Variation in the FcgammaR3B gene among distinct Brazilian populations

The FCGR3B gene codes for the FcgammaR3b receptor, which occurs in three polymorphic forms representing the human neutrophil antigens (HNA)-1a, HNA-1b, and HNA-1c. The alleles that code for these antigens are FCGR3B*1, FCGR3B*2, and FCGR3B*3, respectively. New variants of these alleles have been recently described. In order to study the frequency of these alleles and the occurrence of variant forms, we sequenced part of the FCGR3B gene in 149 individuals belonging to four distinct Brazilian populations, i.e., 60 Amerindians, 30 Whites of European descent, 30 Afro-Brazilians, and 30 Japanese. The FCGR3B*1 allele showed high frequency among Amerindians (0.850), with the value detected representing the highest frequency described thus far for this allele in population studies. Its frequency was 0.660 in the Japanese population studied, a value equal to that observed in Afro-Brazilians (0.600) and higher than that observed in Whites (0.480). The FCGR3B*3 allele was only found among Afro-Brazilians, where it occurred at a frequency of 0.080, which was lower than the frequency observed among Afro-North Americans (0.207) and Ugandans (0.166). Two variant haplotypes were detected among Amerindians and Afro-Brazilians, occurring in six individuals (four Amerindians and two Afro-Brazilians). The variant haplotype FCGR3B*1 A227G, which occurred in homozygosis in two Amerindians and in heterozygosis in two Afro-Brazilians, is described for the first time in the present report. In general, these data reveal variability in the frequency of alleles of the FCGR3B gene compared to other populations of the same genetic background in other regions of the world.