Identify Female Carriers and De Novo Mutations in Deletional Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy Families

By using multiple polymerase reaction (mPCR) and haploid analysis of 11 short tandem repeats (STRs) in dystrophin gene locus to identify female carriers in deletional DMD/BMD (Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy) families, valuable information can be gathered for prenatal diagnosis. In this article, de novo mutations were detected in two out of the four patients, and one of the four female members was identified as an obligate DMD gene carrier based on the haplotype analysis. Multiple PCR and STRs haploid linkage analysis are rapid, accurate, objective methods to identify female member status, and well suited for routine use in clinical laboratories engaged in DMD/BMD research for counseling, gene diagnosis and prenatal diagnosis. During mPCR analysis, the amplicon of exon 45 showed different electrophoresis mobility in different kinds of gels. Polyacrylamide Gels Electrophoresis (PAGE) was accurate and rapid for analyzing the products of mPCR, but the mobility of different amplicons need to be considered in data analysis.