Can you get Huntington's disease if neither of your parents have it but your biological aunt does?
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the HTT gene. It is usually inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, which means that a person with just one copy of the mutated gene will develop the disease.
However, it is possible to have HD without having any family history of the disease. This is because HD can be caused by a new mutation in the HTT gene, which occurs spontaneously and is not inherited from either parent.
In the case of someone whose biological aunt has HD but neither of their parents do, there is a chance that the person has inherited the mutated HTT gene from their aunt. This is because the person's aunt is a carrier of the mutated gene, which means that she has one copy of the mutated gene and one copy of the normal gene. Each of her children has a 50% chance of inheriting the mutated gene from her.
If the person in question did inherit the mutated HTT gene from their aunt, they will develop HD. However, it is also possible that they did not inherit the mutated gene from their aunt and will not develop HD.
The only way to know for sure if someone has HD is to have a genetic test. A genetic test can identify the presence of the mutated HTT gene.
Related questions
- What is Huntington's disease (HD)?
- How is HD inherited?
- Can you have HD without any family history of the disease?
- What is the chance of inheriting HD from an aunt who is a carrier of the mutated gene?
- How can you test for HD?
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