Association analyses between the variants of , and and the efficacy of botulinum toxin A in the treatment of the primary Meige syndrome.

Objective: Individual differences were observed in the clinical efficacy of Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) in the treatment of the primary Meige syndrome. Our study aimed to explore the potential associations between the clinical efficacy of BoNT-A in the treatment of the primary Meige syndrome and variants of , and , which are involving in the translocation of the BoNT-A in vivo.

Methods: Patients with the primary Meige syndrome treated with BoNT-A were enrolled. Clinical efficacy was evaluated by the maximum improvement rate of motor symptoms and the duration of efficacy. Variants of , and were obtained by Sanger sequencing. Another cohort diagnosed with primary cervical dystonia was also enrolled in the replication stage.

Results: Among the 104 primary Meige syndrome patients, 80 patients (76.9%) had a good efficacy (the maximum improvement rate of motor symptoms ≥30%) and 24 (23. 1%) had a poor (the maximum improvement rate of motor symptoms <30%). As to the duration of efficacy, 52 patients (50.0%) had a long duration of efficacy (≥4 months), and 52 (50.0%) had a short (<4 months). In terms of primary Meige syndrome, rs6104571 was found associating with the maximum improvement rate of motor symptoms (Genotype:  = 0.02, OR = 0.26; Allele:  = 0.013, OR = 0.29), and rs31244 was found associating with the duration of efficacy (Genotype:  = 0.024, OR = 0.13; Allele:  = 0.012, OR = 0.13). Besides, we also conducted the association analyses between the variants and BoNT-A-related adverse reactions. Although, there was no statistical difference between the allele of rs31244 and BoNT-A-related adverse reactions, there was a trend ( = 0.077, OR = 2.56). In the replication stage, we included 39 patients with primary cervical dystonia to further expanding the samples' size. Among the 39 primary cervical dystonia patients, 25 patients (64.1%) had a good efficacy (the maximum improvement rate of motor symptoms ≥50%) and 14 (35.9%) had a poor (the maximum improvement rate of motor symptoms <50%). As to the duration of efficacy, 32 patients (82.1%) had a long duration of efficacy (≥6 months), and 7 (17.9%) had a short (<6 months). Integrating primary Meige syndrome and primary cervical dystonia, rs31244 was still found associating with the duration of efficacy (Genotype:  = 0.002, OR = 0. 23; Allele:  = 0.001, OR = 0. 25).

Conclusion: In our study, rs6104571 was associated with the maximum improvement rate of motor symptoms in patients with primary Meige syndrome treated with BoNT-A, and patients carrying this variant had a lower improvement rate of motor symptoms. rs31244 was associated with duration of treatment in patients with primary Meige syndrome treated with BoNT-A and patients carrying this variant had a shorter duration of treatment. Patients with primary Meige syndrome carrying rs31244 G allele have an increase likelihood of BoNT-A-related adverse reactions. Involving 39 patients with primary cervical dystonia, the results further verify that rs31244 was associated with duration of treatment and patients carrying this variant had a shorter duration of treatment.