Abstract
By use of cDNA probes, molecular deletions were identified in 66.6% of 42 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) or Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). Owing to this high deletion rate, a new strategy for detecting DMD/BMD carriers is feasible Jn which the polymerase chain reaction is used as an initial screen for detecting the deletions occurring in specific deletion-prone exons. Because the deletions do not occur randomly, specific cDNA probes are utilized first with Southern blot analysis. Identification of a deletion permits direct analysis for DMD carrier status and removes the inherent limitations of the conventional restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. Carrier status is determined by scanning the autoradiographs with a densitometric spectrophotometer or by detection of a junction fragment.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 441-445 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Clinical chemistry |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 3 |
State | Published - Mar 1990 |
Keywords
- Densitometry of autoradiographs
- Polymerase chain reaction
- Restriction fragment length polymorphism compared
- Screening
- Southern blot
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine