[Muscle carnitine contents in severely handicapped children with acute myoglobinuria]

Muscle carnitine was measured in 3 severely handicapped children with acute myoglobinuria. Muscle total carnitine levels were 9.6 +/- 3.0 nmol/mg non collagen protein (m +/- SD, control 15.7 +/- 2.8, n = 19), and free 6.5 +/- 3.0 nmol/mg non collagen protein (m +/- SD, control 12.9 +/- 3.7, n = 19), muscle free carnitine was significantly low in them. Serum carnitine was measured in 22 severely handicapped children. Serum total carnitine was 48.9 +/- 12.3 nmol/ml (m +/- SD, control 60.3 +/- 11.7, n = 14), and free 37.7 +/- 10.0 nmol/ml (m +/- SD, control 46.0 +/- 12.5, n = 14), serum carnitine was also significantly decreased. Secondary muscle and serum carnitine depletion might be one of the potential cause of myoglobinuria in severely handicapped children.