Coagulation and fibrinolysis disorder in muscular dystrophy

To investigate whether there are any basic abnormalities of coagulation and fibrinolysis in muscular dystrophy, we measured serum levels of the MM iso zyme of creatine kinase (CK-MM), fibrin and fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), plasma levels of fibrinogen, antithrombin (AT), and D-dimer in 36 p atients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), 11 with Becker muscular dys trophy (BMD), 5 with Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD), 5 with myotonic dystrophy (MyD), and 5 with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2. FDP levels were elevated in the patients with DMD, BMD, and FCMD (1.0 to 84 .9 mug/ml), but not in the patients with MyD and SMA type 2. In DMD, BMD, a nd FCMD, FDP levels significantly correlated with CK-MM, but not with age, fibrinogen, AT, D-dimer, and type of dystrophy (multiple regression analysi s; r(2) = 0.814, P < 0.0001). These findings suggested that enhanced coagul ation and fibrinolysis are associated with muscle degeneration in patients with DMD, BMD, and FCMD. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.