Regional Body Fat Changes and Metabolic Complications in Children With Dunnigan Lipodystrophy-Causing LMNA Variants

Familial partial lipodystrophy, Dunnigan variety (FPLD2) is a rare autosomal-dominant disorder due to heterozygous missense lamin A/C (LMNA) mutations. Subjects with FPLD2 gradually lose fat from the upper and lower extremities but gain fat in the face and neck around puberty. However, the precise onset of body fat changes and metabolic complications during childhood remains unknown.

To compare metabolic parameters and regional body fat in children with FPLD2 with the sex- and age-matched controls from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005 to 2010.

We measured fasting serum triglycerides, glucose, and skinfold thicknesses in all children (aged 1 to 18 years) harboring FPLD2-causing LMNA mutations and determined regional body fat by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in those aged ≥8 years.

Thirty-two affected females and 14 males participated. The lower limb fat in all affected females, except one, was below or equal to the first percentile and in two affected males was below the fifth percentile for NHANES. One female subject with FPLD2 followed from age 6 to 16 years revealed marked loss of extremity fat much before thelarche. Serum triglycerides were higher in females with FPLD2 aged 7 to 18 years compared with controls (median 208 vs 70 mg/dL; P < 0.0001) and showed inverse correlation with extremity skinfolds. Serum triglycerides in males with FPLD2 were not significantly different than controls.

The onset of fat loss from the extremities, especially in girls with FPLD2, occurs well before the onset of puberty. High serum triglycerides are seen in young females with FPLD2 with severe loss of fat from the extremities.