A mother and her daughter carrying a pathogenic expansion of the HTT gene with a phenotype encompassing motor neuron disease and Huntington's disease

Clin Genet. 2024 Apr;105(4):430-433. doi: 10.1111/cge.14472. Epub 2023 Dec 13.

Abstract

Recently, pathogenic expansions (range 40-64 CAG repeats) in the HTT gene have been found in patients diagnosed with pure frontotemporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD/ALS). We report a mother with Huntington's disease (HD) associated with motor neuron disease (MND) signs and her daughter suffering from ALS with subtle signs of HD, both carrying a pathogenic allele of the HTT gene (i.e., >39 repeats). The co-occurrence of MND and chorea has been reported in previous cases. Subjects showing both ALS and HD signs and carrying HTT pathogenic expansions in two generations of the same kindred have never been reported so far. The study of the overlap of disease mechanisms at the cellular level between TDP-43 and Huntingtin is relevant in an era offering promising strategies of targeted treatments in neurodegenerative disorders.

Keywords: HTT; Huntington's disease; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; motor neuron disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis* / genetics
  • Female
  • Frontotemporal Dementia*
  • Humans
  • Huntingtin Protein / genetics
  • Huntington Disease* / genetics
  • Huntington Disease* / pathology
  • Mothers
  • Motor Neuron Disease* / genetics
  • Nuclear Family
  • Phenotype

Substances

  • Huntingtin Protein
  • HTT protein, human