title: Chromosome 19q13 and multiple sclerosis susceptibility in Finland: a linkage and two-stage association study.
abstract: Several studies have previously provided some albeit weak evidence for linkage or association between chromosome 19q13 and multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility. We performed a two-stage association analysis with 19 markers spanning 7 Mb/5.5 cM of 19q13. In stage 1 analysis (135 MS families) allelic and haplotypic associations were found with markers within or close to the ApoE-ApoC subregion. These observations were taken as a hypothesis, which was tested in stage 2 in 125 families. However, none of the initial associations were replicated suggesting that they were most likely due to chance. Linkage analysis was performed in 27 Finnish multiplex families using 10 microsatellites spanning 23 Mb/24 cM of 19q13. DNA was available from 72 MS patients and 150 unaffected relatives. Parametric and non-parametric linkage analyses did not provide evidence for linkage when all families were tested. After stratifying the families according to HLA-DR15 there was weak evidence for linkage to the 19q13.1 subregion in DR15 negative families (LOD(max)=1.8). Taken together these results do not support a major role of chromosome 19q13.2-q13.3 in MS susceptibility among Finnish MS patients, whereas conclusions on the 19q13.1 subregion are less clear and this region requires further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, and University of Helsinki, Neuroscience Programme, Biomedicum-Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, PL700, Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reunanen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Finnilä
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laaksonen
authors.forename: M-L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sumelahti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wikström
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pastinen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuokkanen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saarela
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Uimari
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruutiainen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ilonen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peltonen
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Tienari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002888:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; C106559:HLA-DR15 antigen