Restricted Genetic Heterogeneity in Families of Patients with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Abstract

HLA antigens of the A and B loci were determined on the lymphocytes of 30 patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and on all of their mothers and 26 of the fathers. Seven of the 26 parents shared a common haplotype. This incidence of 269 per 1000 contrasts with an expected incidence of 90.7 per 1000, calculated from haplotype frequencies in a North American population (.chi.2 [chi square] = 7.61, P < 0.01) and a frequency of 1 in 27 in parents of patients with renal failure in the local population (.chi.2 = 3.91, P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between the latter group and the North American controls (.chi.2 = 0.39, P > 0.10). The genetic background of a large proportion of patients with ALL probably has restricted heterogeneity, presumably leading to the increased expression of leukemia associated recessive genes.