Publications by authors named "Ana Cotta"

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2G/R7 (LGMD2G/R7) is an ultra-rare condition initially identified within the Brazilian population. We aimed to expand clinical and genetic information about this disease, including its worldwide distribution. A multicenter historical cohort study was performed at 13 centers in Brazil in which data from index cases and their affected relatives from consecutive families with LGMD2G/R7 were reviewed from July 2017 to August 2023.

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Central Core Disease (CCD) is a genetic neuromuscular disorder characterized by the presence of cores in muscle biopsy. The inheritance has been described as predominantly autosomal dominant (AD), and the disease may present as severe neonatal or mild adult forms. Here we report clinical and molecular data on a large cohort of Brazilian CCD patients, including a retrospective clinical analysis and molecular screening for variants using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS).

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Article Synopsis
  • - Reversible infantile respiratory chain deficiency is a serious condition in newborns caused by a specific mtDNA mutation (m.14674T>C) and certain nuclear gene variants; it typically resolves on its own.
  • - Two cases are presented: a boy and a girl, both showing symptoms like weak muscle tone, feeding issues, high lactic acid levels, and distinctive muscle biopsy findings (ragged red fibers).
  • - Early recognition of this condition is crucial for providing essential care during the first six months, and understanding how it resolves might lead to new treatments for other mitochondrial diseases.
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Central Core Disease (CCD) is an inherited neuromuscular disorder characterized by the presence of cores in muscle biopsy. CCD is caused by mutations in the RYR1 gene. This gene encodes the ryanodine receptor 1, which is an intracellular calcium release channel from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol in response to depolarization of the plasma membrane.

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Article Synopsis
  • Reversible infantile respiratory chain deficiency (RIRCD) is a rare mitochondrial condition in infants that usually improves on its own after six months; it’s linked to a specific mitochondrial mutation but affects only 1% of carriers.* -
  • Research on 27 affected infants revealed additional mutations in nuclear genes related to mitochondrial function in most cases, suggesting a dual genetic influence on the condition.* -
  • Analysis of patient muscle indicates that metabolic changes involving stress responses and mitochondrial growth may contribute to recovery in RIRCD, which could also explain differences seen in other mitochondrial disorders.*
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Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous subtype of mitochondrial disease. We report two girls with ataxia and mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiency who were shown to have primary CoQ10 deficiency. Muscle histochemistry displayed signs of mitochondrial dysfunction-ragged red fibers, mitochondrial paracrystalline inclusions, and lipid deposits while biochemical analyses revealed complex II+III respiratory chain deficiencies.

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The LMNA gene is associated to a huge broad of phenotypes, including congenital Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy and late-onset LMNA-related muscular dystrophy. In these forms, muscle weakness, contractures, and cardiac impairment are common. In an autosomal dominant pedigree including 5 affected patients, NGS molecular analysis performed in 6 relatives identifies the heterozygous c.

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Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumor that frequently occurs between the ages of 10 and 25 years old; in about 80% of the patients, it is associated with intense pain. The present article describes the case of an 11-month-old infant with claudication, right lower limb shortening, and painless right leg volume increase. Image studies demonstrated an osteolytic lesion with small ossifications within, involved by cortical thickening of the right tibial diaphysis.

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Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD) are a group of genetically heterogeneous disorders characterized by predominantly proximal muscle weakness. We aimed to characterize epidemiological, clinical and molecular data of patients with autosomal recessive LGMD2/LGMD-R in Brazil. A multicenter historical cohort study was performed at 13 centers, in which index cases and their affected relatives' data from consecutive families with genetic or pathological diagnosis of LGMD2/LGMD-R were reviewed from July 2017 to August 2018.

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Unlabelled: The diagnostic procedure in neuromuscular patients is complex. Knowledge of the relative frequency of neuromuscular diseases within the investigated population is important to allow the neurologist to perform the most appropriate diagnostic tests.

Objective: To report the relative frequency of common neuromuscular diagnoses in a reference center.

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Background: Dystrophinopathies are X-linked muscular dystrophies characterized by pathogenic mutations in the dystrophin gene. Symptomatic dystrophinopathy female carriers may present with limb-girdle weakness. The diagnosis may be challenging in the absence of affected male relatives.

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Background: Limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2G (LGMD2G) is a subtype of autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy caused by mutations in the telethonin gene. There are few LGMD2G patients worldwide reported, and this is the first description associated with early tibialis anterior sparing on muscle image and myopathic-neurogenic motor unit potentials.

Case Presentation: Here we report a 31 years old caucasian male patient with progressive gait disturbance, and severe lower limb proximal weakness since the age of 20 years, associated with subtle facial muscle weakness.

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Limb girdle muscular dystrophies are heterogeneous autosomal hereditary neuromuscular disorders. They produce dystrophic changes on muscle biopsy and they are associated with mutations in several genes involved in muscular structure and function. Detailed clinical, laboratorial, imaging, diagnostic flowchart, photographs, tables, and illustrated diagrams are presented for the differential diagnosis of common autosomal recessive limb girdle muscular dystrophy subtypes diagnosed nowadays at one reference center in Brazil.

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Limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2 G (LGMD2G) is caused by mutations in the telethonin gene. Only few families were described presenting this disease, and they are mainly Brazilians. Here, we identified one additional case carrying the same common c.

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Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common form of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. In its early stage it may mimic benign dermatoses both on a clinical and histologic basis. MF usually expresses CD3 and CD4 (T-cell) markers.

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Context: Non-specific lymphocytic infiltrates of the skin pose difficulties in daily practice in pathology. There is still a lack of pathognomonic signs for the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant lymphocytic infiltrates.

Objective: To evaluate the morphological and immunohistochemical profile of lymphocytic infiltrations of the skin according to clinical outcome.

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Prostatic atrophy may be histologically and at ultrasound similar to adenocarcinoma causing diagnostic confusion, its frequency increases with age but the etiopathogenesis is unknown. Based on a systematic study in autopsies previously done by one of us, ischemia due to local intense arteriosclerosis seems to be a potential factor for its pathogenesis. Absent blood flow in areas of prostatic atrophy might be a further evidence for a possible role of ischemia.

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