Our study investigated the relationship between rare gene variants, clinical features and natural history in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. In particular, we explored the phenotype and outcome of rare variant carriers of the giant gene titin and desmosomal genes in a cohort of families with a long-term follow-up, up to 22 years. We found that desmosomal gene rare variant carriers were characterized by a severe prognosis and specific clinical and electrocardiographic features, while titin gene carriers had an intermediate outcome, supraventricular arrhythmias and severe conduction defects, information that may be useful in the clinical practice. (Drs. Francesca Brun and Luisa Mestroni for the authors, http://jmg.bmj.com/content/early/2014/08/25/jmedgenet-2014-102591 )

The two first authors, Francesca Brun , MD, and Carl Barnes, MD, presenting their work at the AHA meeting in Dallas, 2013.