SOD1 gene testing – familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterised by loss of brain and spinal motor neurons (sparing extraocular and sphincter muscles). It usually manifests between 60 and 70 years of age, but can occur much earlier. Manifestation at a younger age is more commonly observed in familial ALS. The incidence is around 2/100,000 inhabitants per year and the prevalence is 6/100,000 inhabitants. The disease slightly predominates in males in a ratio of 1.2–1.6:1. A mutation in the gene that encodes the SOD1 enzyme (copper/zinc superoxide dismutase 1) was demonstrated in 20% of individuals with familial ALS. We perform direct sequencing of all coding exons (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), including adjacent intron sequences in the SOD1 gene.