Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Morphological study of erythrocytes after treatment with L-alpha-lysophosphatidyl-choline in dystrophic patients and in the carrier state.

: The percentage of echinocytes in the blood from patients affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, in mothers carriers of the dystrophic state, and in Steinert dystrophic patients, has been investigated after addition of low levels of lysolecithin. The echinocyte content was significantly higher in both Duchenne patients and in carriers, and lower in Steinert patients than in controls. The extents of the differences suggest the possibility to use this methodology as a diagnostic test in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.