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PubMed1995

Inference of population subdivision from the VNTR distributions of New Zealanders.

A population sample from people of diverse ethnic origins living in New Zealand serves as a database to test methods for inference of population subdivision. The initial null hypothesis, that the population sample is homogeneous across ethnic groups, is easily rejected by likelihood ratio tests. Beyond this, methods for quantifying subdivision can be based on the probability of drawing alleles identical by descent (FST), probabilities of matching multiple locus genotypes, and occurrence of unique alleles. Population genetic theory makes quantitative predictions about the relation between FST, population sizes, and rates of migration and mutation. Some VNTR loci have mutation rates of 10(-2) per generation, but, contrary to theory, we find no consistent association between the degree of population subdivision and mutation rate. Quantification of population substructure also allows us to relate the magnitudes of genetic distances between ethnic groups in New Zealand to the colonization history of the country. The data suggests that the closest relatives to the Maori are Polynesians, and that no severe genetic bottleneck occurred when the Maori colonized New Zealand. One of the central points of contention regarding the application of VNTR loci in forensics is the appropriate means for estimating match probabilities. Simulations were performed to test the merits of the product rule in the face of subpopulation heterogeneity. Population heterogeneity results in large differences in estimates of multilocus genotype frequencies depending on which subpopulation is used for reference allele frequencies, but, of greater importance for forensic purposes, no five locus genotype had an expected frequency greater than 10(-6). Although this implies that a match with an innocent individual is unlikely, in a large urban area such chance matches are going to occur.

Alleles↗
PubMed1975

Sexuality in Samoan art forms.

This article explores the manifestations of sexuality in Samona as they are revealed through songs, poetry, dance, gestures, verbal expressions, stories, and games. For each of these art forms, texts, and translations of original material are presented, as an aid to discerning the uses and functions of sexuality as they are applied by Samoans for Samoans; to this end, formulalized joking of various types is seen as the medium through which the humorous element of sexuality is expressed. Elsewhere, sexuality functions to achieve and sustain individual attention. The explicitly sexuality functions to achieve and sustain individual attention. The explicitly sexual references in duneral and marriage songs, on the other hand, constitute affirmations of social values, incorporated in long-established rites. In what is tantamount to artistic license, performance of song, poetry, and dance containing sexual elements or references that would be prohibited in other contexts is constituted as acceptable behavior. In marked contrast to nineteenth-century writings, and the opinions of the popular press, sexuality in Samoa is far from free in its modes of expression, but rather adheres to traditional formalized patterns which determine its occasions, participants, and verbal and kinetic limits. Although not indispensable as a means of personal expression, it generally provides additional opportunities for the creative and aggressive individual to demonstarate his artistic talents and therby contribute to his own social elevation. As an element of verbalized group sentiment, it is a positive assertion of Samoan values, astatement of social solidarity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Differences in hip axis and femoral neck length in premenopausal women of Polynesian, Asian and European origin.

There are substantial inter-racial differences in hip fracture incidence. Studies in several different ethnic groups have suggested that differences in the length of the femoral neck may contribute to these. The present study assesses femoral neck and hip axis lengths in three ethnic groups in which it has not been documented previously (Chinese, Indians and Polynesians) and compares these values with those in Europeans. Lengths were measured from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans of the proximal femur in normal premenopausal women (n = 225). The Polynesian (1.65 m) and European (1.64 m) women were significantly taller than the two Asian groups (mean height in each, 1.58 m). There were also differences in mean body weight, the Polynesians being the heaviest (76 kg) and the Chinese the lightest (53 kg). Femoral neck lengths were (mean +/- SD) Chinese 61.5 +/- 4.4 mm, Indian 61.5 +/- 5.1 mm, Polynesian 68.2 +/- 4.3 mm and Europeans 66.0 +/- 4.8 mm. Hip axis lengths were Chinese 98.0 +/- 5.6 mm, Indian 94.5 +/- 5.2 mm, Polynesian 106.4 +/- 5.3 mm and European 102.3 +/- 5.3 mm. Each of the other groups were significantly different from the Europeans for both variables and, in general, this remained so after height adjustment. These data suggest that shorter femoral necks are common to the major Asian racial groups. However, in contrast to all other ethnic groups studied, Polynesians have longer femoral necks than Europeans and their low incidence of hip fracture is not explicable, therefore, in terms of their femoral neck length. This suggests that either higher bone density or other more subtle differences in proximal femoral geometry must account for the low hip fracture incidence in Polynesians.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1991

Heterogeneity in HLA-DR2-related DR,DQ haplotypes in eight populations of Asia-Oceania.

