Neuropediatrics
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Dystrophin is the gene product of the Duchenne (DMD) and Becker (BMD) muscular dystrophy gene locus on the short arm of the X chromosome. Complete lack of dystrophin is pathognomonic for DMD and variable changes of the molecule may be observed in the milder allelic form of BMD. In the present study the two methods available for dystrophin assessment, immunofluorescence detections on cryosections (IF) and Western blotting (WB) were systematically compared using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to various regions along the dystrophin molecule. ⋯ In 20 other patients limb girdle muscualar dystrophy with "Duchenne-like" or "Becker-like" phenotype was suspected because dystrophin showed normal abundance and distribution. Focal discontinuity of muscle cell-surface dystrophin staining was observed in one patient with a congenital, autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy and in one out of five patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis. The study emphasizes the need for, and value of, dystrophin assessment in every case of suspected BMD or DMD.