Echinocytes in families with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The results of the present investigation have failed to confirm the suggestion that there is a significant increase in the proportion of echinocytes in preparation of fresh erythrocytes in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and heterozygous carriers of this disorder.     

Carrier detection in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy Argentine families

In order to offer carrier detection, genetic counseling, and prenatal diagnosis to families with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) in our country, segregation analysis of highly polymorphic short tandem repeats (STR) (dC-dA)n: (dG-dT)n loci was utilized. The risks to females of 15 DMD/BMD families (9 familial and 6 sporadic) were evaluated on STR, pedigree and serum creatine kinase (SCK) data. From the 36 females at risk of being carriers (not including 8 obligate carriers), results of STR analysis were compatible with carrier status in 7 and not compatible in 20. In 9 females, no information regarding carriership was derived from the STR analysis. Prenatal diagnosis is now possible on the carrier females. Previously identified deletions in the central part of the gene were confirmed by STR analysis in 3 families. Five new alleles were identified in Argentine individuals; allele frequencies differed from those of North American people. Results derived from this study are useful for carrier detection and genetic counseling in DMD/BMD. One case of probable mosaicism in an unaffected father was detected on a pedigree basis in a family with DMD patients.     

Effects of genetic counseling on Duchenne muscular dystrophy families in Brazil

We report the preliminary results of a follow-up study of 574 females at-risk for Duchenne dystrophy, recontacted 3 to 13 yr after genetic counseling (GC). Among them, 290 are younger than 18 yr or still unmarried. The effectiveness of GC (reproductive performance) in the remaining group is analyzed in terms of procreation, rate of sterilization, and mean number of children. The observed data suggest that females at-risk involved in GC had about 169 children less than their normal, nonaffected brothers. In terms of prevention this would correspond roughly to 42 Duchenne affected boys and 42 carrier girls.     

Pathogenic and nonpathogenic deletions in two families with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Two deletions detected within the Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (D/BMD) gene of normal male members of two DMD families were both independent, nonpathogenic deletions located in a large intron in the XJ region (DXS206) toward the 5' end of the gene [Burghes et al., 1987]. Investigation of the surrounding exons revealed no exon deletions or duplications. The simplest interpretation of these observations is that the deletions are entirely intronic and do not cause perturbation of the gene product, resulting in a normal phenotype. The disease phenotypes in the affected males in these two families are caused by exon deletions remote from this intron. Some caution is therefore indicated in using genomic deletions for clinical prediction.     

假肥大型肌营养不良症基因诊断及遗传分析

目的对假肥大型肌营养不良症（DMD／BMD）患者进行基因诊断并对家系进行遗传分析,以提高对DMD／BMD的基因诊断水平及有效的遗传咨询。方法对40例DMD／BMD患者应用18对引物多重PCR技术进行Dystrophin基因缺失诊断,收集完整家系资料进行遗传分析以判断致病基因携带者及评估风险。结果40例DMD／BMD患者基因诊断有27例至少存在一个外显子片段缺失（67．5％）,13例未检测到缺失（32．5％）。通过对家系的遗传分析判断出致病基因携带者。结论多重PCR作为一种简便快速的诊断方法可对DMD／BMD患者进行基因诊断;对风险家系进行遗传分析、判断致病基因携带者以进行有效的遗传咨询,进而控制遗传病。     

Localisation of Xp21 meiotic exchange points in Duchenne muscular dystrophy families.

The inheritance of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 25 families was studied with 13 X chromosome specific cloned DNA fragments from 10 loci in and surrounding Xp21. When multiple probes were informative, the meiotic exchange points for each meiosis were located in individual families. Neither genetic nor physical evidence indicates an unusually high recombination rate across Xp21 in these 25 families.     

