MEDICAL DICTIONARY
Disease, Huntington: An hereditary disorder with mental and physical deterioration leading to death. Although characterized as an "adult-onset" disease (as is usually the case), we have seen children with full-blown Huntington disease.
Huntington disease describes an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with high penetrance (a high proportion of persons with the gene develop the disease). The characteristic findings of Huntington disease are caused by loss of neurons (nerve cells) in the brain.
The disease is due a gene in chromosome band 4p16.3. The gene, called HD, contains an unstable repeating sequence of 3 nucleotide bases (CAG) in the DNA. Normal people have an average of 19 CAG repeats and at most 34 such repeats while virtually all patients with Huntington disease have more than 40.
The Huntington disease gene codes for a protein that has been named (confusingly) huntingtin whose function is unknown. The elevated numbers of CAG repeats in the Huntington disease gene lead to the production of an elongated huntingtin protein which appears to correlate with the loss of neurons in the disease.
|
DISCLAIMER:
Information on this site is provided for informational
purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice
provided by your own physician or other medical professional.
You should not use the information contained herein
for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease,
or prescribing any medication. You should read carefully
all product packaging. Not all Canadian drugs, Canada
prescription and Canadian prescription medicine is available
at discount Canadian on line pharmacies. If you have
or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly
contact your health care provider. Information and statements
regarding diet supplements have not been evaluated by
Health Canada and are not intended to diagnose, treat,
cure, or prevent any disease. All trade and service
marks mentioned on this site are recognized as belonging
to their respective owners.
|
|
|
|
