Distribution of apolipoprotein E alleles in the Omani population.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the apolipoprotein E (apo E) allele distribution in the Omani population and to compare them with those of other populations.


METHODS
One hundred and sixty-two healthy Omanis of Arab Bedouin origin were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism.


RESULTS
The apo E allele frequencies were: epsilon2, 0.052; epsilon3, 0.886; epsilon4, 0.062. This pattern of distribution, characterized by the lowest epsilon4 and among the highest epsilon3 allele frequencies in the world, was very similar to that of Arabs, Southern Europeans of the Mediterranean basin, Indians, and Japanese populations.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the allelic distribution of apo E in healthy Omanis is characterized by low Apo epsilon4 and high epsilon3 allele frequencies similar to those of other Arab, Southern European, Japanese and Indian populations. The homogeneous distribution of apo E alleles in this group of populations might have been influenced by diet and/or genetic admixture.
Al-Yahyaee
Said Ali S
SA
Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud, Sultanate of Oman. syahyaee@squ.edu.om
Al-Kindi
Mohammed Nasser
MN
Al-Bahrani
Ali Hassan
AH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D009850:Oman; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D017931:DNA Primers