Hereditary spastic paraplegia: a clinical and genetic study of cases in the north-east of England.

Patients in the north-east of England with hereditary spastic paraplegia and their immediate families were examined clinically and studied for evidence of linkage or association with polymorphic genetic systems. There were no observable clinical differences between patients with and without a positive family history. Family histories were compatible with autosomal dominant transmission, there was no evidence of linkage with any system, but there was a significant association with HLA-A1.