[Mitochondrial DNA deletion in hereditary cardio-encephalo-myopathy].

The case of a female patient with cardio-encephalo-myopathy who died of her illness at one year of age, similarly to her three sisters, is reported. In autopsy samples, like muscle, heart, liver and cerebellum activities of several mitochondrial enzymes were determined. In the skeletal muscle serious decrease of carnitine acetyltransferase was observed (from the normal 4.8 U/g to 0.08 U/g wet weight), while in other tissues this activity was normal. In the muscle activities of several other mitochondrial enzymes were also decreased (cytochrome oxidase, NADH cytochrome C oxidoreductase, citrate synthase), while in other tissues there were no similar changes. Serious distortion was observed in the structure of the majority of mitochondria of muscle and heart by electronmicroscopy. The number of the Purkinje-cells in the cerebellum decreased, and the cells were shrunken, their axons were fragmented and disoriented. Also the structure of the mitochondria was abnormal in the Purkinje-cells, while it was normal in other areas of the cerebrum. In te tissues of the patient normal and deleted mitochondrial DNA coexisted as which could explain the genetic background of this disease at molecular level.