Tay-Sachs disease

Tay-Sachs disease
/tay"saks"/, Pathol.
a rare fatal hereditary disease, occurring chiefly in infants and children, esp. of eastern European Jewish origin, characterized by a red spot on the retina, gradual blindness, and paralysis.
[1920-25; named after W. Tay (1843-1927), English physician, and B. Sachs (1858-1944), American neurologist]

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Recessive hereditary metabolic disorder, mostly in Ashkenazi Jews, causing progressive mental and neurologic deterioration and death by age five.

A lipid, ganglioside GM2, accumulates in the brain (because of inadequate activity of the enzyme that breaks it down), with devastating neurological effects. Infants appear normal at birth but soon become listless and inattentive, lose motor abilities, and develop seizures. Blindness and general paralysis usually precede death. Tests can detect the disease in fetuses and the Tay-Sachs gene in carriers. There is no treatment.

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▪ medical disorder
also called  Amaurotic Familial Idiocy,  

      hereditary metabolic disorder that causes progressive mental and neurologic deterioration and results in death in early childhood. The disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait and occurs most commonly among people of eastern European (Ashkenazic (Ashkenazi)) Jewish (Jew) origin.

      In infants born with the disease, abnormally low activity of the enzyme hexosaminidase A allows an unusual sphingolipid, ganglioside GM2, to accumulate in the brain, where it soon exerts devastating effects on neurological function. In some affected children, the enzyme is present but the sphingolipid accumulates nonetheless. Tay-Sachs infants appear normal at birth but become listless and inattentive during the first few months of life. As the disease progresses, the child loses motor abilities already gained, such as crawling and sitting, develops uncontrollable seizures, and is unable to lift its head or swallow. A cherry-red spot develops on the retina, and blindness and a general paralysis usually precede death. There is no treatment for the disease.

      About 1 in 2,500 Ashkenazic Jewish infants is afflicted with Tay-Sachs disease, as compared to 1 in 360,000 non-Jewish babies. The disease can be detected by prenatal tests. About 1 in 25 Ashkenazic Jews is a carrier of the Tay-Sachs gene. Adult genetic carriers can be identified by measuring the level of hexosaminidase A in their blood or other fluids.

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Universalium. 2010.

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