Yonsei medical journal
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Yonsei medical journal · Jan 2012
Homozygous SMN2 deletion is a major risk factor among twenty-five Korean sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.
The association between survivor motor neuron (SMN) gene deletion and spinal muscular atrophy suggests that sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) may be related to SMN deletion. We examined the association between the SMN genotype and susceptibility to and severity of sALS. ⋯ The homozygous SMN2 deletion (2 : 0) was statistically more frequent and associated with earlier onset age and lower MRC scale in Korean sALS patients. These suggest that SMN2 deletion may be one of the factors associated with susceptibility to and severity of sALS in a Korean population.