Upregulation of the aging related LMNA splice variant progerin in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Mutations in the LMNA gene are a common cause (6-8%) of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) leading to heart failure, a growing health care problem worldwide. The premature aging disease Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome (HGPS) is also caused by defined mutations in the LMNA gene resulting in activation of a cryptic splice donor site leading to a defective truncated prelamin A protein called progerin. Low levels of progerin are expressed in healthy individuals associated with ageing.