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Variability of complement factor B and complement component C3 among Guarani Indians from Southern Brazil

Iara Taborda de Messias^I; Maria Luiza Petzl-Erler^II; Ian Robert Rehfeldt^I; Marcilene Teixeira Lima^I; Leila Korazawa Guerra^I

^ILaboratório de Imunopatologia, Departamento de Patologia Médica, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua Padre Camargo, 280,80060-900 Curitiba, PR, Brasil. Send correspondente to I.T.M.
^IIDepartamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil

ABSTRACT

The genetic variability of complement factor B (BF) and complement component C3 was investigated in a Guarani Indian population from Southern Brazil, a total of 70 individuals being analyzed. The following allele frequencies were observed in the BF locus: BF*S = 0.979, BF*F = 0.014, BF*SO5 = 0.007; the frequency of the allele C3*S was 1.0. The BF*SO5 allele has been found only in Southern Brazilian populations, including Kaingang ones. This suggests that the alelle originated among South American Indians. The relatively low degree of BF polymorphism and the apparent monomorphism of C3 observed in the Guarani Indians are in agreement with the patterns of variability observed in other Amerindian, Eskimo and Asian populations.

Keywords: complement factor B; complement component C3; Guarani Indians.

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