[Interaction of the genes of progressive muscular dystrophy (PMD) and blood groups (ABO)]. / Interazione tra i geni delle distrofie muscolari progressive (D.M.P.) e dei gruppi sanguigni (ABO).

ABSTRACT

Verification of the hypothesis that the inheritance of the Progressive Muscular Dystrophies (PMD) may involve dispersed genes, throiugh the study of a sample of 105 patients revealed that 82% of the Duchenne type belong to blood group O, while 79% of the limb-girdle type belong to group A. The fact that the Duchenne gene is sex-linked while the ABO locus is on chromosome 9 confirms the "dispersed genes" hypothesis, with important implications for further research, for genetic counselin and possibly for prevention.