NAT2 gene polymorphisms in three indigenous groups in the Colombian Caribbean Coast region / Polimorfismo del Gen NAT2 en tres grupos indígenas de la región Caribe Colombiana

Objective: To study the NAT2 gene polymorphisms 481T, 590A and 857A in the Chimila, Wiwa and Wayuu indigenous groups of the Colombian Caribbean to determine the frequencies of the alleles NAT2*4, NAT2*5, NAT2*6, and NAT2*7 and to determine the types of acetylators present in these populations. Methods: A total of 202 subjects were studied: 47 Chimila, 55 Wiwa, and 100 Wayuu. The polymorphisms were identified using a real-time PCR method for allelic discrimination designed using Taqman of Applied Biosystems. Results: The following alleles were found at the highest frequency in the following groups: the NAT2*4 allele (wild type) in the Wayuu group (55.3%), the NAT2*5 allele in the Wiwa group (34.5%), and the NAT2*7 allele in the Chimila group (24.2%). A higher frequency of the rapid acetylator status was found in the Wayuu group (31.3%) and Chimila group (29.5%) compared with the Wiwa group (12.7%). The intermediate acetylator status distribution was very similar in all three groups, and the frequency of the slow acetylator status was higher in the Wiwa group (32.7%) compared with the Chimila and Wayuu groups (20.5% and 21.2%, respectively). Conclusion: The results demonstrated the allelic distribution and pharmacogenetic differences of the three groups studied and revealed the most frequent acetylator status and phenotype. Because of the high prevalence of slow acetylators, a greater incidence of tuberculosis (TB) drug-induced hepatotoxicity is predicted in these populations, with a higher frequency in the Wiwa group.

Objetivo: Estudiar los polimorfismos tipo SNP (del inglés- single nucleotide polymorphism) 481T, 590A y 857A del gen NAT2, en los grupos indígenas Chimila, Wiwa y Wayúu del Caribe Colombiano para determinar las frecuencias de los alelos NAT2*4, NAT2*5, NAT2*6 y NAT2*7 y caracterizar el tipo de acetiladores presentes en estas poblaciones. Métodos: Se estudiaron 202 individuos en total, 47 Chimila, 55 Wiwa y 100 Wayúu. Los polimorfismos se determinaron mediante la técnica de PCR en tiempo real por el método de discriminación alélica Taqman de Applied Biosystems. Resultados: El alelo NAT2*4 (wild type) mostró una mayor frecuencia en el grupo Wayúu (55.3%), el alelo NAT2*5 en el grupo Wiwa (34.5%) y el alelo NAT2*7 en el grupo Chimila (24.2%). Se encontró una mayor frecuencia del estado acetilador rápido en el grupo Wayúu (31.3%) y en el grupo Chimila (29.5%) al compararse con el grupo Wiwa (12.7%). La distribución del estado acetilador intermedio es muy similar en los tres grupos, y para el estado acetilador lento observamos que en el grupo Wiwa la frecuencia es mayor (32.7%) con respecto a Chimila y Wayúu con 20.5% y 21.2% respectivamente. Conclusiones: Los resultados permitieron conocer la distribución alélica y el componente farmacogenético de los tres grupos estudiados; igualmente, deducir el estado acetilador y/o fenotipo más frecuente. Debido a la alta prevalencia de acetiladores lentos, se podría predecir un aumento de la incidencia de hepatotóxicidad inducida por medicamentos antituberculosos como la Isoniacida indicados en estas poblaciones y en mayor frecuencia en el grupo Wiwa.

Nondisjunction and chromosomal anomalies / La no disyunción y las anomalías cromosómicas

