Hereditary elliptocytosis: linkage data in man

Summary The genetic linkage between elliptocytosis and rhesus factors was investigated in six Dutch families with a total of 146 elliptocytotic patients. Accepting the data in the literature on the frequency of recombination of genes in the case of close linkage as a starting‐point, we were able to rule out genetic linkage between elliptocytosis and rhesus factors in three of the families studied (families de M., v. B. and Ri.). In the fourth family, only one information was obtained, which suggested linkage to be improbable (family Mo.). The fifth family (family v. Ac.) yielded no information at all, so that linkage to the rhesus locus could not be ruled out. The study of the sixth family demonstrated close genetic linkage between elliptocytosis and rhesus factors ( P 10 ‐ ‐ 7 ).