Exclusion of candidate genes and chromosomal regions in familial neuroblastoma

Two families with recurrence of neuroblastoma one Italian and one British w ith three and two affected children respectively were genotyped using polym orphic markers on chromosome 1 spanning the p32-p36 region frequently delet ed in neuroblastoma tumor cells. Linkage to this region was excluded by hap lotype inspection and negative lod scores. Furthermore, the exclusion of ge nes involved in neuro-cristopathies sometimes associated with neuroblastoma was carried out by typing the Italian family with polymorphic markers loca ted in or near the corresponding genes. Finally, linkage analysis in the tw o families showed negative lod scores for markers spanning the 16p12-13 chr omosomal region where a locus for familial neuroblastoma has been recently mapped. Our findings indicate that different genes are involved in the path ogenesis of familial neuroblastoma.