Study of three hypervariable loci in a mixed Chilean population

Background: Genetic markers are useful to study evolution parameters in pop ulations and to determine kinship. Aim: to characterize three short tandem repeat loci in a sample of Chilean subjects and compare them with Caucasian and Hispanic populations. Material and methods: Three hundred ninety three unrelated subjects that wee sent for genetic studies from courts of justic e, were studied. The loci FESFPS, F13A01 and vWA in blood samples, were typ ified amplifying DNA by polymerase chain reactions. Results: The three stud ied loci were highly polymorphic. F13A01 and FESFPS were in Hardy-Weinberg genetic equilibrium. A significant excess of heterozygotes was detected for vWA locus. There were no differences in allele frequencies, according to e thnic origins of last names. Allele frequencies for F13A01 and vWA loci wer e similar to those of Hispanic populations of Unites States and FESFPS loci was different. Conclusions: All three loci had a high efficiency for genet ic identification tests according to the estimated a priory exclusion proba bility (Rev Med Chile 2001; 129: 75-79).