应用多个微卫星DNA位点进行Duchenne/ Becker肌营养不良症携带者的检测

目的　筛查和确定 Duchenne/ Becker肌营养不良症 ( Duchenne/ Becker muscular dystrophy,DMD/ BMD)家系的女性成员中的致病基因携带者与正常者 ,为进一步行产前诊断或植入前遗传学诊断提供信息。方法　用 PCR方法对 dystrophin基因第 4 4、4 5、4 9和 5 0内含子以及 5′DMD 的短串联重复序列( short tandem repeats,STR)扩增 ,然后进行基因扫描、软件分析 ,对 4个 DMD/ BMD家系中 2 7个成员的这 5个微卫星 DNA位点的多态性进行连锁分析。结果　在 4个家系 17名女性成员中 (有 1例女性 DMD患者 ) ,系谱和 STR多态性分析结果均符合的 DMD基因肯定携带者有 6名 ;单纯根据 STR多态性连锁分析结果确诊为 DMD基因携带者的女性成员有 5名 ,确诊为正常女性成员有 5名。在这 5个 STR位点中 ,最具多态性的位点是 STR- 4 9,多态性最少的位点是 STR- 5 0。结论　短串联重复序列多态性结合基因扫描能快速、准确、客观地检出 Duchenne/ Becker型肌营养不良症的女性携带者     

Carrier estimations in Duchenne muscular dystrophy families in Northern Ireland using RFLP analysis.

Intragenic RFLP analysis was used to provide carrier risk estimations on 100 possible female carriers from 22 Duchenne muscular dystrophy families. This enabled 78% of possible carriers to be assigned high or low risks (greater than 90% or less than 10%) as opposed to 26% assigned low risk on pedigree data alone. When a single polymorphism is not informative the use of haplotype analysis for carrier estimations is illustrated for one family.     

Carrier detection by microsatellite analysis of Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy in Hungarian families

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies are among the most severe and frequent inherited disorders. Being still incurable, medical treatment is concentrated on the carrier diagnosis of the members of the affected families. Here we report the results of the studies of 151 members of 41 Hungarian families, obtained with multiplex PCR amplification of 18 exons as well as the muscle specific promoter region, and haplotype analysis of two polymorphic (CA)_n repeat microsatellite loci in introns 45 and 49 of the dystrophin gene. The analysis of 15 deletion-type families revealed a frequency of new mutations not differing significantly from that in the other regions of Europe. We also compared the allele distributions of the two microsatellites in randomly selected normal individuals and affected family members. The allele distribution of STRP45 shows interesting differences between the two populations.     

Familial correlations and inter-relationships of four asthma-associated quantitative phenotypes in 320 French EGEA families ascertained through asthmatic probands

Asthma is a complex disease, associated with biological and physiological phenotypes including immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, sum of positive skin prick tests to allergens (SPTQ), eosinophil counts (EOS) and percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (%FEV1). We investigated the patterns of familial correlations and the inter-relationships of these four quantitative phenotypes, using the general class D regressive model, in 320 French EGEA nuclear families ascertained through 204 offspring (set A) and 116 parents (set B). Familial correlations of IgE and SPTQ were consistent with a model including no spouse correlation and equal parent-offspring and sib-sib correlations (rhoPO = rhoSS = 0.25 for IgE and 0.15 for SPTQ), this model being compatible with an additive polygenic model in the whole sample and the two family subsets A and B. Different patterns of familial correlations of EOS and %FEV1 were observed in these two sets. In set A, the best fitting model included no spouse correlation and equality of parent-offspring and sib-sib correlations (rhoPO = rhoSS = 0.14 for EOS and 0.23 for %FEV1). In set B, EOS had only a significant rhoSS of 0.28, while %FEV1 had significant rhoMO of 0.28 and rhoSS of 0.16. Analysis of shared familial determinants between these phenotypes indicated an overlap of at most 30% in rhoFO for IgE and SPTQ and in both rhoFO and rhoMO for IgE and EOS, while determinants of %FEV1 and atopy-related phenotypes appear distinct. These results may have implications for further linkage and association studies with genetic markers.     

