Aim. Our aim was (1) to determine the frequency of insulin resistance (IR) in patients with Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD), (2) to identify deleted exons of DMD gene associated with obesity and IR, and (3) to explore some likely molecular mechanisms leading to IR. Materials and Methods. In 66 patients with DMD/BMD without corticosteroids treatment, IR, obesity, and body fat mass w...

BACKGROUND In patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the absent or diminished dystrophin leads to progressive skeletal muscle and heart failure. We evaluated the role of myocardial inflammation as a precipitating factor in the development of heart failure in DMD. METHODS 20 DMD patients (aged 15-18 yrs) and 20 age-matched healthy volunteers were studied and followed-up for 2 years. ...

In previous studies of cell-cell and cell-substratum adhesion, we have identified differences in the behaviour between human skin fibroblasts cultured from normal individuals and patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In these studies, monolayer cultures were dissociated by trypsinization and no detectable difference was noted in the efficiency of cell dissociation between normal and ...

Allele-specific molecular diagnosis of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies (DMD and BMD) has been largely dependent upon muscle biopsy for dystrophin protein assay. We performed lymphocyte DNA mutation analysis by polymerase chain reaction on 14 boys presenting with a clinical picture compatible with DMD or BMD. DNA analysis revealed that 12 of 14 boys had a deletion of the dystrophin gene...

Telomere shortening is thought to contribute to premature senescence of satellite cells in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) muscle. Telomeric repeat binding factor-1 (TRF1) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) are proteins known to modulate telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) activity, which controls telomere elongation. Here we show that an age-dependent telomere shortening occurs i...

This chapter focuses on the gene therapy advances made in relation to Duchenne muscular dystrophy and discusses principles and perspectives of strategies currently being developed. The chapter explains the genetic mutations that cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) and the differences between the two are discussed in relation to disease severity. The histo...

Tongue weakness, like all weakness in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), occurs as a result of contraction-induced muscle damage and deficient muscular repair. Although membrane fragility is known to potentiate injury in DMD, whether muscle stem cells are implicated in deficient muscular repair remains unclear. We hypothesized that DMD myoblasts are less sensitive to cues in the extracellular m...

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common hereditary muscular dystrophy caused by mutation in dystrophin, and there is no curative therapy. Dystrophin is a protein which forms the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex (DGC) at the sarcolemma linking the muscle cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix. When dystrophin is absent, muscle fibers become vulnerable to mechanical stret...

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is associated with a dramatic muscle mass loss. We hypothesized that DMD would be associated with significant changes in both energy and protein metabolism. We studied the resting energy expenditure (REE) in DMD and control children using indirect calorimetry, and their protein metabolism using an intravenous infusion of leucine and glutamine labeled with stabl...

The aim of the study was to demonstrate a successful repair of Descemet membrane detachment (DMD). A 73-year-old woman with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma underwent phacoemulsification with flexible posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation. Because of inadequate pupillary dilatation flexible iris retractors were used. Four days after cataract surgery, a large DMD was recognized. One day late...