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Evaluation of Zygosity Diagnosis in Twin Pairs Below Age Seven by Means of a Mailed Questionnaire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

B. Bønnelykke ,
M. Hauge ,
N. Holm ,
K. Kristoffersen  and
H. Gurtler
B. Bønnelykke*
Affiliation:
Cytogenetic Laboratory, Århus Psychiatric Hospital, Risskov
M. Hauge
Affiliation:
The Danish Twin Registry, Institute of Clinical Genetics, University of Odense
N. Holm
Affiliation:
The Danish Twin Registry, Institute of Clinical Genetics, University of Odense
K. Kristoffersen
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Odense
H. Gurtler
Affiliation:
Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Serology, Copenhagen, Denmark
*
Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sentralsykehuset, N-6026 Ålesund, Norway

Abstract

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The mothers of a consecutive series of 125 same sexed pairs of twins aged 6 months to 6 1/2 years completed a mailed questionnaire concerning the physical similarity of the twin partners. Zygosity diagnoses were first determined blindly on the basis of the answers given by the mothers, who did not know the result of the blood group test when fullfilling the questionnaire. Next, the results were compared with the zygosity determination based on examination of erythrocyteserum- and enzyme-groups. It turned out that a few simple questions distinguished well enough between MZ and DZ pairs, with a frequency of misclassification of 4%, leaving 5% as unclassifiable. It is concluded that twin zygosity can be estimated by a simple questionnaire with sufficient accuracy even in very young twin pairs. This has relevant implications for more extensive twin studies where the use of a wide spectrum of serological characters would imply too high expenses.

Keywords

TwinZygosityQuestionnaire
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 38 , Issue 3-4 , October 1989 , pp. 305 - 313
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1989

References

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