Genetic analysis using DNA polymorphism of the linkage between chromosome 11q13 and atopy and bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine.

Previous studies have suggested that there is a genetic predisposition for the development of asthma and atopy. A recent study has also demonstrated that there is a striking link between chromosome 11q and the IgE response underlying asthma and rhinitis. To assess the linkage between chromosome 11q (region D11S97) and atopy or bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BH), we have studied nine families of two and, in many instances, three generations with the index case having asthma and/or atopy. With variable number of tandem repeat analysis with the probe, p lambda-MS.51, we have been unable to confirm a significant link between region D11S97 of chromosome 11q and either atopy or BH to methacholine. We have demonstrated that atopy and BH produce similar log of odds scores with linkage analysis at each recombination fraction from 0.001 to 0.5 with both Hinf1 and Taq1 restriction digests and that the use of either a positive skin prick test or positive RAST as a definition of atopy does not significantly alter the log of odds score.