Becker's muscular dystrophy

Becker's muscular dystrophy (also known as Benign pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy) is an X-linked recessive inherited disorder characterized by slowly progressive muscle weakness of the legs and pelvis.

Related Topics:
Muscular dystrophy - X-linked recessive - Pelvis

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It is a type of dystrophinopathy, which includes a spectrum of muscle diseases in which there is insufficient dystrophin produced in the muscle cells, resulting in instability in the structure of muscle cell membrane. This is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene, which encodes the protein dystrophin. Becker's muscular dystrophy is related to Duchenne muscular dystrophy in that both relate to the production of dystrophin, but in Duchenne muscular dystrophy no dystrophin is produced, or it is so abnormal that it cannot be recognized as such. Both Duchenne and Becker's muscular dystrophy have traditionally been called "X-linked" recessive diseases, but in view of modern molecular biology and identification of the dystrophin gene, it might be more appropriate to say they are X-chromosome recessive diseases. Becker's is named after the German doctor Peter Emil Becker.

Related Topics:
Mutation - Gene - Protein - Dystrophin - Duchenne muscular dystrophy - Peter Emil Becker

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