Frequencies of UDP‐glucuronosyltransferase 1 (UGT1A1) gene promoter polymorphisms among distinct ethnic groups from Brazil

A polymorphism in the promoter region of the UDP‐glucuronosyltransferase 1 (UGT1A) gene is associated with Gilbert syndrome (GS), a benign form of mild unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. We genotyped 157 individuals from Brazil, comprising 71 Caucasians, 54 African‐derived subjects, and 32 Parakanã Indians. Frequencies of the alelle (TA)₇ associated with GS found in this study were 0.324, 0.407, and 0.328, respectively. The genotype frequencies differed significantly between Caucasians and African‐derived individuals. The high frequencies of (TA)₇ polymorphism among the three groups confirm previous data that this polymorphism is very ancient and appears to be distributed throughout the world. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.