Genetics of hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy and the Costa Rican contribution

Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is the most common hereditary illness of the peripheral nervous system. The genetics and the physiopathological aspects of the disease clarified until know, are here summarized. More than twenty genes and ten additio...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Leal, Alejandro
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2004
Country:Costa Rica
Institution:Universidad de Costa Rica
Repository:Portal de Revistas UCR
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:portal.ucr.ac.cr:article/15285
Online Access:https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/view/15285
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Charcot-Marie-tooth disease
CMT
HMSN
genetics
Costa Rica
enfermedad de charcot-marie-tooth
genética
Description
Summary:Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is the most common hereditary illness of the peripheral nervous system. The genetics and the physiopathological aspects of the disease clarified until know, are here summarized. More than twenty genes and ten additional loci have been related with HMSN. These findings contribute to understand the metabolism of peripheral nerves and give the basis for molecular diagnostics and future therapy. Several Costa Rican families with CMT have been identified, specially with axonal forms. Two families present mutations in the myelin protein zero gene (MPZ). In addition, linkage have been found between the disease and locus 19q13.3 in an extended family, and a mutation segregating with the disease is present in a candidate gene of the critical interval. Costa Rica has several advantages for genetical studies, that can contribute importantly in the generation of knowledge in the neurogenetical field.