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The significance of type 2C muscle fibers in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Undifferentiated type 2C fibers, which are dark on ATPase staining with both alkaline and acid preincubation, comprised on average 16.1% of the muscle fibers in 12 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Many of type 2C fibers had characteristics of regenerating fibers: basophilic cytoplasm, vesicular nuclei with occasional prominent nucleoli, high alkaline phosphatase and nonspecific esterase activity, and also high oxidative enzyme activity at the periphery of the fiber. A localized high acetylcholinesterase activity suggested the presence of a neuromuscular junction in some of the type 2C fibers. In serial sections, histochemical reactions characteristic of the type 2C fiber were present in segments of a single fiber, which in other parts was either a type 1 or a type 2 fiber. Since most of the opaque (hyaline, dark) fibers, which previously have been thought to be precursors of necrotic fibers, behaved as differentiated type 1 or type 2 fibers, the presence of type 2C fibers in DMD may not reflect "dedifferentiation" of fiber type, but rather indicate an active regenerating process. It remains unknown whether the type 2C fiber segments in DMD develop into fully differentiated functional fibers or remain as incompletely regenerated fibers.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Prospective study of X-linked progressive muscular dystrophy in Campania.

Within the Campania region of southern Italy a prospective study on X-linked progressive muscular dystrophy was conducted over a period of 12 years from 1969 to 1980, inclusive. The mean incidence rate was 21.7 per 100,000 male livebirths for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) cases and 3.2 per 100,000 male livebirths for Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) cases. The familial cases were 38.5% among the DMD patients and 50% among the BMD patients. Myocardial involvement appeared in DMD patients at about 6 years of age in a high percentage of cases and increased progressively until the last years of life, when cardiac damage occurred in 95% of cases. The percentage of myocardial involvement in BMD patients was very low before 13 years of age, but increased progressively until 20 years, when cardiac damage occurred in 80% of cases studied; severe cardiomyopathy did not occur before the age of 21. The data reported also include the effects of age on physical performance, serum creatine kinase activity and serum myoglobin levels, the types of cardiac damage, and the causes of death.

Adolescent↗

Reinnervation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Motor neuron abnormalities have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Evidence concerning the effect of injury on motor neurons of human Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is lacking. We report a DMD patient having, in addition, an obstetric paresis on his left arm. EMG and muscle histochemistry showed signs of reinnervation superimposed on myopathy in his left arm. This suggests that sprouting is preserved in DMD motor neurons and that muscle fibers retain the capability of accepting reinnervation.

Child↗

An electron microscopical study of the T-system in biopsied muscles from Fukuyama type congenital muscular dystrophy.

The behavior of the tubular system in muscles from six patients with Fukuyama type congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD) was examined by electron microscopy using a lanthanum nitrate stain for a comparison with that in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In FCMD, many fibers showed morphological changes of the T-system as follows: aggregated tubular components forming honeycomb-like structures, focal dilatation of T-tubules with tangle formation, and numerous longitudinally projecting tubules, which were quite similar to those found in cases with DMD. The fibers with abnormal T-systems occasionally showed ultrastructural characteristics of regenerating fibers, including excessive ribosome particles, immaturely organized myofibrils, and an increased number of internal nuclei and satellite cells. The present results suggested that there was no qualitative difference in the behavior of the T-system between FCMD and DMD, and the morphological changes of the T-system in dystrophic muscles were not primary lesions initiating myonecrosis but reflected the behavior of sarcotubular formation in the process of muscle regeneration.

Animals↗

Screening for Duchenne muscular dystrophy: an improved screening test for creatine kinase and its application in an infant screening program.

A kinetic bioluminescence assay with optimized reagent conditions has been developed for application as a screening test for increased creatine kinase (CK) activities in dried blood spots. This test is used for the early detection of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in a voluntary CK screening program in West Germany. Of the 176,600 boys tested up to December 31, 1984, 48 who were less than 6 months old had certain or probable DMD (frequency 1: 3679). In 1983 and 1984, the rate of false positive results was 0.016% for a cut-off activity 300 U/liter and 0.061% for a cut-off activity 180 U/liter. Long-term counseling is offered to families of newly detected DMD patients in order to facilitate the aims of the screening program, namely, avoidance of secondary cases in affected families, early professional care for the sick child, and the early opportunity to make the appropriate decisions for a life with an handicapped child. Two types of a benign hereditary blood anomaly were also detected by CK screening (CK-BB inside erythrocytes or thrombocytes).

