Study of five microsatellites in BS carriers

Abstract

Microsatellites are the most used molecular markers in genetic diversity studies because of their high polymorphism. Furthermore, Sickle cell anemia, constitutes by their frequency and clinical severity, a public heal-th problem in large parts of the world and particularly in Tunisia. In this work, we have implemented the study, by ABI Prism 310 genetic analyser, of five STRs : D14S261, D14S72, D14S990, D14S68 and D18S1147. STR analysis has been used to compare allele frequencies of the five’s STR between the 18 βS carriers and 19 control subjects. The comparison showed, firstly, the lack of an allele of the marker D14S68 in the βS trait carriers, which could be explained by the association of this allele with a lethal form or by a different origin of Tunisian sickle cell carriers. Secondly it has been revealed the asso-ciation between the βS allele and an allele of marker D14S261. This suggests two possibilities : an association between this allele and ancestral allele βS and/ or an association of this allele with a character that would benefit βS allele carriers. This work has to be completed by the study of the genes surrounding the identified markers.