title: HLA-linked spinocerebellar ataxia: a clinical and genetic study of large Italian kindreds.
abstract: Five families with late onset autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia, were studied. Linkage between the disease and HLA loci on the short arm of chromosome 6 was shown in the two largest pedigrees. Clinical study of 26 patients and neuropathological study in one are reported. The disease was characterized by cerebellar and pyramidal involvement variably associated with cranial nerve and peripheral nervous system disorders. A remarkable concordance of the main clinical features was observed in patients with similar disease duration. Comparison with previous reports of HLA-linked spinocerebellar ataxia kindreds showed differences in clinical phenotypes. Although these might be due to genetic variation, the hypothesis is suggested that the phenotype might appear more homogeneous if disease duration is taken into account.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nervous and Mental Disease, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spadaro
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giunti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lulli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frontali
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jodice
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cappellacci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morellini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Persichetti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trabace
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anastasi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000235:genetics*; D025063:Chromosome Disorders; D002896:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 6; D005260:Female; D005799:Genes, Dominant / Q000235:genetics*; D008040:Genetic Linkage / Q000235:genetics*; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype; D013132:Spinocerebellar Degenerations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D006680:HLA Antigens