Myoglobinuria in hereditary progressive muscular dystrophies.

Myoglobin (Mb) levels in pooled urine samples were investigated and compared in patients with different types of hereditary progressive muscular dystrophies (MD). The samples were taken before and after physical exercise. The Mb levels in the patients were significantly higher than in controls under both resting and exercise conditions. The formation of separate clusters of Mb values enabled us to distinguish patients with different types of MD according to the clinical diagnosis. Urine protein detection with SDS-acrylamide electrophoresis showed an abnormal pattern in patients compared to healthy controls.