X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism is a movement disorder that has been found only in people of Filipino descent. This condition affects men much more often than women.

Variants (also known as mutations) in and near the TAF1 gene can cause X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism. The TAF1 gene provides instructions for making part of a protein called transcription factor IID (TFIID).  This protein is active in cells and tissues throughout the body, where it plays an essential role in regulating the activity of most genes.

X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism has been reported in more than 500 people of Filipino descent, although it is likely that many more Filipinos are affected. Most people with this condition can trace their mother's ancestry to the island of Panay in the Philippines. The prevalence of the disorder is 5.24 per 100,000 people on the island of Panay.

This condition is inherited in an X-linked recessive pattern. The gene associated with this condition is located on the X chromosome, which is one of the two sex chromosomes. In males (who have only one X chromosome), one altered copy of the gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the condition. In females (who have two X chromosomes), a variant typically must occur in both copies of the gene to cause the disorder. Because it is unlikely that females will have two altered copies of this gene, males are affected by X-linked recessive disorders much more frequently than females. A characteristic of X-linked inheritance is that fathers cannot pass X-linked traits to their sons.

Published Date: November 07, 2022
Published By: National Institutes of Health