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Similarities between Alzheimer disease (AD) and Parkinson disease (PD) suggest a possible role for apolipoprotein E (APOE) in PD. Most previous studies seeking to establish such a link used case-control datasets and results have been inconsistent.

The widespread use of a predictive genetic test for Huntington's disease (HD) since 1993 has brought to the forefront issues regarding genetic privacy. Although the possibility of anonymous genetic testing has been discussed, its use in the United States has not been described previously. We review the experiences of 11 genetics specialists with anonymous predictive testing for HD. We found that more men than women requested anonymous testing, for reasons that more often related to personal privacy than to insurance or discrimination concerns. A number of approaches to anonymity were used, and genetics specialists varied in the degree to which they were comfortable with the process. A number of legal, medical, and practical questions are raised, which will require resolution if anonymous testing is to be performed with a greater frequency in the future.

Recently, the authors demonstrated linkage in idiopathic PD to a region on chromosome 8p that contains the N-acetyltransferase genes, NAT1and NAT2. The authors examined NAT1and NAT2for association with PD using family-based association methods and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The authors did not find evidence for association with increased risk for PD between any individual NAT1or NAT2SNP or acetylation haplotype (N 397 families, 1,580 individuals).

A 23-year-old man with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease had a novel mutation, C344A (Thr115Lys), in exon 3 of the proteolipid protein gene (PLP). His mother, heterozygous for the mutation, developed progressive personality change and a gait disorder in her mid-20s. Her MRI at age 53 showed a diffuse severe leukodystrophy. This report extends the phenotypic range of disease due to PLP gene mutations to include adult-onset dementia in females.