title: Analysis of betaS and betaA genes in a Mexican population with African roots.
abstract: To investigate the origin of the beta(A) and beta(S) genes in a Mexican population with African roots and a high frequency of hemoglobin S, we analyzed 467 individuals (288 unrelated) from different towns in the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca in the Costa Chica region. The frequency of the sickle-cell trait was 12.8%, which may represent a public health problem. The frequencies of the beta-haplotypes were determined from 350 nonrelated chromosomes (313 beta(A) and 37 beta(S)). We observed 15 different beta(A) haplotypes, the most common of which were haplotypes 1 (48.9%), 2 (13.4%), and 3 (13.4%). The calculation of pairwise distributions and Nei's genetic distance analysis using 32 worldwide populations showed that the beta(A) genes are more closely related to those of Mexican Mestizos and North Africans. Bantu and Benin haplotypes and haplotype 9 were related to the beta(S) genes, with frequencies of 78.8, 18.2, and 3.0%, respectively. Comparison of these haplotypes with 17 other populations revealed a high similitude with the population of the Central African Republic. These data suggest distinct origins for the beta(A) and beta(S) genes in Mexican individuals from the Costa Chica region.
authors.affiliation: División de Genética, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, CMNO, IMSS, Sierra Mojada No. 800, Col. Independencia, Guadalajara, México.
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Magaña
authors.forename: Zoyla
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ongay
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tagle
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bentura
authors.forename: José G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cobián
authors.forename: F Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Perea
authors.forename: Maricela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casas-Castañeda
authors.forename: Yoaly J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Sánchez-López
authors.forename: Bertha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ibarra
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D004586:Electrophoresis; D005820:Genetic Testing; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D006441:Hemoglobin A / Q000235:genetics*; D006451:Hemoglobin, Sickle / Q000235:genetics*; D006453:Hemoglobinopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D019371:Topography, Medical
chemical_list: D006451:Hemoglobin, Sickle; D005914:Globins; D006441:Hemoglobin A