Allelic Frequencies of Six (CA)n Microsatellite Markers of the Dystrophin Gene in the Korean Population

Using the polymerase chain reaction, we examined the allele frequencies and heterozygosities of six (CA) n markers of the dystrophin gene in Koreans. Allele frequencies of these markers were different from those reported for Caucasians. The heterozygosity values for these markers range from 29 to 86 %. With the exception of the STR50 marker, these values were lower than those of Caucasians. However, all markers except for the 3'CA marker showed PIC values over 0.5, suggesting a high degree of polymorphism. Therefore, this study will be useful in linkage analysis for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy families in the Korean population.