[Study of the gene of Duchenne muscular dystrophy using PCR analysis]

We have performed the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to study 26 patients affected with Duchenne muscular dystrophy as a direct diagnostic method of screening for gene deletions. We have amplified simultaneously 9 sequences which belong to 9 exons located along the two "hot spots" of the gene. We have detected deletions in many of the exons in 11 of the 26 patients (42.3% of the cases).