What if BOTH parents have Huntington's Disease?

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SUMMARY

If both parents have Huntington's Disease (HD), the inheritance pattern can be analyzed using a Punnett square, resulting in a 50% chance of Hh (affected), 25% HH (homozygous affected), and 25% hh (normal) offspring. Homozygosity for the CAG mutation (HH) is associated with a more severe clinical course of HD. Research indicates that while the age of onset may remain consistent, the progression of the disease is accelerated in individuals with the HH genotype. This suggests that individuals with HH may experience a more aggressive form of the disease, potentially leading to earlier mortality.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Mendelian genetics and Punnett squares
  • Knowledge of Huntington's Disease genetics, specifically the CAG repeat expansion
  • Familiarity with genetic terminology such as homozygosity and alleles
  • Awareness of clinical implications of genetic mutations in neurodegenerative diseases
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of homozygosity in Huntington's Disease
  • Study the role of CAG repeat length in disease severity
  • Explore genetic counseling options for families with a history of Huntington's Disease
  • Investigate current treatments and management strategies for advanced Huntington's Disease
USEFUL FOR

Geneticists, healthcare professionals, individuals with a family history of Huntington's Disease, and researchers studying neurodegenerative disorders will benefit from this discussion.

mhwebb03
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I know that if one parent has HD then there is a 50% chance that their child will inherit the disease. Because let's say H represents the dominant allele (bad) for HD.. and h represents the recessive (normal).. If one parent (Hh) carries the disease, and the other (hh) doesn't have the disease, and they have a child.. Then by use of a punnett square we can determine that the probability of getting Hh offspring is 50% and the probability of getting hh offspring is 50%. (probability of getting HH is 0%)..

okay.. but WHAT IF.. TWO people who had Huntington's had kids? then you'd potentially be looking at Hh x Hh, so there would be a 50% chance of Hh in offspring, 25% HH, 25% hh. so 25% normal. I want to know about the HH. please anybody tell me about the HH. I assume that means yes, you get the disease.. But does it progress worse and cause an earlier death or what?. I'm having trouble finding information.

If you got both dominant H's, and just having one gave you an excess of CAG sequences.. Then would that mean you'd just have a lot more CAG sequences, which IS supposed to mean that the disease is more extreme and probably more immediately fatal.
 
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