An observational study in Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, sponsored by Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Denmark. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-12.
Sponsored by Rigshospitalet, Denmark · Observational
A large cohort of MRI scans from patients with pathogenic variants in the anoctamin 5 gene will be collected through an international collaboration to better describe muscle involvement.
Background:
The anoctamin 5 gene (ANO5) encodes the anoctamine 5 protein that act as a calcium-sensitive chloride channel. The protein is preferentially expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscle and bone and likely acts in the repair of the cell membrane. Pathogenic ANO5 variants inherited in a autosomal recessive trait give rise to three main phenotypes: Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type R12 (LGMDR12, formerly classified as LGMD2L), Miyoshi distal muscular dystrophy type 3 (MMD3), and asymptomatic hyperCKemia). As the name implies, patients with LGMDR12 are affected more proximally and patients with MMD3 more distally, but the definition and distinction between the two entities is unclear. Men with anoctaminopathy are more severely affected than women. Cardiac disease such as arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy as well as bulbar symptoms or respiratory failure are very rare in anoctaminopathies. Onset is in adulthood and disease progression is slow, generally with a later onset and disease progression than seen in other LGMDs. Ambulation is preserved until late in the disease course.
However, only few studies based on small case series have investigated the phenotype of patients with ANO5 mutations using MRI. There is therefore a need to investigate a larger international group of patients using MRI to properly describe which muscles are affected in men and women with anoctaminopathy.
The spectrum of phenotypes in anoctaminopathies resembles that seen in dysferlinopathies, and in the latter group, it has been shown that the former division into LGMDR2 (formally LGMD2B) and Miyoshi distal muscular dystrophy type 2 (MMD2) is rather arbitrary. Our hypothesis is that this may very well also be the case for LGMDR12 and MMD3. A large MRI study would be able to shed light on this question. Muscle involvement in patients with ANO5 mutations is said to be asymmetric based on clinical assessments (7,8,10). The proposed study will also elucidate this by studying symmetry of muscle affection. Finally, the diseases severity is said to be marked between the two sexes, but this has not been quantified in any detail before. The proposed study will also be able to shed light on this.
Aim:
The aims of the project are:
Methods:
Sites from all over the world will share an eCRF and their MRI data with Copenhagen Neuromuscular Center through the platform MyoShare.
53 studies on the registry are indexed under Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle; 10 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 200 is above the median of 70 across 28 observational studies indexed under Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle.
Browse Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle studies →Rigshospitalet, Denmark is the lead sponsor of 1,017 studies on the registry; 183 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
MRIs of patients with pathogenic variants in the anoctamin 5 gene will be examined. The MRIs are obtained from either former studies or as part of clinical evaluation in the collaborating countries.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Concomitant other disorders that also can result in muscular atrophy, i.e. polyneuropathy, other muscle diseases, recent long-term stay in intensive care, among others.
Anoctaminopathies including Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy R12, Miyoshi distal Muscular Dystrophy type 3 and asymptomatic hyperCKemia
Other: No intervention
No intervention
Qualitative fat fraction lower back and legs
Qualitative muscle fat fraction analyses of lower back and legs evaluated from T1-weighted images using the Mercury score (score: 0-4)
Time frame: 15 minutes
Qualitative fat fraction of whole body
Qualitative fat fraction analyses of the rest of the body evaluated from T1-weighted images using the Mercury score (score: 0-4)
Time frame: 15 minutes
Quantitative fat fraction of axial and leg muscles
Qualitative fat fraction analyses of axial and leg muscles evaluated from Dixon images
Time frame: 60 minutes
Inflammatory evaluation of axial and leg muscles
Quantitative analysis of inflammation in axial and leg muscles from STIR images
Time frame: 60 minutes
Plan to share: No
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle→
Rigshospitalet, Denmark