Genetic susceptibility to leprosy on a Caribbean Island: linkage analysis with five markers

Our recent segregation analysis, carried out on 27 large pedigrees from a Caribbean island (Desirade), has shown the presence of recessive major gene(s) controlling susceptibility to leprosy per se and nonlepromatous leprosy, respectively. Linkage analysis was performed between each of these two detected genes and each of five markers typed in the Desirade population: HLA, ABO, Rhesus, Gm and Km. No positive significant lod score was observed. However, for leprosy per se close linkage was excluded with Rhesus and Gm (and also with ABO and HLA, considering a lower value for the frequency of the gene controlling susceptibility to leprosy per se). The highest lod score, although not significant, was obtained between the gene for nonlepromatous leprosy and ABO. Our overall results, joined with previous studies and experimental data, suggest that the gene controlling susceptibility to leprosy per se and that controlling susceptibility to nonlepromatous leprosy might be different, acting at successive stages of the immune response to infection with Mycobacterium leprae.