Recurring episodes of myoglobinuria, i.e., of the presence of myoglobin in the urine. This is usually a consequence of rhabdomyolysis, i.e., of the destruction of muscle tissue.

Presence of myoglobin in the urine following exercise.

An abnormal appearance of muscle fibers observed on muscle biopsy. Ragged red fibers can be visualized with Gomori trichrome staining as irregular and intensely red subsarcolemmal zones, whereas the normal myofibrils are green. The margins of affect fibers appear red and ragged. The ragged-red is due to the accumulation of abnormal mitochondria below the plasma membrane of the muscle fiber, leading to the appearance of a red rim and speckled sarcoplasm.

Recurring episodes of myoglobinuria, i.e., of the presence of myoglobin in the urine. This is usually a consequence of rhabdomyolysis, i.e., of the destruction of muscle tissue.

Primary coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency is usually associated with multisystem involvement, including neurologic manifestations such as fatal neonatal encephalopathy with hypotonia; a late-onset slowly progressive multiple-system atrophy-like phenotype (neurodegeneration with autonomic failure and various combinations of parkinsonism and cerebellar ataxia, and pyramidal dysfunction); and dystonia, spasticity, seizures, and intellectual disability. Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS), the hallmark renal manifestation, is often the initial manifestation either as isolated renal involvement that progresses to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or associated with encephalopathy (seizures, stroke-like episodes, severe neurologic impairment) resulting in early death. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), retinopathy or optic atrophy, and sensorineural hearing loss can also be seen.

The mitochondrial trifunctional protein, composed of 4 alpha and 4 beta subunits, catalyzes 3 steps in mitochondrial beta-oxidation of fatty acids: long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD), long-chain enoyl-CoA hydratase, and long-chain thiolase activities. Trifunctional protein deficiency is characterized by decreased activity of all 3 enzymes. Clinically, classic trifunctional protein deficiency can be classified into 3 main clinical phenotypes: neonatal onset of a severe, lethal condition resulting in sudden unexplained infant death (SIDS; 272120), infantile onset of a hepatic Reye-like syndrome, and late-adolescent onset of primarily a skeletal myopathy (summary by Spiekerkoetter et al., 2003). Some patients with MTP deficiency show a protracted progressive course associated with myopathy, recurrent rhabdomyolysis, and sensorimotor axonal neuropathy. These patients tend to survive into adolescence and adulthood (den Boer et al., 2003). See mitochondrial trifunctional protein deficiency-1 (609015), caused by mutation in the HADHA gene (600890), the alpha subunit of mitochondrial trifunctional protein.