HIGH-FREQUENCY OF THE APOLIPOPROTEIN-E ASTERISK-4 ALLELE IN AFRICAN PYGMIES AND MOST OF THE AFRICAN POPULATIONS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Apolipoprotein E genotypes (alleles 2, *3 and *4) have been determine d in 70 Aka Pygmies and 470 unrelated African sub-Saharan subjects. Al lele frequencies for Pygmies are 5.7% for APOE2, 53.6% for APOE*3, an d 40.7% for APOE4, and the global proportions for sub-Saharan subject s are 11.6% for APOE2, 70.6% for APOE*3, and 17.8% for APOE*4, The fr equencies in some ethnic groups are statistically different from the o verall mean in the Afar and the Isa, the Ewe (Togo), the Malinke (Guin ea), and the Mossi; three ethnic groups have a higher allele frequency of APOE4 (Fon, 29.4%; Zairians, 33.3%; Tutsi, 38.5%). The APOE*4 all ele is considered the ancestral form because of its high frequency in African Pygmies and other aboriginal populations.