Wayward effect of polymorphism (TA)8 in the promoter region of UGT1A1 gene in a Mexican family / Efecto caprichoso del polimorfismo (TA)8 en la región del promotor del gene UGT1A1 en una familia mexicana

Gilbert syndrome (GS) is a hereditary relatively common benign unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia. The promoter region of uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase 1 (UGT1A1) gene contains a normal A(TA)6 TAA element; variations in this motif (A(TA)7/8 TAA) are generally associated with this disorder. This is a report of the varied effects of GS in a Mexican Mestizo family with a non-common (TA)8 repeat in this population. T he proposita and her mother showed (TA)7 /(TA)8 genotype, while her father and sister were (TA)6 /(TA)7 , but only the proposita showed clinical manifestations. This report supports that the (TA)7 and (TA)8 are necessary, but not enough to explain the features of GS. There are probably additional genetic variations ie, the presence of "modifier" genes or one can speculate that an oligogenetic trait can contribute to the expression of the final phenotype.

El síndrome de Gilberto (SG) es un hiperbilirubinemia no conjugada, benigna, relativamente común y hereditaria. La región promotora del gen (UGT1A1) de la uridina difosfato glicosiltransferasa 1, contiene un elemento normal A (TA)6 TAA. Las variaciones en este motivo (A (TA)7/8 TAA) se encuentran por lo general asociadas con este desorden. Éste es un reporte de los variados efectos del SG en una familia mestiza mexicana con una repetición (TA)8 no común en esta población. La probando y su madre mostraron el genotipo (TA)7 /(TA)7 , mientras su padre y hermana eran (TA)6 /(TA)7 , pero sólo la probando mostró manifestaciones clínicas. Este informe sostiene que el (TA)7 y (TA)8 son necesarios, pero no suficientes para explicar los rasgos del SG. Probablemente hay variaciones genéticas adicionales, es decir, la presencia de genes "modificadores", o se puede especular que un rasgo oligogenético puede contribuir a la expresión del fenotipo final.

beta(A) globin gene haplotypes in Mexican Huichols: Genetic relatedness to other populations.

The haplotypes of 97 beta(A) independent chromosomes from a Mexican Huichol Native American group were analyzed. The analysis also included 87 beta(A) chromosomes from a Mexican Mestizo population previously studied. Among Huichols, eight different 5' beta haplotypes (5Hps) were observed, with types 1(+ - - - -), 13(+ + + - +) and 2(- + + - +) at frequencies of 0.794, 0.093, and 0.041, respectively. In Mestizos, 17 5Hps were found, types 1, 3(- + - + +), 2, 5(- + - - +) and 9(- - - - -) being the most common at frequencies of 0.391, 0.172, 0.092, 0.069, and 0.046, respectively. 3' haplotype (3Hps) frequency distributions were 0.443(+ +), 0.083(+ -), and 0.474(- +) in Huichols and 0.563(+ +), 0.149(+ -), and 0.287(- +) in Mestizos. Pairwise comparison for both haplotype distributions between the two populations showed significant differences. Pairwise distributions of 3Hps for Huichols were compared with nine worldwide populations, three African, two Asian, two Melanesian, one Caucasian, and one United States Native American. The distributions of the Huichol were different (P < 0.05) from all populations except the Native American. Nei's genetic distances showed the Huichols to be closer to the Native Americans, followed by Melanesians from Vanuatu and Asians; Africans were the farthest. The 5Hp distributions in Mexicans were also compared with 23 worldwide populations (including African, Native American, Asian, Caucasian, and Pacific Islanders). Huichol distributions were different (P < 0.05) from all other populations except Koreans. The Mestizo distribution was also different from the others, except three Caucasian groups. Nei's genetic distance between the same populations disclosed that the Huichols are in relatively close proximity to five out of six Asian populations considered. The same analysis with grouped worldwide populations showed Native Americans as population closest to the Huichols, followed by Pacific Islanders and Asians. Present observations are consistent with an important Asian contribution to the Huichol genome in this chromosomal region. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 12:201-206, 2000. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.