Phenotype modifiers of spinal muscular atrophy: the number of SMN2 gene copies, deletion in the NAIP gene and probably gender influence the course of the disease

letion in the NAIP gene. A higher number of SMN2 copies makes the clinical symptoms more benign, and the NAIP gene deletion is associated with a more severe phenotype. The influence of gender remains unclear. In a group of 1039 patients, 55% of whom were male, the greatest disproportion was in the SMA1 (F/M = 0.78) and SMA3b (F/M = 0.45) forms. In SMA1 a deletion in the NAIP gene was seen twice as frequently in girls compared to boys. In three patients, we ob - served genotypes atypical for the chronic forms of SMA: two patients with SMA3a and 3b had a deletion of the NAIP gene, and a third patient with SMA2 had one copy of the SMN2 gene.