[Human genes, containing varying numbers of absolute tandem repeats in the coding area: the possible role in pathogenesis].

Some peculiarities of the transcription of human genes with variable number of absolute tandem repeats in the coding region are discussed. The data on the association between short alleles of the apo(a) gene and atherosclerosis are analyzed. Data are described concerning the possible role of the MUC1 gene product, episialin, in carcinogenesis. The possible causes of the polydispersity of apo(a) and mucin gene transcripts are analyzed. It is supposed that RNA polydispersity is the result of the transcription of the repeat. The possible association between repeat transcription and recombination is discussed. The same inverse relationship is noted between the allele length (number of repeats) and the transcription level of the full gene for apo(a) and MUC1 genes. The possible role of the length of VNTR genes as risk factors of human pathogenesis is discussed.