RESUMO
Pro12Ala is a common functional mutation of PPAR-gamma2 gene whose frequency varies widely worldwide. In Iraq, there are no studies of the frequency of Pro12Ala. The aim of this study is to find out the frequency of Pro12Ala [rs1801282] in an Iraqi population and to compare it with those of other populations. Pro12Ala was genotyped in 95 healthy unrelated Arabic native Iraqi adult subjects using PCR- Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism [PCR-RFLP]. Its frequency was compared to those of other populations. Genotype frequencies were within Hardey-Weinberg Equilibrium [HWE]. Allelic frequencies were 90.53% for the C [Pro] allele and 9.47% for the G [Ala12] allele. The homozygous wild type genotype [Pro12Pro] frequency was 81.05%. The heterozygous mutant genotype [Pro12Ala] was evident in 18.95% of subjects with no cases of [Ala12Ala]. Allelic and genotypic frequencies were statistically different from those of Ukrainian [p=0.007 and 0.017], Chinese [p=0.041 and 0.034], and African Americans [p=0.000 and 0.000]. Iraqis have relatively high prevalence of Pro12Ala mutation which differs from several populations confirming the need for understanding the genetic background of each population