The relative distributions of 480 DR2-related DR,DQ haplotypes have been determined in Australian Aborigines, Papua New Guinean Highlanders, coastal Melanesians, Micronesians, Polynesians, Javanese, and Southern and Northern Chinese. Using sequence-specific oligonucleotides (SSOs) for hybridization of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products from DRB1, DRB5, DQA1, and DQB1 genes, 15 different DR2-related haplotypes were identified. The predominant DR2 haplotype in Oceania involved a novel combination of DRB1*1502, DRB5*0101 alleles; this haplotype occurred sporadically in Java, but not in China. In Southern China, the most frequent DR2 haplotype involved the unusual arrangement DRB1*1602,DRB5*0101; alternatively, DRB1*1602 was associated with a new DRB5 SSO pattern. This study has important implications for molecular HLA-typing protocols that assume particular DRB1, DRB5 or DR,DQ linkage relationships. Further, the novel DRB1, DRB5 haplotype in Oceania suggests that the mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) determinants Dw2 and Dw12 are discriminated by codon 86 at the DRB1 locus.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

Chlamydia trachomatis genital infections in Tahiti.

The rate of Chlamydia trachomatis infection was determined in three populations in Tahiti by means of a direct immunofluorescence test performed in specimens, tissue culture and detection of chlamydial antibody in serum specimens using a single-serotype indirect immunofluorescence test. Chlamydia trachomatis was recovered in 53% of 53 bar girls, 24% of 75 women attending a public maternity clinic for routine care, and 37% of 71 men attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic with acute or subacute urethritis. The presence of chlamydial antibody in a high proportion of the groups studied confirmed the high frequency of chlamydial infections (62.3%, 66.6% and 83.1% respectively). Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection was often associated with chlamydial infection in both bar girls and men with urethritis (11.4% and 18.3% respectively). With regard to clinical manifestations, 58.3% (7/12) of bar girls and 23.2% (10/43) women at the maternity clinic without clinical complaints were found to be Chlamydia trachomatis-positive. The presence of Chlamydia trachomatis in these asymptomatic persons highlights their important role in spread of this organism in Tahiti. The findings indicate that routine testing for Chlamydia trachomatis is warranted in patients attending the sexually transmitted disease and public maternity clinics in Tahiti.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Immunotypes of Chlamydia trachomatis isolated from genital tract specimens in Tahiti.

The distribution of Chlamydia trachomatis immunotypes (serovars) in Tahiti was studied by immunotyping of local isolates using monoclonal antibodies in the micro-immunofluorescence test. From 115 isolates obtained from the genital tracts of patients attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic and other gynecological consultations, eight immunotypes were identified: E (51.3%), F (16.5%), G (13%), H (5.2%), J (6.9%), D (3.5%), K (1.7%) and I (0.9%). In addition, an isolate with mixed immunotypes, EJ (0.9%), was observed. This distribution was compared with those in different geographical areas.

Chlamydia Infections↗
PubMed1993

Epidemiology, development and treatment of end-stage renal failure in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. The case of mainland France and of overseas French territories.

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus among patients treated for end-stage renal failure by dialysis in France was studied in two stages (UREMIDIAB Study). The first stage consisted of a questionnaire which was mailed to all dialysis centres in mainland France. The response rate was 80.8%, resulting in a study population of 12,903 patients. Of these patients 884 were declared diabetic (6.9%). Later 295 of them were interviewed by seven specially-trained physicians who checked the medical records together with the nephrologist in charge. Plasma C-peptide was measured in almost all of the patients. Effectively, 1.4% were found to have Type 1 diabetes and 5.5%, Type 2. Diabetic nephropathy was found to be the only primary renal diagnosis among 93.9% of Type 1 diabetic patients and 36.8% of Type 2. Of the latter 51.6% had a non-diabetic cause of renal failure. In the second stage a survey was later conducted in 13 of 14 dialysis centres located in the remote overseas French territories. Among 934 patients 1.04% were Type 1 diabetic and 19.67% Type 2 (22.9% altogether). Type 2 diabetic patients treated overseas were essentially non-Caucasians (92.6%). The sex ratio was 0.54 in the overseas territories vs 1.4 in the mainland. We conclude that the prevalence of diabetes among people on dialysis is low in mainland France. But there are striking differences in the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes among dialysis patients in mainland France and its overseas territories. These differences are not related to access to dialysis facilities.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of age on glucose tolerance: studies in the Polynesian population of Funafuti.

Venous plasma glucose concentrations both fasting and 2 h after a 75 g carboydrate load were determined in 577 Polynesian subjects. An increase in both the mean fasting and postload glucose concentrations with age was noted in both sexes. Percentile distributions of both fasting and post-load glucose concentrations showed there was little change with age in males except for the 90th percentile. However, in females there was a rise with age in all percentiles, but it was most dramatic in the 90th. The overall prevalence of diabetes in the females of this Polynesian population is three times that of the males, and the age and sex-specific rates are much higher in the females. It appears, therefore, that the major contribution to the age-related rise in glucose concentrations reported here is the increasing number of diabetics (mainly female) with age.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The high incidence of diabetes mellitus in the micronesian population of Nauru.

