title: Two-locus linkage analysis in multiple sclerosis (MS).
abstract: One of the major challenges in genetic linkage analyses is the study of complex diseases. We demonstrate here the use of two-locus linkage analysis in multiple sclerosis (MS), a multifactorial disease with a complex mode of inheritance. In a set of Finnish multiplex families, we have previously found evidence for linkage between MS susceptibility and two independent loci, the myelin basic protein gene (MBP) on chromosome 18 and the HLA complex on chromosome 6. This set of families provides a unique opportunity to perform linkage analysis conditional on two loci contributing to the disease. In the two-trait-locus/two-marker-locus analysis, the presence of another disease locus is parametrized and the analysis more appropriately treats information from the unaffected family members than single-disease-locus analysis. As exemplified here in MS, the two-locus analysis can be a powerful method for investigating susceptibility loci in complex traits, best suited for analysis of specific candidate genes, or for situations in which preliminary evidence for linkage already exists or is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Molecular Genetics, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Tienari
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Terwilliger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ott
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peltonen
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D002896:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 6; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D005387:Finland; D005796:Genes; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; D006801:Humans; D008126:Lod Score; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics*; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; C069050:HLA-DQA1 antigen; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein