Genetic studies of human apolipoproteins: XII. Population genetics of apolipoproteins in Papua New Guinea.

The gene products of the apolipoprotein A-I, A-II, A-IV, C-II, C-III, D, E and H loci have been screened by isoelectric focusing followed by immunoblotting from two Papua New Guinean populations, the Huli and the Pawaia. Only APO E and APO H revealed common polymorphisms. A putative unique A-IV variant has been identified, but due to the lack of family data it is not characterized further. Three common APO H alleles were observed in both groups with comparable frequencies. But significantly different distributions of three APO E alleles were noted in the Huli and the Pawaia. The respective frequencies of the APO E2, APO E3, and APO E4 alleles were 0.154, 0.356, and 0.490 in the Huli and 0.138, 0.603, and 0.259 in the Pawaia. A strikingly high frequency of the APO E4 allele in Papua New Guinea may provide a useful insight into the studies of genetic and environmental interactions in controlling the cholesterol levels in the general population.