5′-Nucleotidase Activity in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

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Abstract
To the Editor: The activity of 5′-nucleotidase in biopsy specimens from skeletal muscle is reportedly increased in Duchenne muscular dystrophy when measured with histochemical1 and biochemical2 , 3 methods. We found that this is true only in patients older than four years; by this age the control group shows a decrease in 5′-nucleotidase activity (Table 1).In our studies considerably higher activity than in either normal babies or children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy was found in fetal skeletal muscle (gastrocnemius). In a male fetus (19 weeks of gestation), we found an activity of 2.3 μmol of adenosine formed per gram of muscle . . .