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Transmission of the PiZ allele for α1-antitrypsin deficiency: Population genetic considerations

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Summary

It is shown that a simple preferential transmission of the PiZ allele by PiZ-heterozygous males for α1-antitrypsin deficiency cannot maintain the observed polymorphism at the locus without invoking any viability or fertility selection against the PiZ gene carriers (heterozygotes or homozygotes). From the data on frequencies of PiZ alleles in Europe, the estimates of such selection coefficients are shown to be of the order of 5–20%, which seems too large for natural populations. Furthermore, an analysis of 26 nuclear families, each ascertained through a heterozygous PiZ or homozygous ZZ child, does not provide statistical evidence for such a hypothesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Demographic and Population Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, 77025, Houston, TX, USA

    R. Chakraborty & P. P. Majumder

  2. C.H.U. Purpan, Centre d'Hemotypologie, CNRS, Toulouse, France

    J. Constans

Authors
  1. R. Chakraborty
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  2. J. Constans
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  3. P. P. Majumder
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Chakraborty, R., Constans, J. & Majumder, P.P. Transmission of the PiZ allele for α1-antitrypsin deficiency: Population genetic considerations. Hum Genet 62, 193–197 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333517

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333517

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