Measuring the barrier function of skeletal muscle in individuals with muscular dystrophy

A pilot study (NCT:01851447) was conducted to identify predictive biomarkers of decreasing barrier function of skeletal muscle membranes associated with the pathophysiology and clinical severity of fragile sarcolemmal muscular dystrophies. Membrane barrier function was evaluated over five days using plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, before and after routine morning activities and motor function testing in eleven ambulatory subjects with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD).