title: Genetic variation and relationships at six VNTR loci in two distinct sample populations in Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Brazilian population has been the focus of intensive genetic study due to admixture characteristics whereas there are few reports on the variability of VNTR loci in Brazil.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyse genetic parameters in sample populations from two geographically distant regions: São Luis City, in Maranhão State and Campinas City, in São Paulo State. We investigated if distinct colonization influences could produce detectable differences in genetic background.
  
  
  METHODS
  DNA samples from peripheral drained blood were obtained from unrelated individuals who underwent paternity testing. Allelic variation in six VNTR loci (D2S44, D4S139, D5S110, D8S358, DI0S28 and D17S79) was evaluated. The results were compared to reference databases available for general Latin-derived European and African-American populations as well as for other Brazilian groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study reveals that forensic population parameters did not show differences among regions, although we detected admixture values varying between the south-east and north-east of Brazil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences between the two samples are probably due to different admixture proportions of European- and African-derived alleles in each region: both populations are in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium. In addition, the allelic frequency for all loci, in both populations, can be used as database for forensic purposes.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Hematologia e Hemoterapia--Hemocentro, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil. clarisa@unicamp.br
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Magna
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: de Mello
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: de Moura-Neto
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D001938:Brazil; D005787:Gene Frequency; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics; D001741:Black or African American