title: Studies on the creatine kinase MM isoforms of normal and Duchenne muscular dystrophic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changes of creatine kinase MM (CK-MM) isoforms in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from 49 DMD patients and 40 control subjects were collected for CK-MM isoforms measurement. CK-MM isoforms were separated within 30 minutes by electrophoresis on agarose gel with a discontinuous buffer system at constant current of 30 mA and low voltage of 200-300 V, then measured by fluorescence scanning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences of MM2/MM1 ratio were found between DMD patients and control subjects (P < 0.05) as well as among the three different age groups of DMD patients (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CK-MM isoforms may present useful information for the early diagnosis and evaluation of DMD and the ratio of MM2/MM1 can be considered as a specific indicator of the degree of seriousness for DMD patients.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008297:Male; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000201:enzymology*