DNA polymorphisms of apolipoprotein B in the population of Senegal.

Three apolipoprotein B (apoB) genetic polymorphisms, the XbaI, MspI and EcoRI restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), were analysed for 221 individuals in Senegal by polymerase chain reaction. Allelic frequency determination revealed that this population has 0.79 XbaI- (X-), 0.96 MspI+ (M+), and 0.89 EcoRI+ (E+). Major genotypes were X-/X- (0.62), M+/M+ (0.92) and E+/E+ (0.80). The XbaI allele frequency is different (p < 10(-9)) from that in Caucasians (0.47) and from that in Mongoloids (0.98). Significant differences between Senegalese and Caucasians, and between Senegalese and Mongoloids were also observed for the EcoRI and MspI alleles of the apoB genes.