title: Prevalence of 845G>A HFE mutation in Slavic populations: an east-west linear gradient in South Slavs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare A allele frequencies of the 845G>A mutation of 10 Slavic populations in central, eastern, and southern Europe between each other and with other European populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 845G>A mutation from the DNA of 400 Polish neonates collected in 2005-2006 was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The data were compared with reports from other countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 381 GG homozygotes, 18 GA heterozygotes, and 1 AA homozygote. The 845A allele frequency was 2.5%, which makes the summary figure for Poland from this and previous studies 3.5%. The average prevalence for Poland and other West Slavic countries was 3.6%, similar to Russia (inhabited by the East Slavs, 3.5%). The average prevalence in South Slavic countries was 2.2%, gradually decreasing from 3.6% in Slovenia to 0% in Bulgaria, with a longitudinal linear gradient (adjusted R(2)=0.976, P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The West and East Slavs, together with Finland, Estonia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia, form a group with 845A allele frequencies between 3% and 4%. In the South Slavs, there is a gradual decline in the prevalence of 845A allele from northwest to southeast, with a surprisingly exact east-west linear gradient.
authors.affiliation: Pomeranian Medical University, Department of Medical Biology, Szczecin, Poland. gra2@op.pl
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: Jeremy S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Łoniewska
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciechanowicz
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D005843:Geography; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011044:Poland; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: C103673:HFE protein, human; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D008565:Membrane Proteins