As a follow-up to surveys conducted three years ago among the Micronesian population of Nauru, the incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus was studied in 433 subjects aged 20 years and older. The diagnosis of diabetes was based on a 2-h plasma glucose of 200 mg/dl (11.1 mmol/l), enabling comparison with the Rochester, U.S.A., (Caucasian) and Pima (American Indian) studies. In both sexes the prevalence rate rose steadily with age, and the overall prevalence was 24% for both sexes. The overall incidence rate was 15.4 per 1,000 person-years. However, males had almost twice the incidence of the females (20.2% vs 11.5%). The incidence rate of diabetes in Nauruans was considerably higher than that found in Rochester and was second to that of the Pimas as the highest rate reported in the literature.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Genetic polymorphism of debrisoquine (CYP2D6) and proguanil (CYP2C19) in South Pacific Polynesian populations.

OBJECTIVE: Genetic oxidation polymorphisms of debrisoquine (CYP2D6) and proguanil (CYP2C19) were studied in unrelated healthy South Pacific Polynesian volunteers recruited in the South Island of New Zealand. METHODS: Phenotyping for CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 activities was determined using debrisoquine and proguanil, respectively, as probe drugs by measuring the urinary metabolic ratio of parent drug and its metabolite. RESULTS: Of 100 Polynesian subjects phenotyped, the metabolic ratio of debrisoquine ranged from 0.01 to 9.94. Therefore, all South Pacific Polynesians were classified as extensive metabolizers of debrisoquine according to previously established criteria of the antimode. The prevalence of poor metabolizers of debrisoquine (CYP2D6) in this Polynesian population is 0% (95% confidence interval of 0-3.6%). Oxidation polymorphism of CYP2C19 using proguanil as a probe was also studied in 59 Polynesian volunteers. The frequency distribution of the proguanil/cycloguanil ratio was bimodal. The proguanil/cycloguanil ratios for these subjects ranged from 0.09 to 34.4. Using a recommended proguanil/cycloguanil ratio cut-off point of 10 established in Caucasian populations, eight Polynesian subjects were identified as poor metabolizers of proguanil (CYP2C19), which corresponds to a poor metabolizer phenotype frequency of 13.6% (a 95% confidence interval of 5.9-24.6%). CONCLUSION: The incidence of poor metabolizer phenotypes for debrisoquine (CYP2D6) in South Pacific Polynesians appears to lower than in Caucasian populations, while the prevalence of poor metabolizers for proguanil (CYP2C19) in this ethnic population is higher. The frequencies of the poor metabolizer phenotype for debrisoquine and also for proguanil in South Pacific Polynesians are similar to those reported in Asian populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Diversity of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes in Pacific Islands populations.

Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) regulate the activity of NK and T cells through interaction with specific HLA class I molecules on target cells. To date, 16 KIR genes and pseudogenes have been identified. Diversity in KIR gene content and KIR allelic and haplotype polymorphism has been observed between different ethnic groups. Here, we present data on the KIR gene distribution in Pacific Islands populations. Sixteen KIR genes were observed in Pacific Islands populations from the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tokelau, and Tonga. The majority of KIR genes were present at similar frequencies between the four populations with KIR2DL4, KIR3DL2, and KIR3DP1 genes observed in all individuals. Commonly observed KIR genes in Pacific Islands populations (pooled frequencies) were KIR2DL1 (0.77), KIR2DL3 (0.77), KIR3DL1 (0.65), KIR3DL3 (0.93), KIR2DS4/1D (0.78), and KIR2DP1 (0.82), compared to the less-frequently observed KIR2DL2 (0.27), KIR2DL5 (0.30), KIR2DS1 (0.19), KIR2DS2 (0.27), KIR2DS3 (0.16), KIR2DS5 (0.17), and KIR3DS1 (0.18) genes. Differences in KIR gene frequency distributions were observed between the Pacific Islands populations and when compared to other populations. Sixty-nine different genotypes were identified, with five genotypes accounting for more then 50% of all genotypes observed. The number of genotypes observed in each population was similar in the Cook Islands, Samoan, and Tokelauan populations (19, 18, and 19, respectively), but 26 different genotypes were observed in Tongans. The putative haplotype A was predominantly observed over haplotype B in all Pacific Islands populations. Significant linkage disequilibrium was observed for a number of KIR gene pairs.

Humans↗
PubMed2007

Polymorphism in intron 1 of the interferon-gamma gene influences both serum immunoglobulin E levels and the risk for chronic hepatitis B virus infection in Polynesians.

