ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the distribution of translocation between chromosomes 4q35 and 10q26 in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) patients and normal individuals.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The Bgl II-Bln I dosage test was performed to study the distribution of translocation between chromosomes 4q35 and 10q26 in 70 cases of FSHD patients, 55 cases of kindred with FSHD, and 52 cases of normal controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) In normal individuals, the frequency of translocation between chromosomes 4q35 and 10q26 is 19.23%. The frequency of translocation from chromosome 4q35 to 10q26 and that from chromosome 10q26 to 4q35 are both 9.62%. (2) In the FSHD patients, the frequency of translocation between chromosomes 4q35 and 10q26 is 18.57%. The frequency of translocation from chromosome 4q35 to 10q26 and that from chromosome 10q26 to 4q35 are 12.86% and 5.71% respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The translocation between chromosomes 4q35 and 10q26 was frequently observed in both normal Chinese population and FSHD patients. No significant difference was observed between them.</p>