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Interethnic variability in birth weight and genetic background: A study of placental alkaline phosphatase
Author(s) -
Amante A.,
Borgiani P.,
Gimelfarb A.,
GloriaBottini F.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(199612)101:4<449::aid-ajpa1>3.0.co;2-r
Subject(s) - placental alkaline phosphatase , alkaline phosphatase , biology , genetics , obstetrics , medicine , biochemistry , enzyme
The relationship between human placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) genotype and birth weight is investigated in a sample of white, black and Puerto‐Rican new‐born infants from New Haven, Connecticut (total 710 subjects). Black and Puerto‐Rican infants show a higher incidence of growth retardation and a higher frequency of ALPp * 1/ * 1 genotype as compared to whites. The proportion of newborns with a low birth weight (below the 10th percentile) is lower in infants with ALPp * 1/ * 1 genotype than in those with other PLAP genotypes, especially among non‐whites. It is argued that the higher frequency of ALPp * 1 allele among non‐whites might be, at least in part, a consequence of their adaptation in the past to environmental conditions adverse to optimal intrauterine development. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.