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An extensive family-based study of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) cluster was performed. We aimed to describe the LD structure in the KIR gene cluster using a sample of 418 founder haplotypes identified by segregation in a group of 106 families from Northern Ireland. The LD was studied at two levels of polymorphism: the structural level (presence or absence of KIR genes) and the allelic level (between alleles of KIR genes). LD was further assessed using the predictive value of one KIR polymorphism for another one in order to provide an interpretative framework for the LD effect in association studies. In line with previous research, distinct patterns of KIR genetic diversity within the genomic region centromeric to KIR2DL4 (excluding KIR2DL4) and within the telomeric region including KIR2DL4 were found. In a comprehensive PPV/NPV-based LD analysis within the KIR cluster, robust tag markers were found that can be used to identify which genes are concomitantly present or absent and to further identify groups of associated KIR alleles. Several extended KIR haplotypes in the study population were identified (KIR2DS2*POS–KIR2DL2*001–KIR2DL5B*002–KIR2DS3*00103–KIR2DL1*00401; KIR2DL4*011–KIR3DL1/S1*005–KIR2DS4*003–KIR3DL2*003; KIR2DL4*00802–KIR3DL1/S1*004–KIR2DS4*006–KIR3DL2*005; KIR2DL4*00801–KIR3DL1/S1*00101–KIR2DS4*003–KIR3DL2*001; KIR2DL4*00103–KIR3DL1/S1*008–KIR2DS4*003–KIR3DL2*009; KIR2DL4*00102–KIR3DL1/S1*01502/*002–KIR2DS4*00101–KIR3DL2*002; KIR2DL4*00501–KIR3DL1/S1*013–KIR2DL5A*001–KIR2DS5*002–KIR2DS1*002–KIR3DL2*007). The present study provides a rationale for analyzing associations of KIR polymorphisms by taking into account the complex LD structure of the KIR region. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00251-010-0478-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The HLA haplotype B18-DR3 has a widespread geographical distribution, but has its greatest frequencies in Southern Europe, probably vestigial of the earliest populations of this region, particularly in the Pays Basque and Sardinia. This haplotype is of medical significance, being that most implicated as a factor of risk in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In this study, the closely linked microsatellite markers (TNFa,b,c) in the region of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) genes have been used in an attempt to subtype this haplotype in the two populations and/or in healthy and diabetic populations. A total of 79 HLA-B18-DR3 haplotypes were analyzed: 54 in Basques (12 from healthy individuals and 42 from diabetics or their first-degree relatives) and 25 in Sardinians (13 from healthy and 12 from diabetic individuals). The TNF haplotype a1-b5-c2 is completely associated with B18-DR3 in both populations. The homogeneity of the B18-DR3 haplotype in two ethnically pure populations implies stability in evolution, which suggests that the mutation rate of these microsatellite markers must be less than is usually assumed (i. e., approximately 5 x 10(-4) per site per generation). Such markers should be powerful tools for studying genetic drift and admixture of populations, but it remains to be established whether this stability is a rule for all microsatellites in HLA haplotypes or whether it is restricted to some microsatellites and/or some HLA haplotypes. The population genetics of those microsatellites associated with HLA B18-DR3 was also studied in a random sample of the Basque population.

In the genetically homogeneous Danish population, 27 HLA-DR3,4 heterozygous patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and 19 DR3,4 heterozygous controls without family history of IDDM were investigated for HLA-region markers and Gm and Km immunoglobulin allotypes. The aim was to define susceptibility factors for IDDM development other than HLA-DR using a number of techniques: lymphocytotoxicity (HLA-DR and DQ antigens), cellular methods (Dw and DP typing), restriction fragment length polymorphism (DQ alleles), electrophoresis and immunofixation (BF and C4 allotypes), and passive hemagglutination inhibition (Gm and Km immunoglobulin allotypes). The complement allotype C4A3 and the HLA-DQw8 (DQw3.2) antigen were found in all of the patients, whereas this was the case for only 8 of the 19 controls (P=6 x 10−6): five lacked C4A3, five others lacked DQw8, and one of the controls lacked both of these factors. Fourteen of the patients had the complement allotype C4B3 versus three of the controls (P=0.01). Previously reported family studies suggest that these alleles are part of the following haplotype: B15, BFS, C4A3, C4B3, DR4, Dw4, DQw8, and these factors were found together in ten of the patients versus one of the controls (P=0.01). The markers usually associated with DR3 did not show significant differences between IDDM patients and controls, and the non-HLA markers studied showed no significant deviation from what was expected. In addition to the susceptibility factor DQw8, the study suggests the existence of susceptibility genes for IDDM near the complement C4 genes on DR4-carrying haplotypes. Since recent works have shown that the structural gene for the monokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is located between the HLA-B and C4 loci and that TNF-α might be of importance in IDDM pathogenesis, the hypothesis is put forward that the C4-associated IDDM susceptibility reflects linkage dis-equilibrium between the C4 gene and a gene controlling TNF-α production. The high relative risk for IDDM in HLA-DR3,4 heterozygotes might be explained by the combined action of IDDM-specific susceptibility genes on DR4 haplotypes and DR3-linked susceptibility genes associated with predisposition to autoimmunity.