MERRF syndrome
MERRF syndrome (or Myoclonic Epilepsy with Ragged Red Fibers) is a mitochondrial disease. It is extremely rare, with an estimated prevalence of 1/400,000 in Northern Europe, and has varying degrees of expressivity owing to heteroplasmy.
Presentation
It involves the following characteristics:
Causes
The MERRF syndrome is caused by a maternally-inherited mutation at position 8344 in the mitochondrial genome in over 80% of cases. This point mutation disrupts the mitochondrial gene for tRNA-Lys and so disrupts synthesis of proteins essential for oxidative phosphorylation.
Many genes are involved. These include:
Treatment
Like many mitochondrial diseases, there is no cure for MERRF and treatment is primarily symptomatic. High doses of Coenzyme Q10 and L-Carnitine have been tried with little success as therapies in hopes of improving mitochondrial function.
Podcasts:
