Researchers have found the behaviour of immune system http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=3016 varies from race to race – potentially affecting how they respond to infection.
The Chicago University team looked at over 9,000 genes in 180 people, half Caucasian and half from Nigeria.
They http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=996.
The American Journal of Human Genetics study may help explain why some groups are more vulnerable to disease, and aid development of more tailored treatment.
The researchers used gene chip array technology, which uses a microscope to analyse a specialised slide capable of containing thousands of genes derived from blood cells.Sixty nuclear families, each including a mother, a father and a child were studied. Thirty were from Utah in the US, while the rest were Yorubans from Ibadan, Nigeria.
The researchers looked at expression levels – how active a gene is.
They found significant differences, particularly in immune system genes involved in producing antibodies to combat bacterial infection.
This backs up previous work which has shown African Americans may be more susceptible than Caucasians to infection, such as the gum disease bug Porphyromonas gingivalis.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7270562.stm