HLA and obesity.

A possible association between HLA and obesity was investigated in 42 unrelated obese children from Hessen, Germany. A family study was possible in 11 families with a total of 26 children. No significant deviation was observed for one of the HLA ABC antigen frequencies in the sample group compared with controls (n = 220). The linkage analysis in families: a) ruled out a close linkage (less than 10 cM) between HLA and a hypothetical obesity gene (assumption of a dominant mode of inheritance), b) did not exclude recessive inheritance so far, since the importance of penetrance is unknown and a simple gene model is improbable, c) yielded also negative lod scores (which did not reach the elimination level of -2) for an intermediary genetic model.