Age Factors↗

Tissue culture studies of muscle disorders: Part 1. Techniques, cell growth, morphology, cell surface.

Tissue culture has been used extensively in studies of human inherited disorders, and its application in the field of the neuromuscular disorders has increased rapidly in recent years. This review, covering the period 1977 to 1984, deals with tissue culture studies of both human and animal muscle disorders, although Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) figures prominently because of the overwhelming interest in that disorder. The review is in two parts. In the first part, I discuss technical innovations in the field, the morphology and growth of cells, and a variety of studies related to the cell surface. Important findings in relation to DMD include reports of abnormal growth rates and reduced lifespan of DMD cells, hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging agents, abnormal cell-to-cell and cell-to-substratum adhesion, and a more "fluid" cell membrane. However, these findings are controversial or have so far been reported only by single laboratories.

Animals↗

A quantitative comparison of satellite cell ultrastructure in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, polymyositis, and normal controls.

Failure of the muscle to regenerate successfully is an important feature of the pathology of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). It is known that this is not due to a numerical reduction in the population of satellite cells. We have therefore examined the ultrastructural composition of the satellite cells in 25 DMD cases and compared them with satellite cells from normal subjects and from polymyositis patients to try to identify morphological features that might be associated with an impaired developmental competence. Profiles of randomly and serially sectioned satellite cells were analyzed stereologically to obtain nuclear and cytoplasmic areas. Within the cytoplasm, the areas occupied by mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), and Golgi apparatus were measured. Micropinocytotic vesicles (MPVs) at the periphery of the cells were counted. The nucleus to cytoplasm ratios and mitochondrial, RER, and Golgi volume fractions were not significantly different in the three satellite cell samples. The cells in the DMD sample contained more MPVs than those in the normal subjects. This is attributed to a generalized cell response to a physiologically altered environment in the diseased muscle.

Adolescent↗

Duchenne dystrophic muscle develops lesions in long-term coculture with mouse spinal cord.

When strips of human skeletal muscle from biopsies of normal children and donors with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are explanted in organotypic coculture with fetal mouse spinal cord, many regenerating muscle fibers develop, become innervated, and maintain a remarkable degree of mature structure and function for more than 3-6 months in vitro. Sequential light microscopy in correlation with electron-microscopic and electrophysiologic analyses showed that despite cross-species innervation, these human muscle fibers develop stable cross-striations, peripherally positioned myonuclei, and mature, functional motor endplates. Of special interest is the onset of significant progressive abnormalities, e.g., unusual focal myofibrillar lesions, in substantial numbers of innervated mature DMD muscle fibers after 2-4 months in culture. The focal myofibrillar lesions were not detected in normal muscle fibers maintained as long as 6 months in coculture, nor are they comparable to the generalized loss of cross-striations observed in muscle atrophy following in vitro denervation of mature DMD fibers.

Animals↗

Superoxide dismutases, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase in neuromuscular disease.

Studies in experimental muscular dystrophy indicate a possible role for anomalous redox metabolism in the genesis of these disorders, prompting a retrospective review of changes in redox-active enzymes in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Both manganous and copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Mn and CuZn SOD) content and glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities were measured in muscle biopsy specimens taken from normal individuals and from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular diseases. Muscle from patients with Duchenne dystrophy differed from the norm in that both Mn SOD and CuZn SOD were decreased and glutathione peroxidase was increased. This profile differed from that in anterior horn cell diseases in that CuZn SOD was not decreased in these disorders and from polymyositis, where CuZn SOD was decreased without an increase in glutathione peroxidase. Thus, there appears to be disease-specific changes in these enzymes in DMD. These data support the concept that changes in redox-active enzymes may be associated with the genesis of DMD.

Adult↗

Serotonin uptake in blood platelets of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.

Serotonin (5-HT) uptake was studied in the blood platelets of 10 patients with Duchenne-type muscular dystrophy (DMD) and 7 age-matched controls. Vmax (maximum number of uptake sites) of platelet 5-HT uptake in the DMD patients was significantly less than that of the normal controls. There was no difference in the affinity for 5-HT (Km) between the two groups. There was a significant negative correlation between serum creatine kinase activity and Km of 5-HT uptake in blood platelets of these patients. However, no correlation was found between Km or Vmax and ambulatory status of DMD.

