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Published on: June 14, 2016
[Genetics of hypertrophic cardiomyopathies: what are the clinical perspectives?]
1Service de cardiologie, CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris.
Insights
Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) genetics has advanced, identifying four key genes. Research now focuses on genotype-phenotype links for prognosis and diagnosis, despite genetic heterogeneity challenges.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Cardiology
Context:
- Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a monogenic autosomal dominant condition.
- Significant progress in understanding HCM genetics has occurred in the last five years.
- Genetic heterogeneity and variability are characteristic of HCM.
Purpose:
- To review the genetic basis of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
- To explore genotype-phenotype correlations for prognosis and disease severity.
- To discuss implications for diagnostic criteria and genetic counseling.
Summary:
- Four genes encoding contractile proteins (myosin heavy chain, troponin T, tropomyosin, myosin binding protein C) are identified as causative in HCM.
- Numerous mutations within these genes and potential additional genetic loci contribute to the disease.
- Analysis of genotype-phenotype relationships is crucial for understanding prognosis, morphology, and clinical expression.
Impact:
- Advances in understanding HCM genetics inform diagnostic criteria and patient management.
- Identifying genotype-phenotype correlations aids in predicting disease progression and severity.
- Genetic heterogeneity presents challenges for genetic counseling and highlights ethical considerations due to the lack of effective treatments.
Abstract:
Considerable progress has been accomplished in the understanding of the genetics of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy over the last five years. This is a monogenic autosomal dominant condition with much inter- and intragenic variability. Four morbid genes coding for the contractile proteins have been identified: the heavy beta chain of cardiac myosin (14q11), cardiac troponin T (1q3), alpha tropomyosin (15q2), and myosin binding cardiac C protein (11p13-q-13). In addition, other genetic localisations not yet identified are certain. Moreover, many mutations have been reported in the already identified genes. The principal clinical perspectives ot this research lie in the analysis of the relationships between phenotype (clinical expression) and genotype with respect to prognosis, the severity and morphology of the hypertrophic process, the reevaluation of our diagnostic criteria and the long-term follow-up of the many healthy carriers in the identified families. The genetic heterogeneity of the disease is a limiting factor in genetic counselling and there are ethical problems related to the absence of effective treatment.
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