[Malate dehydrogenase and its isoenzymes in the peripheral blood leukocytes in progressive muscular dystrophy of the Duchenne type].

The authors studied the composition of isoenzymes of malic dehydrogenase in peripheral blood leucocytes of patients with Duchenne-type progressive muscular dystrophy, their mothers and sisters, and also in other primary muscular diseases. The studied group included 25 patients with Duchenne dystrophy, 20 their mothers and sisters, and 11 patients with other primary muscular diseases. The control group comprised 10 healthy subjects aged 19-40 years. Sporadically a decrease was observed of total activity and of the amount of the mitochondrial isoenzyme of MDH in Duchenne dystrophy. In one case the m-MDH isoenzyme was completely absent, this patient had most advanced disease. In the mothers of patients decreased MDH activity occurred rarely (once in 13 mothers) and the pattern of MDH isoenzymes was normal, similarly as in sisters of these patients. In other primary muscular diseases no abnormalities were found.