Abstract
To differentiate the 2 major myopathies of infancy due to cytochrome c oxidase (COX) deficiency, we studied muscle biopsies from 4 patients with fatal myopathy and 4 with benign myopathy using biochemical, histochemical, and immunohistochemical techniques. Immunohistochemistry with antibodies directed against individual subunits of COX differentiated the 2 phenotypes: the fatal infantile myopathy was characterized by absence of the nuclear DNA (nDNA)-encoded subunit VIIa, b of COX, while in the benign myopathy both VIIa, b and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) -encoded subunit II were absent. Early differential diagnosis between fatal and benign COX-deficient myopathies is of critical importance for prognosis and management of these infants, because the benign form is initially life-threatening but ultimately reversible.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 300-305 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Neurology |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 2 |
Publication status | Published - 1991 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
- Clinical Neurology
- Neuroscience(all)