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Adrenoleukodystrophy causes

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

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Overview

Overview

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a monogenic disease caused by mutations in the ABCD1 gene located on Xq28. It is passed down from parents to their children as an X-linked genetic trait. It therefore affects mostly males, although some women who are carriers can have milder forms of the disease. The condition results in the buildup of very-long-chain fatty acids in the nervous system, adrenal gland, and testes, which disrupts normal activity.

Causes

Causes

Adrenoleukodystrophy is passed down from parents to their children as an X-linked genetic trait. It therefore affects mostly males, although some women who are carriers can have milder forms of the disease. It affects approximately 1 in 20,000 people from all races.

The condition results in the buildup of very-long-chain fatty acids in the nervous system, adrenal gland, and testes, which disrupts normal activity. There are different types of ALD, with a range of symptoms and differing ages of onset, but the underlying cause of the disease is the same in each type: a mutation, or a change, in the ABCD1 gene. [1] There are three major categories of disease:

References

References

  1. Wiesinger C, Eichler FS, Berger J (2015). “The genetic landscape of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy: inheritance, mutations, modifier genes, and diagnosis”. Appl Clin Genet. 8: 109–21. doi:10.2147/TACG.S49590. PMC 4427263. PMID 25999754.

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