Myopia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Myopia, including details on treatment, prevention, causes, correction.

Genetic mapping of myopia susceptibility loci.

Schäche M, Richardson AJ, Pertile KK, Dirani M, Scurrah K, Baird PN

Centre for Eye Research Australia, The University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia. mschache@unimelb.edu.au

PURPOSE: Myopia (short sightedness) is a complex trait influenced by as yet unidentified genetic factors. To date, there have been four myopia susceptibility loci (MYP7 to -10) identified in twin studies, but these are yet to be independently verified. In an independent yet ethnically and phenotypically similar twin cohort, linkage to these chromosomal regions was sought. METHODS: Participants were 223 dizygotic twin pairs from the Australian Twin Registry who were assessed for evidence of linkage, by using polymorphic microsatellite markers spanning MYP7-10. Data were analyzed by using Haseman-Elston regression analysis. RESULTS: No evidence of linkage of myopia or its underlying biological components such as eye length to the MYP7-10 regions was found in this twin cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to assess for linkage in a secondary myopia twin cohort and highlights the problems associated with applying linkage results from complex traits to the other populations.

Published 26 October 2007 in Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 48(11): 4924-9.
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