Linkage study of the low-density lipoprotein-receptor gene and cholesterol levels in an Afrikaner family. Quantitative genetics and identification of a minor founder effect
Brink, P.A.; Brink, L.T.; Torrington, M.; Bester, A.J.
South African Medical Journal 77(6): 292-296
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 1969180 Document Number: 363677
Overlap of clinical and biochemical characteristics between hypercholesterolaemia in members of the general population and familial hypercholesterolaemic (FH) individuals may lead to misdiagnosis. Quantitative analysis of family data may circumvent this problem. A way of looking for an association between plasma cholesterol levels and restriction fragment length polymorphism markers (RFLP) on the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene by using reference cholesterol distributions was explored. Linkage, with a logarithm of the odds (LOD) score of 6.8 at theta 0, was detected between cholesterol levels and the LDL receptor in an extended Afrikaner family. Two RFLP-haplotypes, one previously found in a majority of Afrikaner FH homozygotes, and a second, Stu I-, BstE II+, Pvu II+, Nco I+, were associated with high cholesterol levels in this pedigree.