Genome-wide scan of additional Jewish families confirms linkage of a myopia susceptibility locus to chromosome 22q12.
OBJECTIVE
A genome-wide scan was previously reported for myopia in Ashkenazi Jews. In order to confirm the previous linkage peaks, a collection of DNA samples from 19 new Ashkenazi Jewish families were tested for linkage in a genome wide scan.


METHODS
Families were ascertained from an Orthodox Ashkenazi Jewish community through mailings. Myopia was defined as equal to or greater than -1 diopter in both meridians in both eyes. The genome wide scan used markers from a modified Cooperative Human Linkage Center version 9 (402 markers). Parametric two-point linkage was calculated with FASTLINK while multipoint linkage was calculated with GENEHUNTER.


RESULTS
The results for the 19 families demonstrated several regions of suggestive linkage on chromosomes 7, 1, 17, and 22. A combined analysis of the 19 families and 44 previously reported families demonstrated an increase in the LOD score to 4.73 for the chromosome 22 locus.


CONCLUSIONS
Multiple chromosomal regions have exhibited some evidence of linkage to a myopia susceptibility gene in this Ashkenazi Jewish population. The strongest evidence of linkage to such a susceptibility gene in these data is on chromosome 22.
Stambolian
Dwight
D
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. stamboli@mail.med.upenn.edu
Ibay
Grace
G
Reider
Lauren
L
Dana
Debra
D
Moy
Chris
C
Schlifka
Melissa
M
Holmes
Taura N
TN
Ciner
Elise
E
Bailey-Wilson
Joan E
JE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1; D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17; D002892:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22; D002897:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D007585:Jews / Q000235:genetics*; D008126:Lod Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000235:genetics*