title: Evidence of linkage with HLA-DR in DRB1*15-negative families with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: The importance of the HLA-DR locus to multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility was assessed in 542 sib pairs with MS and in their families. By genotyping 1,978 individuals for HLA-DRB1 alleles, we confirmed the well-established association of MS with HLA-DRB1*15 (HLA-DRB1*1501 and HLA-DRB5*0101), by the transmission/disequilibrium test (chi2=138.3; P<.0001). We obtained significant evidence of linkage throughout the whole data set (mlod=4.09; 59.9% sharing). Surprisingly, similar sharing was also observed in 58 families in which both parents lacked the DRB1*15 allele (mlod=1.56; 62.7% sharing; P=.0081). Our findings suggest that the notion that HLA-DRB1*15 is the sole major-histocompatibility-complex determinant of susceptibility in northern-European populations with MS may be incorrect. It remains possible that the association of MS with HLA-DRB1*15 is due to linkage disequilibrium with a nearby locus and/or to the presence of disease-influencing allele(s) in DRB1*15-negative haplotypes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Karolinska Institutet at Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ligers
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dyment
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Willer
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Sadovnick
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ebers
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Risch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hillert
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D008040:Genetic Linkage / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium / Q000235:genetics; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics*; D009679:Nuclear Family
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains