View clinical trials related to Muscular Dystrophies.
Filter by:OBJECTIVES: I. Characterize the effect of prednisone on muscle protein metabolism in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. II. Determine whether prednisone changes levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, growth hormone, and insulin. III. Characterize the effect of prednisone on muscle morphometry and muscle localization of utrophin. IV. Compare the prednisone response in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy to that seen in normal individuals and in patients with facioscapulohumeral dystrophy.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetically inherited disease affecting the heart. It causes thickening of heart muscle, especially the chamber responsible for pumping blood out of the heart, the left ventricle. This condition can cause patients to experience symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and heart beat palpitations. Researchers believe the disease may be caused by abnormalities in the genes responsible for producing proteins of the heart muscle. Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is another genetically inherited disease. This condition affects the muscles of the eyes and throat causing symptoms of weak eye movements, difficulty swallowing and speaking, and weakness of the arms and legs. In previous studies researchers have found that several patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) also had oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). Researchers are interested in learning more about how these two diseases are associated with each other. In this study, researcher plan to collect samples of muscles (skeletal muscle biopsies) from patients belonging to families in which several members have inherited one or both of these diseases. The muscle samples will be used to link the muscle abnormalities with the specific genetic mutations. Patients participating in this study may not be directly benefited by it. However, information gathered because of this study may be used to develop better techniques for diagnosing and treating these conditions.
It is proposed that patients with skin disease due to presumed immunologic, genetic or viral-induced abnormalities, patients with neurological degenerations, and normal controls be evaluated with various in vitro studies of immunologic, genetic, and virologic function. This is to include studies of peripheral blood (cells and serum) as well as studies of skin obtained with a biopsy instrument. In addition, studies of gastrointestinal function will be performed where appropriate.