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and FGF receptor 4 in a severe clinical phenotype of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.
We evaluated the expression of a select panel of growth factors and their receptors, including fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF-1), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), FGF receptor 1 (FGF-R1), FGF receptor 3 (FGF-R3), FGF receptor 4 (FGF-R4), PDGF receptor alpha (PDGF-Ralpha), PDGF receptor beta (PDGF-Rbeta), and heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG), in muscle biopsy specimens from nine facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) patients using immunohistochemistry. Two cases of Duchenne-type muscular dystrophy (DMD), two of Becker-type muscular dystrophy (BMD), and one of limb-girdle-type muscular dystrophy (LGMD) were also investigated. Widespread immunostaining for FGF-1 and FGF-2 on the sarcolemma and overexpression of FGF-R4 in endomysial and perimysial connective tissue were seen in one patient with a severe clinical phenotype of FSHD who had respiratory failure. Standard histochemistry in this patient revealed marked interstitial fibrosis and lobulated fibers. The overexpression of FGF and FGF-R4 in this severe FSHD case may be associated with the muscle fibrosis and disease severity.
Saito
A
A
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan.
Higuchi
I
I
Nakagawa
M
M
Saito
M
M
Uchida
Y
Y
Inose
M
M
Kasai
T
T
Niiyama
T
T
Fukunaga
H
H
Arimura
K
K
Osame
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020391:Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D051499:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 4; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*
D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1; C496371:FGFR4 protein, human; D051499:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 4