Multiple Sclerosis symptoms explained in terms of Penetrance

[ritalinn]

Multiple Sclerosis is a neuro-degenerative disease. Yet not everyone who has the genes for it actually has clinical symptoms. And if they do, the symptoms are sometimes severe, or sometimes mild. How can you explain this in terms of Penetrance and Expressivity?

[Darby]

There probably is a genetic influence on MS (even in identical twins, there's less than a one-third chance that if one has it the other will), but there is likely no "gene" for it, so I'm not sure the question makes any sense.

[MrMistery]

this has "homework" written all over it. do you know what penetrance is?

[Fiorellas]

Multiple Sclerosis is not proven to be a genetic disorder. It does show signs of genetic linkage to some degree. This degree of linkage is it's relation to Penetrance and Expressivity. Hutington's disease, for example is a disease that is not considered to be fully penetrant, yet it is highly penetrant with 95% of those individuals with the dominant allele showing expression of the disease. Since not enough genetic evidence has been found regarding Multiple Sclerosis any discussion of it's "penetrance and expressivity" is merely speculation. However, papers are constantly being published and many new findings are even being stumbled upon, i can think of one at the University of Minnesota, that more information will definitely be made known related to these two topics of penetrance and expressivity.