title: Difference between Japanese and Caucasian populations in the allelic frequency of growth hormone receptor polymorphisms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polymorphisms in the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene were reported in Caucasian populations. However, the frequency of those in other ethnic backgrounds remains unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the presence of polymorphisms in the GHR gene in a Japanese population and compared the frequencies with those reported in Caucasian populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected 30 children with idiopathic short stature and 30 adult Japanese of normal height.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sequences of exons 6 and 10 in the GHR gene were determined by direct sequencing by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The genomic deletion of exon 3 (GHR-d3) was investigated by multiplex PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of the GGG genotype at codon 168 was significantly higher than that reported in Caucasian populations. The frequency of GHR-d3 in Japanese was significantly lower than that in Caucasian populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequencies of the G168G polymorphism and GHR-d3 in Japanese are different from those in Caucasians.
authors.affiliation: Division of Diabetes, Metabolism, and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan. i_idak@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hidesuke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okimura
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nose
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chihara