Intron 1 of the interferon-gamma (IFNG) gene contains two polymorphisms. The 12 CA-repeat allele of the +875 IFNGCA microsatellite and the T allele of the +A874T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) have been associated with increased in vitro IFNG production and a variety of clinical phenotypes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these polymorphisms influence total serum IgE levels [tsIgE] and the outcome of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. IFNGCA and +A874T were typed in 186 asthmatics of Niuean ancestry and in Polynesian women with a chronic HBV infection (n = 60) and with natural immunity to the HBV (n = 66). The IFNGCA genotype was associated with [tsIgE] in asthmatic children (n = 51, p = 0.004) but not adults (n = 135, p = 0.87). The data were consistent with a co-dominant influence of the 12 CA-repeat allele on high [tsIgE]. The IFNGCA genotype was also associated with the risk for chronic HBV infection (chi (2) = 11.6, p = 0.003) because of a dominant effect of the 12 CA-repeat allele on developing natural immunity in homozygotes (OR = 5.8, p = 0.003) and heterozygotes (OR = 2.7, p = 0.01). Similar associations were found for the T allele of the +A874T SNP. The possibility that these associations were due to linked alleles in the adjacent 783 bp of the promoter and 3'-untranslated region of the IFNG gene was excluded by direct sequencing. In summary, high-IFNG-producing alleles in intron 1 of the IFNG locus are associated with high [tsIgE] in asthmatic children from Niue and with natural immunity to the HBV in Polynesian women. These findings are consistent with a previous report of an association between +875 IFNGCA and [tsIgE] and provide preliminary evidence of a new association with the outcome of an HBV infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Evidence of increased chromosomal abnormalities in French Polynesian thyroid cancer patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in thyroid cancer patients before and after radioactive iodine administration in order to assess cytogenetic particularity in Polynesian thyroid cancer patients. METHODS: Chromosomal abnormalities were studied in 30 Polynesian patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, prior to and 4 days after 131I administration. Unstable chromosomal abnormalities were counted in peripheral blood lymphocytes using a conventional cytogenetic method. Peripheral blood was irradiated in vitro at different doses (0.5, 1 and 2 Gy) in order to establish the dose-response of the lymphocytes. Control groups were composed of 50 European thyroid cancer patients before and after first administration of 131I, and of ten European healthy donors. In addition, in vitro irradiation assays were performed at different doses (0.5, 1 and 2 Gy). RESULTS: The relative risk of spontaneous dicentrics before any radiation treatment was 2.9 (95% CI 1.7-5.1) times higher among Polynesian thyroid patients than among European thyroid cancer patients. After in vitro irradiation, the rise in frequency of dicentrics was similar in the Polynesian thyroid cancer group and the European thyroid patients and healthy donors. Four days after administration of 3.7 GBq 131I, the relative risk for a dicentric per cell was 1.3 (95% CI 1.0-1.5) times higher in Polynesian than in European patients. This can be explained by higher 131I retention in Polynesian compared with European patients. The results obtained revealed an increased frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities in Polynesian thyroid cancer patients compared with European control patients. CONCLUSION: These preliminary findings are compatible with possible previous environmental aggression and therefore imply a need for further investigations on larger series including, in particular, French Polynesian healthy donors. In addition to French Polynesians, Maori and Hawaiian control groups could be useful.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Osteomyelitis in Polynesian children.

Polynesians, including New Zealand Maori, are known to be prone to bacterial infections. We studied 85 New Zealand children with osteomyelitis requiring admission in a tertiary care hospital in a 2-year period in order to attain information regarding incidence and relative risk. During the observation period, the hospital was responsible for the healthcare of a total population of 103,900 children per annum. An increased relative risk of Polynesian and Maori children to suffer from osteomyelitis was calculated to be 3.84. The major pathogenic organism was Staphylococcus aureus. Complications such as extension to adjacent joints or sepsis were a rather rare occurrence. Further research is required to identify whether genetic predisposition or social and environmental circumstances are involved in this phenomenon.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Characterization of exopolysaccharides produced by cyanobacteria isolated from Polynesian microbial mats.

Six cyanobacterial isolates recovered from Polynesian microbial mats, called "kopara," were cultured using laboratory-closed photobioreactors and were shown to produce exopolymers as released and capsular exopolysaccharides (EPS). These polymers have been chemically characterized using colorimetric and elemental assays, infrared spectrometry, and gas chromatography. Both capsular and released EPS consisted of 7 to 10 different monosaccharides with neutral sugars predominating. Interestingly, four isolates exhibited sulfate contents ranging from 6% to 19%. On the basis of preliminary data, cyanobacteria from this unusual ecosystem appear to be an important source of novel EPS of a great interest in terms of their biological activities.

Bacterial Capsules↗