A systematic review of the intergenerational aspects and the diverse genetic profiles of Huntington's disease.

ABSTRACT

Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare progressive and fatal neurogenetic degenerative disease, characterized by movement and personality disorders and by progressive dementia. Its prevalence varies by ethnic origin and different genetic profiles predisposing individuals to HD in each population. The prevalence of HD is 5-10 per 100,000 individuals in Caucasian populations of North America and Western Europe. It is an autosomal dominant disease associated with the expansion of CAG-type repetitive DNA sequences in the HTT gene. This gene, located on the short arm of chromosome 4, encodes the protein huntingtin. In this study, we reviewed 17 articles about HD that report data from 2400 affected individuals from various countries around the world, including Venezuela, China, Croatia, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Spain, Taiwan, India, the Netherlands, Russia, and the USA, with a focus on genetic profiles and intergenerational expansions or contractions of expanded alleles responsible for causing HD. We discuss the genetic characteristics of HD in different populations and any atypical cases reported in these studies.