Vrr. Kodali et al., BODY-MASS INDEX AND FAMILY HISTORIES IN TYPE-II DIABETIC PROPOSITI AND PRELIMINARY-OBSERVATIONS ON THE TRANSMISSION OF DIABETES IN POLYGAMOUS FAMILIES, Human biology, 69(3), 1997, pp. 393-402
We studied family histories of diabetes mellitus in the first-degree r
elatives of 356 type II diabetic propositi in whose families monogamy
is practiced. Positive family histories were noted in 32% of the propo
siti: parental 20%, sibling 14%, and offspring 0.6%. In 11 pedigrees w
ith conjugal diabetic parents, 33% (18/55) of their offspring were dia
betic. Paternal influence was significantly higher than maternal influ
ence (43 of 62 vs. 19 of 62, Z=2.86, p <0.01). The presence or absence
of sibling history did not depend on the body mass index in the propo
siti. We also studied pedigrees of 10 propositi in whose paternal fami
lies polygamy is practiced. In these families also a trend toward grea
ter paternal influence was noted. We conclude that (1) a family histor
y of diabetes is present in one-third of diabetic propositi, (2) pater
nal influence is stronger than maternal influence in the transmission
of diabetes, (3) sibling history for diabetes has no relation to the b
ody mass index of the propositi, (4) prevalence of diabetes is higher
in the offspring of conjugal diabetic parents, and (5) studies in poly
gamous families are a new approach that may help to quantify the genet
ic load transmitted from a parent when there is heterogeneity in the s
pouses.