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We carried out a study of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and MN blood group genetic polymorphisms in relation to past malarial morbidity in Sardinia and in relation to susceptibility to allergic asthma (a Th2 disorder) and Crohn's disease (a Th1 disorder) in the population of Rome. Eight hundred and eight schoolchildren, aged 7-14 years from 14 Sardinian villages located in the central area of the island, were considered. One hundred and twenty-two children with allergic asthma and 39 adult patients with Crohn's disease from the population of Rome were also studied. The data suggest an interaction between the two systems concerning resistance/susceptibility, both to malaria and to the diseases considered. In Sardinia, the frequency of the *[L.sup.M]/ADA*2 gametic type is negatively correlated with past malarial endemia, suggesting an increased susceptibility to malaria leading to its decrease in areas with high malarial endemia. In Rome, this gametic type is correlated negatively to allergic asthma and positively to Crohn's disease, suggesting a protective effect against allergic asthma and increased susceptibility to Crohn's disease. Am J Phys Anthropol 128:194-198, 2005. KEY WORDS malaria; ADA; MN system; Crohn's disease; bronchial asthma

The association between acid phosphatase locus 1 (ACP1) and past malarial morbidity in Sardinia has been examined, with results indicating that the S isoform plays a role in susceptibility to malaria, which is not mediated by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency. Possible mechanisms for ACP1 involvement in resistance to malaria are discussed.

This article examines the possiblity of the selection on phosphoglucomutase locus 1 (PGM1) during intrauterine life for deviations of the maternal-neonatal joint PGM1 and that maternal and paternal PGM1 alleles could have different associations with survival. Results show a significant relation between mother-newborn PGM1 genotype and birth weight percentile class; also, paternal PGM1*2 had negative affects with macrosomia in female infants.

The phosphoglucomutase locus 1 (PGM1) genetic polymorphism has been studied in a sample of newborns and mothers from Penne and Rome, Italy, as well as a sample of women with repeated spontaneous abortions and their husbands from the population of Rome. Results support the hypothesis of PGM1 selection during intrauterine development.

A study of newborns in the lowlands and highlands of continental Italy confirmed the influence of environmental conditions on the association between adenosine deaminase (ADA) and acid phosphatase (ACP1). An interaction has been found among ACP1-ADA genotype, locality, and season of conception.

Ninety-nine pregnant women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, 83 women with gestational diabetes, and a control sample of 315 nondiabetic consecutive puerperae have been studied along with their newborn infants. Neonatal macrosomia is less frequent among diabetic mothers with phosphoglucomutase (PGM1) genotype PGM1*1/*2 than among mothers with other PGM1 genotypes. In gestational diabetes the association is more evident among younger women than among older women. Diabetic women with the PGM1*1/*2 genotype show a reduced proportion of heterozygous PGM1*1/*2 offspring. The phenomenon is much more evident among women under 28 years of age and does not depend on the quality of metabolic control. The data suggest that when both mother and fetus share the PGM1*1/*2 genotype, the deleterious effects of a diabetic environment on fetal development are more severe, leading to an early loss of zygotes. This may contribute to a decreased incidence of macromosomia among live-born infants delivered by PGM1*1/*2 mothers., Diabetic pregnancy carries an increased risk of fetal wastage and shows high rates of perinatal mortality and morbidity, which are increased by poor metabolic control of diabetes. Fetal macrosomia and [...]