Coagulation and fibrinolysis disorder in muscular dystrophy

To investigate whether there are any basic abnormalities of coagulation and fibrinolysis in muscular dystrophy, we measured serum levels of the MM isozyme of creatine kinase (CK-MM), fibrin and fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), plasma levels of fibrinogen, antithrombin (AT), and D-dimer in 36 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), 11 with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), 5 with Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD), 5 with myotonic dystrophy (MyD), and 5 with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2. FDP levels were elevated in the patients with DMD, BMD, and FCMD (1.0 to 84.9 microg/ml), but not in the patients with MyD and SMA type 2. In DMD, BMD, and FCMD, FDP levels significantly correlated with CK-MM, but not with age, fibrinogen, AT, D-dimer, and type of dystrophy (multiple regression analysis; r(2) = 0.814, P < 0.0001). These findings suggested that enhanced coagulation and fibrinolysis are associated with muscle degeneration in patients with DMD, BMD, and FCMD.