Does ethnic ancestry play a role in smoking?

The higher proportion of smokers among Black people in Brazil has been attributed to socioeconomic disparities, but genetic factors could also contribute for this finding. This study aimed at investigating associations between smoking status with genetically defined ethnic ancestry and socioeconomic features in Brazilians. Blood samples were collected from 448 volunteers (66.

Fabry disease: Evidence for a regional founder effect of the gene mutation 30delG in Brazilian patients.

The Fabry disease is caused by mutations in the gene () that encodes the enzyme α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A). More than 500 pathologic variants of have already been described, most of them are family-specific. In southern Brazil, a frequent single-base deletion ( 30delG) was identified among four families that do not recognize any common ancestral.