Chromatographic and Electrophoretic Pattern of Lactate and Malate Dehydrogenase in Normal Human Adult and Foetal Muscle and in Muscle of Patients Affected by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Abstract

The LDH isoenzyme pattern has heen studied in human normal and foetal muscle, in six cases suffering from muscular dystrophy (Duchenne type) and in a carrier parent. The LDH pattern of dystrophic muscle resembled to that of foetal muscle; LDH5 was markedly diminished but never completely absent. A hypothesis to explain these findings is presented. MDH isoenzymes have been characterized in the same cases. A “foetal” pattern was found in two cases of muscular dystrophy, whereas in others four resembled the normal adult muscle pattern. The LDH isoenzyme distribution in the parent of case 1 may be defined as intermediate between the normal and dystrophic pattern.