title: Unusual expression and very mild course of Xp21 muscular dystrophy (Becker type) in a 60-year-old man with 26 percent deletion of the dystrophin gene.
abstract: A 54-year-old farmer with a negative family history had had mild proximal weakness for the previous 4 years. Clinical examination showed marked scoliosis, barrel-shaped chest, diffuse hypotrophy, and mild proximal weakness. Creatine kinase was 938 U/l; electrocardiography and echocardiography were normal. EMG disclosed myopathic changes. Muscle biopsy showed slight, nonspecific alterations. Dystrophin was present and normally distributed with antibodies against the C-terminal and N-terminal, whereas it was not recognized by the antibody against the rod domain. Western blotting detected an abnormal molecular weight protein of 320 kd (normal, 427 kd). Southern blot analysis revealed a deletion from exon 21 to exon 44, corresponding to 26% of the coding region of dystrophin. Six years' follow-up did not disclose progression of the muscle disease.
authors.affiliation: Paolo Peirolo Center for Neuromuscular Diseases, II Division of Neurology, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Palmucci
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doriguzzi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mongini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Restagno
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiadò-Piat
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maniscalco
mesh_terms: D016189:Dystrophin / Q000235:genetics*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D016189:Dystrophin