La no segregación es el fracaso de los cromosomas homólogos en separarse correctamente durante la meiosis. Esto resulta en la producción de gametos que contienen una cantidad de cromosomas mayor o menor a la encontrada en una célula normal. Consecuentemente, el individuo puede desarrollar una trisomía o monosomía. La no disyunción puede ocurrir en meiosis I o meiosis II de la división celular, es una causa de diversas condiciones médicas anormales, incluyendo el Síndrome de Down (trisomía del cromosoma 21), Síndrome de Patau (trisomía del cromosoma 13), Síndrome de Edward (trisomía del cromosoma 18) y Síndrome de Turner (la presencia de un solo cromosoma X). A pesar de que es la causa de numerosos trastornos genéticos, aún no se conoce su etiología exacta y el proceso en el cual se lleva a cabo. La no disyunción se origina en el mayor de los casos de errores en la meiosis II materna, sin embargo, la meiosis paterna y la meiosis I materna influyen en ella. La edad materna se considera como un factor de riesgo de las trisomías, igual que la alteración de la recombinación y otros factores que pueden afectar la segregación cromosó-mica, tal como la genotoxicidad y translocaciones cromosómicas. Esta revisión se realizará con base en artículos publicados entre 2003 y 2009 en ISI Web, Science Direct, PUED, SPRINGER y SCIELO; se interpretará y analizará en ella los resultados de estos estudios que lograron demostrar conclusiones importantes y sobresaltaron factores interesantes que pueden ser el punto de partida para próximas investigaciones.

Nondisjunction is the failure of homologous chromosomes to disjoin correctly during meiosis. This results in the production of gametes containing a greater or lesser chromosomal amount than normal ones. Consequently the individual may develop a trisomal or monosomal syndrome. Non disjunction can occur in both Meiosis I and Meiosis II of the cellular division. It is a cause of several abnormal medical conditions, including Down's syndrome (trisomy of chromosome 21), Patau's Syndrome (trisomy of chromosome 13), Edward's Syndrome (trisomy of chromosome 18) and Turner's Syndrome (the presence of only one X chromosome). It is also the main cause of many genetic disorders, however its origin and process remains vague. Although it results in the majority of cases from errors in the maternal meiosis II, both paternal and maternal meiosis I do influence it. The maternal age, is considered a risk factor of trisomies, as well as recombination alterations and many others that can affect the chromosomal segregation, such as genotoxicity and chromosomal translocations. We will review the results of previously realized studies between the years 2003 and 2009, found in ISI WEB, PUED, SCIENCE DIRECT,SPRINGER LINK and SCIELO, that led to important conclusions and highlighted interesting factors that can be the starting point to future investigation.

HLA-E polymorphism in Amerindians from Mexico (Mazatecans), Colombia (Wayu) and Chile (Mapuches): evolution of MHC-E gene.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E is a nonclassical class I (Ib) gene with a restricted polymorphism. Only eight DNA alleles and three proteins of this gene have been described and their frequencies analyzed in Caucasian, Oriental, Asian Indian, and Negroid populations. In the present study, HLA-E polymorphism has been analyzed in six Amerindian and Mestizo populations from North and South America and compared with previously described populations. HLA-E*0101 is the most frequent allele found in all populations except in Afrocolombian and Wayu Amerindians, in which blood group analyses show a high admixture with Caucasian and African populations. Mazatecan and Mapuche (two Amerindian groups from North and South America, respectively) presented similar HLA-E frequencies, whereas Wayu Indians are more similar to the Afrocolombian population. The Mexican and Colombian Mestizo show similar allele frequencies to Amerindians with high frequencies of HLA-E*0101 and HLA-E*010302 alleles. Also, frequencies in Negroids and Asian Indians present a similar distribution of HLA-E alleles. These data are in agreement with worldwide restricted polymorphism of HLA-E because no new allele was detected in the six populations studied. The allelic frequencies show differences among Caucasian, Oriental, Mestizo and Indian populations. Ape major histocompatibility complex-E allelism is also very restricted: common chimpanzee (one allele); bonobo (two alleles); gorilla (two alleles); orangutan (one allele); rhesus monkey (eight alleles); cynomolgus monkey (two alleles); and green monkey (two alleles).

HLA molecular markers in Tuvinians: a population with both Oriental and Caucasoid characteristics.

HLA class I and class II alleles have been studied for the first time in the Turkish-speaking Tuvinian population, which lives in Russia, North of Mongolia and close to the Altai mountains. Comparisons have been done with about 11000 chromosomes from other worldwide populations, and extended haplotypes, genetic distances, neighbor joining dendrograms and correspondence analyses have been calculated. Tuvinians show an admixture of Mongoloid and Caucasoid characters, the latter probably coming from the ancient Kyrgyz background or, less feasibly, more recent Russian Caucasoid admixture. However, Siberian population traits are not found and thus Tuvinians are closer to Central Asian populations. Siberians are more related to Na-Dene and Eskimo American Indians; Amerindians (from nowadays Iberian--America) are not related to any other group, including Pacific Islanders, Siberians or other American Indians. The 'more than one wave' model for the peopling of the Americas is supported.

