title: Highly significant linkage to chromosome 3q13.31 for rhinitis and related allergic diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allergic diseases such as asthma and rhinitis have closely related phenotypes and often occur with atopy. They show strong familial and intra-individual clustering, suggesting overlapping disease aetiology. Various loci and candidate genes have been suggested to underlie allergy. Many or all are still inconclusive. Following genome-wide scans on multiple phenotypes, we previously suggested that chromosome 3q13.12-q21.2 harbours an allergy locus.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify candidate loci in the Danish population, two additional independent sets of sib-pair families were fine-scale mapped in candidate regions showing maximum likelihood scores (MLS) > or =1.5 in the genome-wide scans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty eight microsatellite markers in a denser map on chromosome 3q were analysed in 236 allergy sib-pair families including 125 sib pairs with rhinitis. We report significant evidence for linkage to chromosome 3q13.31 for rhinitis (MLS 5.55, identity by descent (IBD) 63.9%) and atopy (increased specific immunoglobulin E) (MLS 3.71, IBD 61.7%). We obtained an MLS of 5.1 (IBD 67.3%) at 3q13.31 when sib pairs with both rhinitis and atopy were analysed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reports the first statistically significant evidence for a genetic susceptibility locus for rhinitis and to our knowledge shows the most significant evidence to date of linkage for any allergy phenotype.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brasch-Andersen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haagerup
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Børglum
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vestbo
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Kruse
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003718:Denmark; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000235:genetics*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D004247:DNA