NO LINKAGE BETWEEN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS AND THE T-CELL RECEPTOR-ALPHA CHAIN LOCUS

Susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) is genetically determined but it is thought that more than one gene contributes to development of the disease. We report a study of linkage to one candidate, the T cell receptor ct chain locus, on chromosome 14, in affected sibling pairs. Markers with high polymorphism information contents were used to assign haplotypes identical by descent and state. Forty nine pairs were studied using restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) and 82 pairs were investigated using a microsatellite repeat polymorphism. In neither case did genotype or haplotype sharing differ significantly from expected rates. Stratification of patients according to DR15 status did not alter the distribution of haplotypes in affected siblings. We conclude that the T cell receptor alpha locus is not linked to susceptibility in patients with MS from the United Kingdom.