Red cell enzymes and plasma protein polymorphisms in the population of Cabo Verde (West Africa)

The genetic polymorphism of six red cell enzymes (ADA, AK1, ALAD, ESD, GLO1, and PGD) and 10 plasma proteins (AHSG, BF, F13A, F13B, GC, HP, ORM, PLG, TBG, and TF) is analyzed in a sample of 268 unrelated individuals from Cabo Verde (West Africa). The population of Cabo Verde was founded in the 15th century (1462), on the basis of a great number of slaves brought from the West African coast and a few Europeans, mainly from Portugal. The frequencies found in Cabo Verde for the majority of the markers are intermediate between those reported for Africans and Europeans. Further, the presence of alleles which are rarely or never seen in Blacks, but are common in Caucasians, suggest a substantial contribution of Europeans to the gene pool of the population of Cabo Verde. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.