Distribution patterns of variability for 18 immune system genes in Amerindians - relationship with history and epidemiology

• Published in: Tissue antigens 2013-09, Vol.82 (3), p.177-185
• Main Authors: Lindenau, J. D., Salzano, F. M., Guimarães, L. S. P., Callegari-Jacques, S. M., Hurtado, A. M., Hill, K. R., Petzl-Erler, M. L., Tsuneto, L. T., Hutz, M. H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aché; African Continental Ancestry Group; Amerindians; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Biological Evolution; Brazil - ethnology; Cytokines - genetics; Cytokines - immunology; Data processing; Databases, Genetic; European Continental Ancestry Group; Guarani; HapMap Project; Humans; immune response genes; Immunity, Innate; Indians, South American; interleukins; Kaingang; Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - immunology; Phylogeography; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Population Dynamics; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 22 - genetics; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 22 - immunology; Receptors, Calcitriol - genetics; Receptors, Calcitriol - immunology; Receptors, Purinergic P2X7 - genetics; Receptors, Purinergic P2X7 - immunology
• ISSN: 0001-2815; 1399-0039
• DOI: 10.1111/tan.12183

Native American populations generally have a higher prevalence of infectious diseases than non‐Native populations and this fact can induce different pressures in their immune system. We investigated the patterns of population differentiation (FST) of 32 polymorphisms related to adaptive immune response in four Native American populations (Aché, Guarani‐Kaiowá, Guarani‐Ñandeva and Kaingang), and the results were compared with the three major world population data [Yoruba of Ibadan, Nigeria (YRI), Utah residents with northern and Western Europe ancestry (CEU) and Han Chinese of Beijing, China (CHB)] available in the HapMap database. The Aché clearly differentiated from the other Amerindians, but when all Native Americans were compared with the samples of other ethnic groups the lowest difference (0.08) was found with CHB (Asians), the second lowest (0.15) with YRI (Africans) and the most marked with CEU (European‐derived). The considerable intra and interethnic differences found can be explained both in terms of diverse evolutionary distances and more recent environmental pathogen exposures; and they should be appropriately considered prior to any specific public health action.