HLA genes in Macedonians and the sub-Saharan origin of the Greeks.

HLA alleles have been determined in individuals from the Republic of Macedonia by DNA typing and sequencing. HLA-A, -B, -DR, -DQ allele frequencies and extended haplotypes have been for the first time determined and the results compared to those of other Mediterraneans, particularly with their neighbouring Greeks. Genetic distances, neighbor-joining dendrograms and correspondence analysis have been performed. The following conclusions have been reached: 1) Macedonians belong to the "older" Mediterranean substratum, like Iberians (including Basques), North Africans, Italians, French, Cretans, Jews, Lebanese, Turks (Anatolians), Armenians and Iranians, 2) Macedonians are not related with geographically close Greeks, who do not belong to the "older" Mediterranenan substratum, 3) Greeks are found to have a substantial relatedness to sub-Saharan (Ethiopian) people, which separate them from other Mediterranean groups. Both Greeks and Ethiopians share quasi-specific DRB1 alleles, such as *0305, *0307, *0411, *0413, *0416, *0417, *0420, *1110, *1112, *1304 and *1310. Genetic distances are closer between Greeks and Ethiopian/sub-Saharan groups than to any other Mediterranean group and finally Greeks cluster with Ethiopians/sub-Saharans in both neighbour joining dendrograms and correspondence analyses. The time period when these relationships might have occurred was ancient but uncertain and might be related to the displacement of Egyptian-Ethiopian people living in pharaonic Egypt.

HLA genes in Arabic-speaking Moroccans: close relatedness to Berbers and Iberians.

The gene profile of Arabic-speaking Moroccans has been compared with those of other Mediterranean populations in order to provide additional information about the history of their origins. Our HLA data suggest that most Moroccans are of a Berber (Imazighen) origin and that Arabs who invaded North Africa and Spain in the 7th century A.D. did not substantially contributed to the gene pool; however, they imposed their advanced culture and their religion. Present-day Egyptians are also related to Moroccan Berbers and this supports an ancient Saharan origin for part of the present-day Mediterraneans, particularly for the Arabic-speaking ones (also Algerians) and also for the older substratum of Mediterranean people.

The origin of Cretan populations as determined by characterization of HLA alleles.

The Cretan HLA gene profile has been compared with those of other Mediterranean populations in order to provide additional information regarding the history of their origins. The allele frequencies, genetic distances between populations, relatedness dendrograms and correspondence analyses were calculated. Our results indicate that the Indoeuropean Greeks may be considered as a Mediterranean population of a more recent origin (after 2000 B.C.), while all other studied Mediterraneans (including Cretans) belong to an older substratum which was present in the area since pre-Neolithic times. A significant Turkish gene flow has not been detected in the Greek or Cretan populations, although Greeks and Turks have two high frequency HLA-DRB-DQB haplotypes in common. It is proposed that Imazighen (Caucasoid Berbers living at present in the North African coast and Saharan areas) are the remains of pre-Neolithic Saharan populations which could emigrate northwards between about 8000-6000 B.C., when desert desiccation began. They also could be part of the stock that gave rise to Sumerians, Cretans and Iberians; this is supported by both linguistic and HLA genetic data.

[Severe pseudoachondroplasia. Presentation of a case]. / Pseudoacondroplasia grave. Presentación de un paciente.

A male child who has the clinic and radiologic characteristics of type IV pseudoachondroplasia an autosomal recessive inherited disease, is described. For genetic counselling purposes, the clinic features and differential diagnosis and its classification are discussed.

[Cloverleaf skull. Presentation of three cases]. / Cráneo en "hoja de trébol". Presentación de tres pacientes.

Three patients who presented cloverleaf skull are described. The first one associated with tanatophoric dwarfism, the second case was an isolate anomaly and the third one was associated with facial fissures. The three patients showed the outstanding diversity of the clinic manifestations encountered in this entity. The findings at central nervous system level, by computarized tomographic and ultrasonographic studies, are described. The relevance of genetic counselling is emphasized.