Linkage analysis of chromosome 12 markers in Italian families with atopic asthmatic children

We investigated 116 Italian atopic families (560 individuals) for linkage w ith 13 DNA markers on chromosome 12. All the subjects were phenotyped for a sthma, total serum IgE, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, skin-prick positivit y to common aeroallergens, and atopy. A relative location map of the marker s was prepared from Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain families. Affect ed sib pair multipoint linkage methods were used to perform the statistical analyses. We report suggestive linkage for asthma with markers on chromoso me 12. The region of interest centers around marker D12S390 (maximum logari thm of odds [mlod] = 2.81; p = 0.003). These results provide additional sup port that asthma susceptibility factors are located on chromosome 12q.