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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Re: Genetic family cluster data
        
(Message started by: E-Double on Aug 19^th, 2005, 8:34pm)

Title: Re: Genetic family cluster data
Post by E-Double on Aug 19^th, 2005, 8:34pm

Doesn't that hold true for any disorder that one is predisposed to at birth

Title: Re: Genetic family cluster data
Post by BobG on Aug 20^th, 2005, 3:18am

What happened to the original message?

Title: Re: Genetic family cluster data
Post by LeLimey on Aug 20^th, 2005, 6:11am

on 08/19/05 at 21:06:39, srjeffers wrote:

I believe I have ananswer to the heredity of clusters and why they are so sporadic in families. My wife has suffered from clusters for 15 years with pregnancy interrupting the process altogether.

It is now coming to light for us that her father and his brother are also sufferers. Therefore the most logical explanation is that cluster headaches are a phenomenon of a recessive sex-linked trait. For those unfamiliar... sex-linked traits are from the X chromosome... Mommy of course has two and in all most likelihood is blessed with a dominant. Male offspring receiving an unprotected X (recessive) by virtue of no match (only the Y) inherit the trait. Females are almost always protected.

The unlucky women, like my wife, got the double whammy (two recessives) and if my theory holds water my son is going to be a sufferer too. So as a non-sufferer it is as vital to me as any that a solution be found. Narrowing down the genetic trait to a chromosome is huge... If we have that the haystack shrinks significantly and maybe we can figure out how to deactivate or disable this beast.

My question now: Is this news or not? I have seen no other discussions yet.

If this was the original message I think it had been put in the archives by mistake.

I find it sort of interesting. Obviously we know there is genetic research being carried out in the US by Dr Rosen and in the UK by Professor Trembath at Leicester University. They have actually managed to isolate a couple of genes at Leicester and gave us quite a lengthy talk on it at the OUCH UK conference this year. I will be letting you all have that info as soon as I have it. Jasper and I are taking part in the research along with David too to help as much as we can. Every little helps and they don't get much littler than Jabs!
I had an uncle who used to have the most terrible headaches apparently and couldn't bear to have anyone near him (no one could bear to be near him either according to the stories). He killed himself in 1970 so who knows if that was CH or not. He was my maternal uncle. I have CH and so does my son as you all know so obviously the statements above do hold water on the face of it but as we all know with CH.. the one thing it loves to do is disprove a theory!!

Its interesting debating it all out though and I'll certainly share the Leicester info as soon as I have it.

Title: Re: Genetic family cluster data
Post by BobG on Aug 20^th, 2005, 8:15am

There have been reports here from cluster sufferers that have other sufferers in their families so I would say yes there is a very good chance heredity plays a part.

But, in my case, there is no one that I have found, other than me, that sufferers clusters. Or migraines for that matter.

Lucky-sum-bitch-me :D

Title: Re: Genetic family cluster data
Post by Ueli on Aug 20^th, 2005, 11:43am

Quote:

Therefore the most logical explanation is that cluster headaches are a phenomenon of a recessive sex-linked trait.

Assuming 5 in 10,000 men get clusters, that means 5 of 10,000 X chromosomes carry the cluster trait. For a woman to get two of these bad X cromosomes the chance is therefore 0.0005² = 0.00000025 or 1 in 4 million. That means there are less than a hundred female clusterheads in the USA, a small enough number to make the statement "Women don't get clusters" (almost) true. :o

LeLimey wrote: "They have actually managed to isolate a couple of genes at Leicester". That's a more likely scenario, two or more genes, on different chromosomes (probably none on a sex chromosome). This would be more consistent with the more or less random incident of CH, and the occasionally observed hereditary connection. The larger incident in males than in females is rather due to hormones than X or Y chromosomes.

PFNADs, Ueli [smiley=smokin.gif]

Title: Re: Genetic family cluster data
Post by E-Double on Aug 21^st, 2005, 12:30pm

on 08/19/05 at 20:34:55, E-Double wrote:

Doesn't that hold true for any disorder that one is predisposed to at birth

on 08/19/05 at 20:54:51, srjeffers wrote:

No it doesn't. Most trtaits reside on chromosomes other than the X which means two copies. Men only have one X. The significant thing however is just figuring out which chromosome to start looking on. If we can figure out how and why the gene turns on logic necessitates with time and of course a lot of money we can figure out how to turn it off.

Regards srjeffers

Just wanted to share the PM I recieved.
Nice to receive a refresher course.