Genes and people in the caspian littoral: A population genetic study in northern Iran

Abstract

Data for the distribution of alleles controlling two blood group systems and secretor status, for hemoglobin types, five serum protein groups and 15 red cell enzyme systems has been obtained. Eleven of the systems showed polymorphic variation and these systems have been used to calculate genetic distances using Morton's Kinship measure. No systematic relationship between genetic distance and geographic location of linguistic affiliation is apparent. There is, however, an apparent cline of decreasing frequency of PGDc from east to west and also significant differences in the frequency of G6PD deficiency corresponding to variation in the ecology of the region. Genetic distance comparisons with other selected populations reveal that the Turkic and Turkoman speaking peoples in the Caspian area cluster with the Kurds, Greeks and Iranis. The Persian speakers are genetically remote from these populations; they are, however, close to the Parsis who migrated from Iran to India at the end of the Seventh Century A.D. Several unusual genetic variants were detected, including a novel MDH phenotype, a superoxide dismutase phenotype identical with the Scandinavian type, and rare forms of LDH, PGM locus 2, ceruloplasmin, diaphorase, peptidases and PHI.

Study of red cell enzyme systems in Tehran and Isfahan Iranians

“…Besides the common three phenotypes, some variant type PGM 6-1, was present in the Isfahan Iranians. Similar type of variant was found in the Caspian littoral area (Kirk et al, 1977).…”

“…A single case of s-MDH 5-1 have been found in the Caspian (Kirk et al, 1977). However, all of the samples in the present series showed the normal type.…”

“…Genetic variants of LDH are rare, only one case of LDH CaM has been reported in the Iranians of Caspian area (Kirk et al, 1977). In the present series a total of 254 samples examined yielded only normal pattern.…”

“…Bowman and Ronaghy (1967) first studied the distribution of some enzymes in the Moslems of Iran. Subsequently others looked at some other populations in Iran (Undevia et al, 1972;Farhud et al, I973;Lehman et al, 1973;Miyashita et al, 1975;Kirk et al, 1977). Still our knowledge about the distribution of polymorphic systems in Iran is limited.…”

Oesophageal cancer among the Turkomans of northeast Iran

“…Other studies identified the role of suspected aetiological factors (Pour and Ghadirian, 1974;Hormozdiari et al, 1975;IARC, 1975;Kirk et al, 1976;Joint Iran-IARC Study Group, 1977;Hewer et al, 1978;Mahboubi and Aramesh, 1980;Cook-Mozaffari et al, 1979;Farhud et al, 1979;Hashemi et al, 1979;O'Neill et al 1980;Kmet et al, 1981) showing the highest risk to be among the traditionally semi-nomadic Turkoman population. There also seemed to be an association with a very restricted diet from infancy (low in animal protein and fruit or vegetables), consumption of dry, coarse bread contaminated with sharp seeds and silica fibres and of hot tea, and the regular smoking or swallowing of opium dross ('sukhtheh') which was shown to be mutagenic (Hewer et al, 1978;Dowlatshahi and Miller, 1985).…”