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New Kennedy's Disease Research
Unexpected frequency of the pathogenic AR CAG repeat expansion in the general population
CAG repeat expansions in exon 1 of the AR gene on the X chromosome causes spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. The disease has a reported male prevalence of 1:30,303 or less, but the AR repeat expansion frequency is unknown. We found the mutation frequency to be 1:3,182 (95% C.I. 1:2,309-1:4,386, n=117,734) X chromosomes - ten times more frequent than the reported disease prevalence. Modelling using the novel mutation frequency led to estimate disease prevalence of 1:6,887 males, more than four times more frequent than the reported disease prevalence. This discrepancy is possibly due to underdiagnosis of this neuromuscular condition, reduced prevalence, and/or pleomorphic clinical manifestations. To read the full Abstract, click here.
