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Published on: February 27, 2018
Haplotype analysis encompassing HTT gene in Chinese patients with Huntington's disease
1Department of Neurology and Research Center of Neurology in Second Affiliated Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Insights
This study investigated Huntington's disease (HD) haplotypes in China, finding a novel haplogroup enriched in Chinese HD patients. This discovery aids in understanding the disease's low prevalence and genetic diversity in the region.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Neurodegenerative Disorders
- Population Studies
Background:
- Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder.
- HD prevalence varies across populations, potentially linked to specific haplotypes.
- The genetic factors influencing HD in the Chinese population remain underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate haplotypes of the HTT gene in the Chinese population.
- To identify genetic variations associated with Huntington's disease in China.
- To contribute to understanding the genetic basis of HD prevalence differences.
Main Methods:
- Haplotype analysis of the HTT gene was performed.
- 29 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) were genotyped in 406 HD patients and 59 controls.
- Two-stage analysis was employed, first replicating known haplogroups and then defining new ones.
Main Results:
- Risk-associated haplogroups found in Caucasian populations were absent in Chinese individuals.
- A novel haplogroup, designated 'I', was identified and found to be significantly enriched on HD chromosomes (61.4%) compared to control chromosomes (34.4%).
- Haplogroup distributions between Chinese HD patients and controls differed, with haplogroup I being a key differentiator.
Conclusions:
- This is the first HTT haplotype analysis in the Chinese population.
- The identified haplogroup 'I' may contribute to explaining the lower prevalence of HD in China.
- These findings enhance the understanding of genetic diversity within the HTT gene region.
Background And Purpose:
Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder with varied prevalence in different populations, which may be associated with specific haplotypes. This study aimed to explore the haplotypes encompassing the HTT gene in the Chinese population.
Methods:
A total of 406 individuals with HD and 59 normal relatives from 253 families with HD were enrolled. A total of 29 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) were selected and genotyped for the haplotype analysis.
Results:
In stage one, we used 18 tSNPs to replicate the distribution of three major haplogroups (A, B, C). We found that risk-associated haplogroup variants A1 and A2, enriched on Caucasian HD chromosomes, were totally absent from both Chinese HD and control chromosomes, and the distributions of haplogroups between HD and control chromosomes were similar. Therefore, in stage two, we used 29 tSNPs (including the18 tSNPs) to define new haplogroups (I, II, III) and found that haplogroup I accounted for 61.4% on HD chromosomes and 34.4% on control chromosomes, indicating that haplogroup I was enriched on Chinese HD chromosomes.
Conclusions:
This is the first haplotype analysis encompassing HTT in the Chinese population. The results contribute to explaining the low prevalence of HD in China and provide a better understanding of genetic diversity in the HTT region.
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