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Ichthyoses is a hereditary disease. The skin has no, or bad liquid regulation.
The skin becomes very dry and losing much moist.
The skin around the body is very tight and losing its elasticity, which can become very painful.
Patients whit this thick horn layer are perspiring badly and their body could become overheated.
The skin looks a bit like the skin of someone with serious burns, though the disease isn't infectious.
The word Ichthyoses has been distracted from the Greek word " Ichthus "
meaning " Fish “. The disease is often know as " fish scale-skin " disease.
So far, no a curative solution has been found for this hereditary skin disease.

	From Cell to DNA Each person's body is built from cells. Every cell has a core that consist of hereditary material.
	The hereditary material in the core : the cromosomes.
	A chromosome has been built from DNA.

Dominant disorders are the result of an error in one gene from a couple of genes.
Generally, the patient inherits the disease from one of his parents.
New genetic faults (mutations) occur as well.
In that case none of the parents have the disorder, the genetic fault originates from the child.
There’s a 50% risk the child could pass on the disease to the next generation.

Recessive disorders are the result of an error in both genes from a couple of genes.
These disorders only pass on if both the father and the mother do own the divergent gene.
There’s a 25% risk that these parents could pass on the disease to their child.

Families with questions concerning genetics can contact one
of the 8 centers of genetics connected to the academic hospitals.
(costs are covered by the health insurance)

Universiteit Antwerpen Centrum Medische Genetica Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Tel. 03/820.25.70	Katholieke Universitair Leuven Centrum voor Menselijke Erfelijkheid Herestraat 49 3000 Leuven Tel. 016/34.59.03
Vrije Universiteit Brussel Medische Genetica Laarbeeklaan 101 1090 Brussel Tel. 02/477.60.71	Universiteit Gent Dienst Medische Genetica De Pintelaan 185 9000 Gent Tel. 09/240.36.03
Université de Liège Centre de Génétique Humaine Centre Hospitalier Universitaire du Sart Tilman 4000 Liège 1 Tel. 04/366.71.24	Université Libre de Bruxelles Centre de Génétique Route de Lennik 808 1070 Bruxelles Tel. 02/555.41.45
Université Catholique de Louvain Unité de Génétique Croix-du-Sud 2 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Tel. 010/47.37.23	Institut de Pathologie et de Génétique Loveral Allée des Templiers 41 6280 Loverval Tel. 071/47.30.47

Main office : Ichthyosis Belgium n.p.a
Chairman : Devidts Jean
Vestinglaan, 12-2
B-2640 MORTSEL BELGIUM
Tel.: 32-(0)3/440.01.00
Fax: 32-(0)3/440.03.34