Mitochondrial fraction of serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The mitochondrial fraction of serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase was measured in the serum of 50 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy by an immunoadsorbent method. The enzyme activities in patients in the early, midstage, and late stages of the disease and controls were 21.8 +/- 7.4 (N=9), 12.2 +/- 3.7 (N=38), 6.4 +/- 1.2 (N=3) and 4.2 +/1 1.2 units/ml (N=15), respectively. The enzyme level in the early stage was significantly elevated (p less than 0.01, vs. control, p less than 0.05 vs. mid stage). As the disease progressed, the levels gradually declined, but mid-stage values were still higher than the late stage (p less than 0.01) or control values (p less than 0.01). In the late stage, enzyme activity was within the control range.