What genetic inheritance pattern does Wilson's disease follow?

Wilson's disease follows an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. This means that the disorder occurs when both copies of the ATP7B gene, which is responsible for copper transport in the body, are mutated. Since it is recessive, a person must inherit one defective copy from each parent to manifest the disease. Carriers of one mutated copy generally do not show symptoms because the presence of one normal copy is sufficient for the body to typically manage copper levels.

This genetic mechanism contrasts with the other inheritance patterns mentioned. For instance, conditions associated with autosomal dominant inheritance require only one mutated copy for the disorder to manifest, which is not the case for Wilson's disease. Similarly, X-linked dominant inheritance affects genes on the X chromosome and can show different patterns of manifestation in males and females, while Wilson’s disease affects both sexes equally when present. Mitochondrial inheritance is passed from mothers to all children through mitochondrial DNA, which does not apply to Wilson's disease since it is linked to nuclear DNA. Thus, the autosomal recessive pattern accurately describes how Wilson's disease is inherited.