The genetic polymorphism of the fourth component of human complement: methodological aspects and a presentation of linkage and association data relevant to its localization in the HLA region.

The C4 polymorphism in man has been studied by immunofixation electrophoresis, crossed immunoelectrophoresis, and functional detection after agarose gel electrophoresis. It has so far not been possible to reveal this polymorphism by isoelectric focusing and functional detection of C4 bands. Three common alleles and one less frequently occuring allele have been identified. In a small population sample studied by all the different techniques and verified by family segregation, the following gene frequencies have been found: C4F: 0.46, C4S: 0.32, C4F1: 0.20, and C4M: 0.02. By linkage and association studies in a family material it has been shown that a structural C4 locus is situated in the HLA region of chromosome 6 very close to the HLA-B and Bf loci.