title: Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy: A report on clinical, biochemical, and genetic study in Gujarat population, India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In India, various groups have studied different regions to find out deletion pattern of dystrophin gene. We have investigated its deletion pattern among Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (D/BMD) patients across Gujarat. Moreover, in this study we also correlate the same with reading frame rule. However, we too consider various clinicopathological features to establish as adjunct indices when deletion detection fails.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this pilot study, a total of 88 D/BMD patients consulting at our centers in Gujarat, India were included. All patients were reviewed on basis of their clinical characteristics, tested by three primer sets of 10-plex, 9-plex, and 7-plex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for genetic analysis; whereas, biochemical indices were measured using automated biochemical analyzers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The diagnosis of D/BMD was confirmed by multiplex-PCR (M-PCR) in D/BMD patients. A number of 65 (73.86%) out of 88 patients showed deletion in dystrophin gene. The exon 50 (58.46%) was the most frequent deletion found in our study. The mean age of onset of DMD and BMD was 4.09 ± 0.15 and 7.14 ± 0.55 years, respectively. In patients, mean creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and myoglobin levels were elevated significantly (P < 0.05) in comparison to controls. Addition to CPK, LDH and myoglobin are good adjunct when deletion detection failed. These data are further in accordance with world literature when correlated with frame rule.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis has been carried out for the first time for a total of 88 D/BMD patients particularly from Gujarat, India. More research is essential to elucidate specific mutation pattern in association with management and therapies of proband.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Gujarat Genetic Diagnostic Center (GenDiCe), School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Navrangpura, India.
authors.forename: Mandava V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Gujarat Genetic Diagnostic Center (GenDiCe), School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Navrangpura, India.
authors.forename: Gaurang M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Sindhav
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Indian Muscular Dystrophy society (IMDS), Paldi, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Jitendra J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mehta
keywords: Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy; dystrophin gene; exon deletion