American researchers studied over one year the variations of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and creatine levels in a cohort of children and adolescents with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) receiving long-term glucocorticoids:
- 555 DMD patients were included in the study.
- CPK levels, blood and urine creatine levels, and the ratio of creatinineuria to urine osmolarity were measured repeatedly for 12 months.
- CPK levels consistently followed a downward trend over time, correlating with deteriorating motor performance.
- the annual slope of CPK decline was 14.7%, consistent with previous studies.
However, the authors emphasize the variations observed at the individual level, which limits the scope of these biomarkers.