Adolescent↗

Molecular genetics in muscular dystrophy research: revolutionary progress.

The contribution of "reverse genetic" strategies to neuromuscular disease research is evident in the progression of breakthroughs that have recently culminated in the cloning of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) cDNA. The resultant improvements in our understanding of the genetic basis of Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) and DMD serve as models for similar investigation of other heritable disorders. These genetic advances have outpaced concurrent work on the molecular pathogenesis of the dystrophic process, with the curious result that inferences about the DMD protein's amino acid sequence have preceded any information about its function or intracellular localization. In recognition that this foundation sets the stage for the rapid elucidation of the disease's pathogenesis, we review the experimental basis of such advances, with reference to relevant progress in basic myology, pathology, and molecular biology. We conclude with a view towards the ultimate clinical implications of these experimental breakthroughs.

Animals↗

Light and electron microscopic studies on localization of myoglobin in skeletal muscle cells in neuromuscular diseases.

The localizations of myoglobin in skeletal muscle cells of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), myotonic dystrophy (MyD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were studied by immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy. In normal skeletal muscle cells, myoglobin was localized mainly in the I-band region. In degenerating muscle cells of patients with DMD and MyD, myoglobin was also demonstrated in the distended lumen of the internal membrane system and in the intermyofibrillar space, through which it seemed to pass into the extracellular space. No myoglobin was detected in opaque fibers or in some of small-sized fibers in DMD muscle. In patients with ALS the staining intensities of myoglobin varied in different muscle cells, but myoglobin was restricted to the I-band region in many muscle cells. These findings suggest that changes in the localization of myoglobin in skeletal muscle cell sensitively reflect the pathologic status of muscle cells.

Adolescent↗

Assessment of locomotor function in young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Thirty-three young boys (mean age 3.42 years) with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and 21 normal control boys (mean age 3.51 years) were studied prospectively to determine whether it is possible to objectively assess locomotor function in young boys with DMD so that they can be included in treatment trials. An initial reproducibility study using a hand-held myometer demonstrated that this method was not useful. The Hammersmith Motor Ability Score demonstrated an increase in developmental abilities with age which was markedly different from normal. The locomotor quotient of the Griffiths' Scales demonstrated a deterioration of quotient scores and is a useful method of assessment that could be used in treatment trials involving young boys with DMD. Sample size planning for treatment trials is discussed.

Child↗

Expression of utrophin (dystrophin-related protein) and dystrophin-associated glycoproteins in muscles from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

We examined whether the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex (GPC), which serves to fix dystrophin to cell membranes, is present at the sarcolemma in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) muscles using an immunohistochemical method. Antibodies against 50DAG (A2) and 43DAG (A3a), the components of GPC, were used for the detection of GPC. We found that, although the amount of GPC was reduced in DMD muscles where utrophin but not dystrophin was distinctly present, 43DAG (A3a) was fairly heavily and 50DAG (A2) was lightly but distinctly stained on the cell surfaces. It is likely that the capability of utrophin to preserve 50DAG (A2) is less than that of dystrophin, although utrophin has been reported to bind to GPC. We also found that 43DAG (A3a) but not 50DAG (A2) was detected in the peripheral nerves where utrophin was detected. Therefore, it is likely that 43DAG (A3a) is essential for the fixation of utrophin to cell membranes, as in the case of dystrophin. 50DAG (A2) may play other important roles in the pathogenesis of DMD.

Cytoskeletal Proteins↗

Lysosomal enzyme activities in skeletal muscle of patients with neuromuscular diseases.

Activities of nine lysosomal enzymes and pH-dependent isozyme patterns of alpha-mannosidase were examined in the skeletal muscle of patients with neuromuscular diseases, and the ratios of these enzyme activities in leukocytes to those in myocytes (L/M ratio) were determined. The activities of enzymes with a high L/M ratio were markedly increased in the muscles of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), myotonic dystrophy (MyD), or polymyositis (PM). In contrast, those which showed a low L/M ratio were increased in the muscles of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and disuse muscle atrophy (DUA). The isozyme pattern of alpha-mannosidase in DMD muscle resembled that in leukocytes, while those in ALS and DUA muscle resembled that in normal muscle. These results may suggest that the increased activity of lysosomal enzymes in the muscles of patients with DMD, MyD, or PM is due primarily to infiltrating leukocytes, while that in patients with ALS or DUA is due to intramyofiber lysosomes.

