Lymphocyte capping in muscular dystrophies.

Since reports of lymphocyte capping in muscular dystrophies of various authors revealed controversial results, we investigated 47 patients and carriers with Duchenne or Becker-Kiener muscular dystrophy according to different methods. There was no significant reduction of cap formation compared to 64 healthy controls, both groups showing a mean of about 75% caps. Reduced numbers of caps, however, could be demonstrated in three otherwise healthy probands aged 70 years or more, two patients under interferon treatment, four patients under high dose methotrexate therapy as well as one patient with untreated chronic myeloic leukemia. Thus lymphocyte capping in our experience is far from being a valid method for carrier detection or prenatal diagnosis of muscular dystrophies.