CAV3 gene mutation analysis in patients with idiopathic hyper-CK-emia.

As caveolin-3 deficiencies may explain persistent hyper-CK-emia, we performed CAV3 gene mutation analysis and immunohistochemistry for caveolin-3 in 31 patients with idiopathic hyper-CK-emia. In 2 of 29 patients who donated blood, variants in the CAV3 gene were detected. Although immunohistochemical analysis strongly suggested that caveolin-3 was properly localized in the muscle tissue of the two affected patients, it may not function normally and could thus explain their persistent hyper-CK-emia. Our findings contribute to the clarification of unexplained persistent hyper-CK-emia, but further research is needed before CAV3 gene mutation analysis becomes part of the routine evaluation of these patients.