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Genetic control of susceptibility to leprosy in French Polynesia; no evidence for linkage with markers on telomeric human chromosome 2.

Several lines of evidence have suggested a role of genetic factors in susceptibility to leprosy. In the mouse, natural susceptibility to infection with mycobacteria is controlled by the chromosome 1 Bcg locus, a region which is syntenic with a fragment of the human chromosome 2q, region q31-q37. It has been postulated that a human homolog of the Bcg gene controls susceptibility to leprosy per se, and may be located on chromosome 2q. In order to test the influence of this putative gene on leprosy per se, we performed linkage analyses in a set of seven multicase French Polynesian pedigrees, using an affected sib pair method and the LOD score method employing different modes of inheritance. Family members were typed for eight polymorphic loci on chromosome 2q: CRYGP1, FN, TNP1, VIL, DES, INH, PAX3, and UGT1A1. Our data provide evidence against the presence of a gene controlling susceptibility to leprosy per se on human chromosome 2q in the French Polynesian population.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2↗

[Fa'a'mu and Fanau. Various traditional aspects and current problems of adoption and donation of children in French Polynesia].

The old polynesian custom of giving a child persits. One child in three or four is asked for and adopted (Fa'a'amu). It was not officially recognized, which had no disadvantage as it was between Maoris and inside enlarged polynesian families. But quick acculturation and urbanization, social and economical changes of the past ten years have changed all that. The contradiction between french law and tahitian traditional customs exposes these fa'a'amu children, with no legal statute and without judicial protection, to many drawbacks. First in their tahitian families because they get no family allowances. On the other hand some Europeans wishing to adopt children take often advantages, though it is illegal, of the generosity of the prolific tahitian women (no contraception in Tahiti) who seldom refuse giving children to a European, without understanding clearly that complete adoption (european model) cuts every tie with the biological family (Fanau). The illegal appropriation of these children sometimes leave them deprived of statute and legal protection in Europe (or America, or even Japan?). We have here an exemple of what happens when two cultures meet, whose customs and values are totally different.

Acculturation↗

Efficiency of papain-treated microfilariae of Wuchereria bancrofti (var. pacifica) as antigen for serodiagnosis of bancroftian filariasis in French Polynesia.

Papain-treated microfilariae of Wuchereria bancrofti have been used as antigen for indirect fluorescent assay: 0% of non-endemic sera, 8% of healthy exposed Polynesians, 48% of clinical patients and 96% of microfilaraemic subjects were positive by this test. The geometric mean titres were 22, 41, 147 and 605 respectively. Untreated microfilariae were unsuitable for diagnostic purposes. Dirofilaria immitis adult sections showed low reactivity, giving poor discrimination between non-endemic and microfilaraemic sera. The geometric mean titres were 6 and 61 respectively.

Antigens, Helminth↗

Prehistoric extinction of birds on Mangaia, Cook Islands, Polynesia.

Mangaia (Cook Islands) consists of a weathered volcanic interior encircled by limestones known as the makatea. Excavations at Tangatatau Rockshelter (site MAN-44), located on the inner cliff of the makatea, produced a stratified sequence of Polynesian artifacts and faunal remains ranging from A.D. 1000-1100 to A.D. 1500-1600. Resident species of birds represented at MAN-44 include nine seabirds (at least three extirpated on Mangaia) and 12 land birds (eight extirpated or extinct). Seven of the extinct/extirpated land birds are confined to the site's four lowest stratigraphic zones, which represent the first 200-300 yr of human occupation at MAN-44. During this time, human exploitation of vertebrates switched from primarily native land birds to almost exclusively small reef fish, domesticates (chickens, pigs), and commensals (rats). Sediment cores from a lake 0.9 km from MAN-44 show clear palynological and stratigraphic signals of human presence on Mangaia, especially forest clearance of the volcanic interior, beginning at 1600 yr B.P. The rugged makatea must have provided a forest refuge for birds during the first 700 yr of human presence, after which Mangaians exploited the previously little used makatea because forest resources (trees, other plants, birds) had been depleted on the now badly eroded volcanic interior. MAN-44 is the oldest archaeological site known on Mangaia. Whether other species of birds were lost in the period of human activity that preceded occupation of MAN-44 remains to be seen.

Journal Article↗

Birth order in transgendered males from Polynesia: a quantitative study of Samoan fa'afāfine.

In previous research, a late birth order has been shown to be a characteristic of Western homosexual transsexual men. To date, however, it is not clear if a late birth order is specific to Western transsexuals or may be a characteristic of non-Western transgendered males as well. We quantified birth order in a sample of 13 transgendered males known as fa'afāfine from Samoa. On average, the fa'afāfine were late born, both with regard to number of older brothers and number of older sisters, although the effect appeared to be somewhat stronger with regard to number of older brothers. We consider possible interpretations of the late birth order effect, along with recommendations for further research to identify common mechanisms that might underlie transgenderism across different cultural groups.

Adolescent↗

Pb isotopic variability in melt inclusions from oceanic island basalts, polynesia

Previous studies have suggested that melting processes are responsible for the trace element variability observed in olivine-hosted basaltic melt inclusions. Melt inclusions from three individual lava samples (two from Mangaia, Cook Islands, and one from Tahaa, Society Islands) have heterogeneous Pb isotopic compositions, even though the erupted lavas are isotopically homogeneous. The range of Pb isotopic compositions from individual melt inclusions spans 50 percent of the worldwide range observed for ocean island basalts. The melt inclusion data can be explained by two-component mixing for each island. Our data imply that magmas with different isotopic compositions existed in the volcanic plumbing system before or during melt aggregation.

Journal Article↗