Aims/hypothesis: The human Fas gene (FAS) on chromosome 10q24.1 encoding a cell surface receptor involved in apoptosis was evaluated as a candidate susceptibility gene for Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Apoptosis mediated by Fas is important in maintaining peripheral self-tolerance and in down-regulating the immune response and could have a role in immune-mediated beta-cell destruction.
Methods: We did a molecular scan of the entire human FAS (promoter, exons 1-9 including exon-intron boundaries and the 3'UTR) using single strand conformational polymorphism-heteroduplex analysis.
Results: We identified 15 mutations, of which 11 are new. Of these a g-1194A-->T and a g-295Ains give rise to alterations of transcription-factor-binding consensus sequences for c-Myb, SP-1 and NF-kappa B, respectively. A total of 1068 people from a Danish family collection comprising 138 Type I diabetic sib-pair families (289 affected and 121 unaffected offspring) and 103 Type I diabetic parent-offspring multiplex families (103 affected and 112 unaffected offspring) were typed for the three most frequent polymorphisms with high heterozygosity indices and for a FAS microsatellite. Haplotypes were established and data analysed using the extended transmission disequilibrium test, ETDT.
Conclusion/interpretation: We found no overall evidence for linkage of the FAS polymorphisms to Type I diabetes. We conclude that it is unlikely that the Fas gene does contribute to genetic susceptibility for Type I diabetes.