Silman A J
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, London Hospital Medical College.
Dis Markers. 1986 Jun;4(1-2):55-8.
The study of multicase families is of value in the analysis of genetic association between rheumatoid arthritis and markers such as HLA. There are a number of ways that multicase families arise but it is likely that the affected individuals within these families are not genetically distinct from sporadic cases. More problematic, however, is the nature of the disease itself. Its variable presentation, at any age, and the existence of self-limiting forms renders classification of individuals within families complex. In the absence of continuous life-long observation the only reasonable alternative is to use all available data for analysis and not be constrained by rigid criteria developed for other purposes.
多病例家族研究对于分析类风湿关节炎与诸如HLA等标志物之间的遗传关联具有重要价值。多病例家族的产生有多种方式，但这些家族中的患病个体在遗传上可能与散发病例并无差异。然而，更具问题的是疾病本身的性质。其在任何年龄的表现各异，以及存在自限性形式，使得家族内个体的分类变得复杂。在缺乏持续终生观察的情况下，唯一合理的选择是利用所有可用数据进行分析，而不受为其他目的制定的严格标准的限制。
