Albumin genetic variability in South America: Population distribution and molecular studies

A total of 5,020 individuals living in two southern Brazilian states were s creened in relation to albumin types; two variants were found, in Passe Fun do (Nagasaki 2) and Vera Cruz (Tradate 2). Another variant, detected in the northeast, was identified as Porto Alegre 2, which also occurs in other pl aces in Brazil, as well as in India, Pakistan, and Turkey. The results were integrated with those obtained in other studies in South America, yielding a total of 16,941 Amerindians and 23,839 non-Indian subjects. Molecular an d physiological studies performed in some of the variants suggested clues t o explain the restricted distribution of albumin Yanomama 2 and the widespr ead occurrence of albumin Maku. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.