Severe insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus in patients with congenital muscle fiber type disproportion myopathy

Abstract

Congenital muscle fiber type disproportion myopathy (CFTDM) is a chronic, nonprogressive muscle disorder characterized by universal muscle hypotrophy and growth retardation. Histomorphometric examination of muscle shows a preponderance of smaller than normal type 1 fibers and overall fiber size heterogeneity. Concomitant endocrine dysfunctions have not been described. We report the findings of altered insulin secretion and insulin action in two brothers affected with CFTDM and glucose intolerance as well as in their nonconsanguineous glucose-tolerant parents. Results are compared with those of six normoglycemic control subjects. All study participants underwent an oral glucose tolerance test to estimate insulin secretion. The oldest boy and his parents volunteered for studies of whole-body insulin sensitivity consisting of a 4-h euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp in combination with indirect calorimetry. Insulin receptor function and glycogen synthase (GS) activity and expression were examined in biopsies of vastus lateralis muscle. Despite a 45-90-fold increase in both fasting and postprandial serum insulin levels, both CFTDM patients had diabetes mellitus. Clamp studies revealed that the oldest boy had severe insulin resistance of both liver and peripheral tissues. The impaired insulin-stimulated glucose disposal to peripheral tissues was primarily due to reduced nonoxidative glucose metabolism. These changes were paralleled by reduced basal values of muscle GS total activity, allosterical activation of GS by glucose-6-phosphate, GS protein, and GS mRNA. The father expressed a lesser degree of insulin resistance, and studies of muscle insulin receptor function showed a severe impairment of receptor kinase activity. In conclusion, CFTDM is a novel form of severe hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. Whether insulin resistance is causally related to the muscle disorder awaits to be clarified.