Duchenne

Muscular
Dystrophy
(DMD)

Discovered
by
Guillaume
Duchenne
in the 1860s

Affects 1 in
3500 people
worldwide
Affects more
males than
females
because it is
linked to the X
chromosome

Genetics

Problems

Background

Symptoms
include muscle
weakness in
first the lower
body and then
the upper body
and enlarged
calf muscles

XDX

XDX

d
Boys Xwith
Y XdY
DMD used to
die in their
teens but
can now live
into their
30s or 40s

Diagnosed by
doing a creatine
kinase (CK) test
and genetic
testing

XDXD

XDXd

XDY

XdY

DMD patients
have a
surprisingly
high quality of
life despite
their physical
limitations
Children with
DMD usually
become
wheelchair
bound
between the
ages of 7 and
12
In the teen
years,
activities
involving the
upper body
may require
assistance

Disease is
caused by a
mutation on
the X
chromosome
Causes the
gene that is
responsible for
producing the
protein
dystrophin to
fail

Possible
genotypes:
1. X DXd x XDY
2. X dXd x XDY