OBJECTIVETo detect potential mutations for probands from families affected with Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD), and to carry out prenatal diagnosis through identification of female carriers.

METHODSA total of 43 DMD/BMD families were recruited. Multiplex PCR was used to analyze 18 exons within hotspots for DMD gene deletions. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was used to detect potential deletions and duplications of DMD gene for 43 patients and 36 females from 32 families. Prenatal diagnosis was performed for 27 families.

RESULTSDeletional mutations were detected in 26 patients with multiplex PCR. In addition, MLPA has detected 3 deletions and 6 duplicational mutations, and the ranges of mutations were all determined. Among 36 female members, 18 were determined as carriers of deletional mutations, 10 were excluded as mutation carriers. The status of remaining 8 could not be determined. For prenatal diagnosis, 3 out of 18 male fetuses were diagnosed as patients and 1 female fetus was identified as carrier.

CONCLUSIONMLPA is an accurate and reliable method for detecting deletional/duplicational mutations of DMD gene as well as for prenatal diagnosis and detection of female carriers.