engleski

Apolipoprotein H Genetic Variability in the Populations of Krk and Susak Islands, Croatia

Apolipoprotein H or ß2-glycoprotein I is a single chain glycoprotein and a polymorphic constituent of human blood involved in the triglicerid metabolism. It is also associated with coagulation processes, apoptotic cells phagocytosis and, by binding to anionic phospholipides with development of antiphospholipid syndrome and its accompanying disorders. Antibodies to apoH are also among parameters predictive of coronary atherosclerosis. As in the case of other lipoproteins apoH polymorphism makes it a suitable genetic marker for the study of formation of human populations, but in the contrast to apoE the data regarding apoH variations are only beginning to accumulate. By blood plasma isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting, the distribution of apoH phenotypes at East Adriatic islands of Krk and Susak were analyzed in this respect. The sample form Krk included 192 males and 205 females, all autochthonous from 7 villages, while sample from Susak consisted of 37 males and 17 females as well autochthonous from the only village on the island. The frequencies of the apoH alleles on the island of Krk were: ApoH*2 = 0.877, ApoH*3 = 0.098, ApoH*1 = 0.025, with the majority of the sample being homozygous. No significant differences between villages were observed. All examinees on the island of Susak were homozygous for ApoH*2. When these data were compared to those of other populations so far studied, a significant association between apoH allele frequencies and latitude was observed. We hypothesize that this association reflects differences in diet composition across various climatic zones.

apolipoprotein H polymorphism; isoform frequency; isoelectric focusing; Krk

Rad je kao poster prezentiran na skupu 13th Congress of the European Anthropological Association, održanom od 30.08.-03.09.2002.g., Zagreb, Hrvatska ; objavljen u Knjizi sazetaka u Collegium Antropologicum 26 (2002) (S1).