DNA POLYMORPHISMS OF THE CHOLESTERYL ESTER TRANSFER PROTEIN (CETP) GENE IN ITALIAN AND GREEK MIGRANTS TO AUSTRALIA

The distribution of two common TaqI restriction fragment length polymo rphisms (RFLPs) of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene were determined in 271 Italian-born and 170 Greek-born migrants to Mel bourne, Australia. A much smaller number were examined for the EcoNI R FLP of the same gene. Allele frequencies of the TaqI A RFLP exhibited the least variation in both ethnic groups, and no significant regional heterogeneity in allele or genotype frequencies of either TaqI RFLP w as detected for Greece or Italy, There was no difference between Itali ans and Creeks for the TaqI A polymorphism and the variability at the B RFLP was of borderline significance. Comparisons with other Caucasia n populations revealed that allele frequencies of all three CETP RFLPs are remarkably uniform within Caucasians, with the TaqI B polymorphis m being the most variable.