How is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy primarily inherited?

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is primarily inherited in an X-Linked Recessive manner. This means that the gene associated with the condition, which is located on the X chromosome, is mutated and leads to the production of defective dystrophin protein, crucial for muscle integrity and function.

In X-Linked Recessive inheritance, males, who have only one X chromosome (XY), are more frequently affected by conditions like DMD because they do not have a second copy of the X chromosome that could potentially mask the effects of a mutation. When a male inherits the mutated gene from his mother, who typically carries one normal and one mutated copy of the gene, he will express the disorder. Females, on the other hand, carry two X chromosomes (XX) and are less commonly affected by X-linked recessive disorders unless they inherit two copies of the mutated gene, one from each parent.

This inheritance pattern aligns with the population distribution seen in DMD, where it predominantly affects boys, while girls are often carriers without exhibiting significant symptoms unless they have a second mutation.

Understanding the inheritance pattern is crucial for genetic counseling, as it helps assess risks of transmission to offspring, particularly in the context of family planning