Huntington's

Disease
By Micah
Explanation
As an autosomal dominant disorder, Huntington's disease is caused by a single
mutated copy of the HTT gene. Several proteins in the brain are made by the
HTT gene, including huntingtin, which plays an important role in nerve cells.
Parents pass it on to their children. Huntington's disease is 50% likely to affect
a child if one parent has the disease. If one of your parents passes on the HTT
gene with the mutation, your body will make an unusually long protein that
damages and kills brain cells.
Testing
01
Identifying and Testing Probability of false negatives Inappropriate testing
Pregnant Patients and false positives
It is possible to determine if one
or both of your parents are
carriers of a particular medical
condition through genetic testing.
In addition to revealing genetic
abnormalities, some tests can
also reveal whether an unborn
child will be born with birth
defects. Patients who are
pregnant may consider abortion
as an ethical concern.
02
Testing is conducted by doctors
The accuracy of some genetic tests is
only 60%. The accuracy of a
Huntington’s disease marker test, for
example, is only 60 to 80%. It is possible
for a pregnant woman to terminate her
pregnancy without knowing if the results
are 100% accurate. It is important for
counselors to explain that false
positives and false negatives may occur.
03
for couples. It is possible to
terminate a pregnancy when the
rest results reveal an imperfect
child or if they do not prefer the
gender of the child.
04
Health risks
It is not possible to reverse the
effects of altered genes once
they have been introduced into an
organism. Meaning, it is
irreversible. The use of rDNA in
genetic engineering could cause
a disease and the organisms that
are used may develop extreme
infectious diseases that could
cause worldwide epidemics.
Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant
disorder and a dominant trait.
One in 10,000 people suffer from Huntington's
disease. It is equally likely for both men and women
to inherit the disease. Europeans, Americans, and
Australians with family members from Europe have
the highest incidence of HD in all races.
 01
Symptoms
Symptoms of Huntington's disease
include motor and cognitive difficulties.
Gradually, the effects worsen after they
begin. A person with Huntington's
disease can sometimes experience
symptoms similar to those of another
type of dementia or movement
disorder in the early stages.
Facts about
Huntington’s
Disease
● Some people have lived thirty or forty years after clinical
diagnosis, but the average is usually 10-20 years.
● The loss of motor neurons causes sufferers to have
difficulty swallowing, controlling their movements, and
clearing their lungs.
● Approximately 30,000 Canadians have the disease. HD is
also a risk for 70,000 other Canadians.
 Sources
Gomez, S. (no date) Huntington disease: Medlineplus Genetics, MedlinePlus.
C.A.N National Library of Medicine. Available at:
https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/huntington-disease/#:~:text=Mutations%
20in%20the%20HTT%20gene,(neurons)%20in%20the%20brain. (Accessed:
November 24, 2022).
Lillian, A. (2021) Huntington's disease, Huntington's Disease | Johns
Hopkins Medicine. Available at:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/hunti
ngtons-disease (Accessed: November 24, 2022).

Goodman, S. (no date) Huntington disease - about the disease,

Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center. U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services. Available at:
https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/6677/huntington-disea
se (Accessed: November 23, 2022).
Resources for Huntington's disease
UK:

Getting help | Huntington's Disease Association (hda.org.uk)

American:
Huntington's Disease Society of America (hdsa.org)

Canadian:
Huntington disease | Alzheimer Society of Canada