THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSCLE-FIBER ATROPHY FACTOR, PLASMA CARNOSINASE ACTIVITIES AND MUSCLE RNA AND PROTEIN-COMPOSITION IN CHRONIC-ALCOHOLIC MYOPATHY

The relationship between chronic ethanol consumption and muscle biopsy morphometry (i.e. atrophy factor), plasma analytes, including carnosi nase activities and tissue composition was investigated. In approximat ely half of chronic alcohol misusers there was Type II-fibre atrophy, which was correlated with reductions in muscle protein and serum carno sinase activities. The protein composition was also correlated with RN A composition. These results directly implicate defects in protein and RNA turnover as characteristics of chronic alcoholic myopathy and re- affirms the routine diagnostic use of fibre-type morphometry to identi fy these patients.