A new informative Alw 26 I polymorphism in exon 10 of the human low density lipoprotein receptor gene. Application to prenatal diagnosis. Mutations in brief no. 145. Online.

Using DNA sequencing of the coding and exon flanking regions of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene we identified an Alw26 I site in exon 10 by a transition G142A. The alleles are represented by one uncut fragment (A1=108bp) or two fragments (A2=82bp and 26 pb). Two other fragments (72bp and 16bp) were systematically found within the amplified product. The alleles were detected in 157 unrelated French Caucasians with A1 frequency = 0.58 and A2=0.42. The observed heterozygoty was 44.5%. Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemie (FH) has a severe clinical picture leading to death during childhood. Because it is very informative, the present polymorphism was very useful as genetic marker for clinical diagnois and counseling as we described in linkage analysis at the LDLR locus for prenatal diagnosis in a fetus who could inherit two LDLR mutant alleles from FH heterozygote parents.