假肥大型肌营养不良症家系的基因检测与产前诊断

目的 分析假肥大型肌营养不良症(Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy,DMD/BMD)家系的致病突变,对胎儿进行产前诊断,并确定家系中的女性成员是否为突变携带者.方法 收集43个DMD/BMD家系,用多重PCR方法分析DMD基因缺失热点区的18个外显子;用多重连接依赖性探针扩增(multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification,MLPA)方法对43例患者及32个家系中的36位女性进行DMD基因全部79个外显子的定量检测,为其中27个家系提供产前诊断.结果 用多重PCR共检测到26例缺失突变.采用MLPA方法,除多重PCR检测到的突变外,还检测到3例缺失和6例重复突变,突变范围明确.用MLPA检测的36例女性中,32例为患儿母亲,共发现16例突变携带者,另有2名女性亲属也被确诊为携带者.10名女性排除了携带者的可能性,8例不能确定.经产前诊断,18例男性胎儿中3例为患者,9例女性胎儿中1例为携带者.结论 MLPA方法可全面检测DMD基因缺失及重复突变,同时明确女性携带者,从而为产前诊断提供准确信息.     

Analysis of Scottish Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy families with dystrophin cDNA probes.

One hundred and thirty-two Scottish families, representing the majority of currently known cases in this country with at least one living subject affected by DMD (110) or BMD (22), were studied with a series of cDNA probes excluding the 3' region of the gene (probes 10-14). Using mainly HindIII digested DNA from affected males, 89 patients showed deletions which ranged from 1 to 32 HindIII fragments in size. Two patients were also detected with exon duplications. Abnormalities were found to be particularly concentrated in the area of probe cDNA 8, with 56 patients being deleted for at least one of the fragments detected by this probe. A second smaller concentration of deletions was found with probe 1-2a which showed 16 deletions and two duplications. The endpoints of cDNA deletions or duplications were determined with a maximum variability of one HindIII fragment in 83 patients, while the remaining eight patients had a single deletion endpoint defined. The deletions found in two of our patients appear to conflict with the previously stated exon order at the 5' end of the gene. Although no specific deletion patterns were apparent for DMD, the deletions found in 13 of the BMD patients all included the most proximal (10 kb) fragment detected by probe 8.     

Duchenne型肌营养不良症家系的多重PCR和STR—PCR基因诊断

目的该研究率先开展温州地区Duchenne型肌营养不良症（DMD）家系的缺失基因诊断特别是STR单体型连锁基因诊断,为基于DMD症状前、携带者基因诊断结果的遗传咨询和生育指导提供依据。方法针对4例DMD先证者,采用多重PCR检测常见18个外显子缺失,进行直接基因诊断。针对未能发现常见外显子缺失的DMD先证者及其有关家系成员,采用短串联重复序列（STR）PCR检测5个位点（3’CA、44CA、45CA、49CA和50CA）STR多态性,进行间接单体型连锁基因诊断。结果家系二的先证者缺失外显子3、4和6。其余3个家系的先证者的异常x染色体均肯定来源于其母亲。家系一先证者外婆肯定是携带者。家系三先证者年幼（4周岁）弟弟肯定为正常人,将来年龄大了也不会发病,先证者外婆肯定是携带者。家系四先证者刚出生的妹妹肯定是遗传携带者,将来其生育儿子有遗传患病风险。结论该研究的DMD家系的缺失和STR单体型连锁基因诊断,特别是对症状前男孩的诊断、对无患病后代的女性携带者的检出,具有非常重要的实际意义,可以为遗传咨询和生育指导提供可靠依据。     

The use of linked DNA polymorphisms for genotype prediction in families with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Two DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms show genetic linkage to the Duchenne muscular dystrophy locus on the short arm of the X chromosome. Examples are given of families in which these polymorphisms can be used in the prediction of genotype for this disorder.