Genetic heterogeneity in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia.

A locus causing hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) has recently been mapped to 9q34 in four families and designated HHT1. In this paper, the results of a linkage study showing genetic heterogeneity in four families in whom HHT is segregating are reported. All the previously reported 9q34 linked families contain at least one affected member with a symptomatic pulmonary arteriovenous malformation. We postulate that clinical heterogeneity may also be a feature of HHT with a significantly higher predisposition to symptomatic PAVMs associated with the HHT1 linked families.