Aged↗

Platelet-derived growth factor and its receptors are related to the progression of human muscular dystrophy: an immunohistochemical study.

This study has examined the immunological localization of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A, PDGF-B, and PDGF receptor (PDGFR) alpha and beta to clarify their role in the progression of muscular dystrophy. Biopsied frozen muscles from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), and congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) were analysed immunohistochemically using antibodies raised against PDGF-A, PDGF-B, and PDGFR alpha and beta. Muscles from two dystrophic mouse models (dy and mdx mice) were also immunostained with antibodies raised against PDGFR alpha and beta. In normal human control muscle, neuromuscular junctions and vessels were positively stained with antibodies against PDGF-A, PDGF-B, PDGFR alpha and PDGFR beta. In human dystrophic muscles, PDGF-A, PDGF-B, PDGFR alpha and PDGFR beta were strongly immunolocalized in regenerating muscle fibres and infiltrating macrophages. PDGFR alpha was also immunolocalized to the muscle fibre sarcolemma and necrotic fibres. The most significant finding in this study was a remarkable overexpression of PDGFR beta and, to a lesser extent, PDGFR alpha in the endomysium of DMD and CMD muscles. PDGFR was also overexpressed in the interstitium of muscles from dystrophic mice, particularly dy mice. Double immunolabelling revealed that activated interstitial fibroblasts were clearly positive for PDGFR alpha and beta. However, DMD and CMD muscles with advanced fibrosis showed very poor reactivity against PDGF and PDGFR. Those findings were confirmed by immunoblotting with PDGFR beta. These findings indicate that PDGF and its receptors are significantly involved in the active stage of tissue destruction and are associated with the initiation or promotion of muscle fibrosis. They also have roles in muscle fibre regeneration and signalling at neuromuscular junctions in both normal and diseased muscle.

Adolescent↗

Relationship between peak cough flow and spirometry in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Spirometry is used to monitor respiratory progress in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Mucociliary clearance depends on cough strength, which can be measured by peak cough flow (PCF). It is not routinely measured in most centers. When the PCF falls below 270 l/min, mucociliary clearance is likely to be impaired during viral illnesses, and techniques to assist mucociliary clearance should be taught. There is no known association between spirometry and PCF. Our aim was to assess if PCF relates to spirometry measures, and if spirometry can be used to predict when the PCF <270 l/min. Children with DMD aged 6-19 years were recruited. Spirometry was performed with a Jaeger Masterscope with version 4.60 software. PCF was performed with a Wright peak flow meter. Data were collected into an Access '97 database, and statistics were performed with Stata 7.0. The association between PCF and spirometry was defined with linear regression. Logistic regression was used to predict the probability that the PCF would be <270 l/min for any given forced vital capacity (FVC) or forced expired volume in 1 sec (FEV1). The risk ratios for PCF <270 l/min were calculated for the spirometry parameters. PCF is associated with FVC (R2, 0.72) and FEV1 (R2, 0.69). The likelihood of PCF <270 l/min rises when FVC <2.l and FEV1 <2.l/sec. The risk ratio for PCF <270 l/min when FVC <2.1 l is 4.80 (1.72-13.40) and when FEV1 <2.1 l/sec is 3.94 (1.43-10.85). In children with DMD, PCF should be measured when FVC <2.1 l or FEV1 <2.1 l/sec, so that techniques to assist with mucociliary clearance can be effectively used.

Adolescent↗

Absence of a calmitine-specific protease inhibitor in skeletal muscle mitochondria of patients with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.

We studied the effect of mitochondrial extracts from skeletal muscle of patients with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD) on calmitine from the skeletal muscle of normal mice and control subjects. Our results clearly show the existence of an abnormal proteolytic activity of mitochondria from patients with DMD on calmitine from the normal mouse. This proteolytic activity was not found on calmitine from the control subject. Overall, our observations suggest that calmitine concentration in the muscle of the control subject remains elevated because of the presence of a calmitine-specific protease and an inhibitor of this protease which regulates and/or suppresses the activity of the enzyme according to the requirements of the muscle cell. Conversely, the calmitine deficiency observed in the muscle of patients with DMD would be due to the absence of this inhibitor. This would account for the continual activity of the enzyme in degrading calmitine as soon as it is synthesized. The identification of this inhibitor is currently being investigated in our laboratory.

Animals↗