What Causes Hereditary Angioedema?
Researchers are still trying to determine the exact cause of Hereditary angioedema (HAE)- manifested by recurring episodes of edema of the skin or mucous membranes of the organs, and is caused by the poor functioning or lack of a protein called C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH)”>hereditary angioedema (HAE), but much is known about the role played by Complement 1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH)- a protein that helps to regulate the immune system”> complement 1 esterase inhibitor, or C1-INH. A defect in a person’s genetic code for the C1-INH protein may be responsible for HAE. An abnormal code can lead to a deficiency in C1-INH (type I HAE) or an inability of existing C1-INH to function properly (type II HAE). In order to understand how HAE is inherited, it’s helpful to look at genetics. People receive half their genetic code from their mother and half from their father. In some diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or sickle-cell anemia, a child must receive the abnormal, disease-causing gene
