Nonrandom association of genetic markers in a sample of South African blacks.
According to classical genetic theory, allelic genes at one locus are expected to segregate and be manifested independently of allelic genes at another locus. At the population level any significant deviation from this general hypothesis resulting from specific biologic and genetic effects can be recognized in the form of nonrandom associations between genetic markers. The present data, consisting of 24 genetic polymorphisms determined from a sample of 998 unselected and unrelated South African blacks, offers an opportunity to test whether or not any such nonrandom associations exist between the genetic markers. After appropriate statistical calculations on the population data, we found that 13 pairs of genetic polymorphisms demonstrate a nonrandom association (statistically significant). Because the results cannot be explained in terms of known biologic mechanisms, we conclude that the associations observed could be due to random statistical effects (repeated application of the chi-square test) and/or to real (as yet unknown) biologic phenomena in the population studied. This tentative conclusion can serve as a guideline for more specific investigations.
Department of National Health and Population Development (Genetic Services), Pretoria, South Africa.
H W
HW
Hitzeroth
H T
HT
Groeneveld
D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013019:South Africa
D005819:Genetic Markers