NO EVIDENCE FOR LINKAGE BETWEEN LEPROSY SUSCEPTIBILITY AND THE HUMAN NATURAL RESISTANCE-ASSOCIATED MACROPHAGE PROTEIN-1 (NRAMP1) GENE IN FRENCH-POLYNESIA

In order to determine whether a human homolog (NRAMP1) to a murine can didate gene for resistance to mycobacteria influences susceptibility t o human disease, we analyzed data from seven multicase leprosy familie s (84 individuals) from French Polynesia for linkage markers within th e NRAMP1 gene and leprosy per se. Individual family members were typed at nine polymorphic loci within NRAMP1. In addition, three physically linked, polymorphic microsatellite markers-D2S104, D2S173 and D2S1471 -were also typed. Linkage analyses were done using affected sibpair an d LOD score methods employing different modes of inheritance with full and reduced penetrance. The results of this study strongly suggest th at NRAMP1 is not linked to leprosy susceptibility in the French Polyne sian families tested.