Bastaki et al. (1999b) studied 26 patients with DMD or BMD from Egypt to observe any correlation between the size and site of Dystrophin gene deletions and the clinical picture of dystrophinopathies. PCR analysis showed that 68% of the Egyptian patients had deletions in the Dystrophin gene. The most common deleted exons among the Egyptian patients were exons 19, 45, 48, and 51. No significant correlation was found between the size or site of the deletion and the clinical severity of the disease in terms of onset of walking, onset of weakness, and average IQ. The average IQ among the Egyptian patients was 90, but involvement of exons 45 and 48 were associated with IQ ranges from 85-86. This association, however, was non-significant.

[Bastaki LA, Al-Awadi SA, Moosa A, Shawky RM, Naguib KK. Clinico-genetic study of dystrophinopathies: a comparative study between Kuwait and Egypt. Alex. J Pediatr. 1999b;13(2):371-77.]

[See also: Kuwait > Bastaki et al., 1999b].

Bastaki et al. (1999a) studied Dystrophin gene deletions in 26 Kuwaiti patients with DMD or BMD. Among these patients, 68% were found to have deletions in the Dystrophin gene. The most common deleted exons among these patients were exons 81, 45, and 48. No significant correlation was found between the size or site of the deletion and the clinical severity of the disease in terms of onset of walking, onset of weakness, and average IQ. As a continuation of this study, Bastaki et al. (1999b) further studied the clinical characteristics of these patients and compared the observations with those seen in 26 Egyptian patients with dystrophinopathies. Maternal age showed a significant difference between the two populations. A similar result was not observed for paternal age. About 8% of the Kuwaiti patients as compared to 19% of the Egyptian patients had started walking by the age of two-years. None of the Kuwaiti patients reported weakness after 8-years of age, compared to 8% of the Egyptian patients who did. An IQ of over 70 was seen in 82% of both groups, while 26% had an IQ of over 100. ECG abnormalities were observed in 78% of the 45 cases where they were performed.

[Bastaki LA, Haider MZ, Shawky RM, Naguib KK. Genotype-phenotype correlation among patients with dystrophinopathies. Alex J Pediatr. 1999a;13(2):365-70.]

[See also: Egypt > Bastaki et al., 1999a].

Madania et al. (2010) extracted genomic DNA from 51 unrelated Syrian DMD/BMD male patients and analyzed 25 hotspot exons in the Dystrophin gene. Madania et al. (2010) found a deletion in 25 (49%) and a duplication in 5 (10%) out of all 51 patients studied.