A pilot trial of plasma infusions in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

It has been proposed that a defect in tocopherol transport may lead to a chronic vitamin deficiency in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). To test this hypothesis, a pilot clinical trial which involved the infusion of tocopherol-laden plasma was carried out. An increased uptake of tocopherol into erythrocyte membranes during infusions failed to produce a significant reduction in plasma enzyme levels or to arrest the dystrophic process in the two children examined. Further studies to investigate treatments with increased amounts of tocopherol, in conjunction with other antioxidants, may prove a more fruitful avenue of research.