A genetic study of red cell osmotic fragility in Huntington's disease. 1984

M K McCormack, and A Lazzarini, and D Toke, and F Lepore

The erythrocyte osmotic fragility was evaluated on 19 unmedicated subjects with Huntington's disease and 42 individuals at 50% risk, 27 children at 25% risk, and a group of 60 hematologically normal control persons. Five older subjects at 50% risk for Huntington's disease as well as 6 Alzheimer's disease individuals were also evaluated for comparison. The osmotic fragility of fresh and 24-hour incubated red cells was analyzed and a fragility index calculated for each individual. The fragility index for the Huntington's disease group was statistically lower than that of the control group (P less than .001) suggesting that the Huntington's disease erythrocytes had a reduced osmotic fragility. In the 50% risk group, 45% of the subjects demonstrated decreased osmotic fragility and 55% had normal fragility. For those subjects in the 25% risk group, 22.2% had decreased fragility and 77.8% had normal fragility. Twenty-seven offspring were evaluated of the 14 persons at 50% risk for Huntington's disease with children; eight of the 14 individuals at 50% risk showed normal fragility and all 16 of their children showed fragility indices with the normal range. The remaining six persons at 50% risk for Huntington's disease had increased erythrocyte fragility and out of their 11 children, five showed normal fragility and six had decreased fragility. These data support the hypothesis of reduced erythrocyte osmotic fragility in individuals affected with and at risk for Huntington disease, and demonstrate the need of further study of the erythrocyte in this complex behavioral genetic disease.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009996 Osmotic Fragility RED BLOOD CELL sensitivity to change in OSMOTIC PRESSURE. When exposed to a hypotonic concentration of sodium in a solution, red cells take in more water, swell until the capacity of the cell membrane is exceeded, and burst. Saline Fragility,Fragility, Osmotic,Fragility, Saline
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004909 Erythrocyte Indices ERYTHROCYTE size and HEMOGLOBIN content or concentration, usually derived from ERYTHROCYTE COUNT; BLOOD hemoglobin concentration; and HEMATOCRIT. The indices include the mean corpuscular volume (MCV), the mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Erythrocyte Hemoglobin, Mean Cell,Erythrocyte Size Determination,Erythrocyte Volume, Mean Cell,Hemoglobin, Erythrocyte, Mean Cell,Mean Corpuscular Volume,Red Cell Indices,Erythrocyte Diameter,Erythrocyte Index,Erythrocyte Indexes,Erythrocyte Thickness,Mean Cell Hemoglobin Concentration,Mean Cell Volume,Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin,Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobulin Concentration,Red Cell Distribution Width,Red Cell Index,Red Cell Indexes,Cell Volumes, Mean,Corpuscular Volumes, Mean,Determination, Erythrocyte Size,Determinations, Erythrocyte Size,Diameter, Erythrocyte,Diameters, Erythrocyte,Erythrocyte Diameters,Erythrocyte Size Determinations,Hemoglobin, Mean Corpuscular,Hemoglobins, Mean Corpuscular,Index, Erythrocyte,Index, Red Cell,Indexes, Erythrocyte,Indexes, Red Cell,Indices, Erythrocyte,Indices, Red Cell,Mean Cell Volumes,Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobins,Mean Corpuscular Volumes,Size Determination, Erythrocyte,Size Determinations, Erythrocyte,Thickness, Erythrocyte,Volume, Mean Cell,Volume, Mean Corpuscular,Volumes, Mean Cell,Volumes, Mean Corpuscular
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006816 Huntington Disease A familial disorder inherited as an autosomal dominant trait and characterized by the onset of progressive CHOREA and DEMENTIA in the fourth or fifth decade of life. Common initial manifestations include paranoia; poor impulse control; DEPRESSION; HALLUCINATIONS; and DELUSIONS. Eventually intellectual impairment; loss of fine motor control; ATHETOSIS; and diffuse chorea involving axial and limb musculature develops, leading to a vegetative state within 10-15 years of disease onset. The juvenile variant has a more fulminant course including SEIZURES; ATAXIA; dementia; and chorea. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1060-4) Huntington Chorea,Juvenile Huntington Disease,Akinetic-Rigid Variant of Huntington Disease,Chorea, Chronic Progressive Hereditary (Huntington),Chronic Progressive Hereditary Chorea (Huntington),Huntington Chronic Progressive Hereditary Chorea,Huntington Disease, Akinetic-Rigid Variant,Huntington Disease, Juvenile,Huntington Disease, Juvenile-Onset,Huntington Disease, Late Onset,Huntington's Chorea,Huntington's Disease,Juvenile-Onset Huntington Disease,Late-Onset Huntington Disease,Progressive Chorea, Chronic Hereditary (Huntington),Progressive Chorea, Hereditary, Chronic (Huntington),Akinetic Rigid Variant of Huntington Disease,Chorea, Huntington,Chorea, Huntington's,Huntington Disease, Akinetic Rigid Variant,Huntington Disease, Juvenile Onset,Huntington Disease, Late-Onset,Juvenile Onset Huntington Disease,Late Onset Huntington Disease
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths

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