Albumin Warao : New Type of Human

H UMAN ALLOALBUMINEMIA-to use the term coined by Blumberg et al.1-is characterized by the presence of types of albumin that electrophoretically migrate faster or slower than common albumin. The nomenclature used by the two most active groups in this field and the relative migration of the albumin variants are shown in Figure 1. The possible association of these variants with clinical or biochemical alterations is under active investigation. Earle et al.2 and Tarnoky and Lestas3 have reported elevated cholesterol levels associated with albumin variants. High incidence of bone and joint complaints and bad hearing was found by Laurell and Nil#{233}hn4among members of a family with a slow albumin variant. Blumberg at al.’ called attention to the fact that differential binding of many physiological materials, dyes, and drugs, already demonstrated in albumin variants, could be of clinical importance in carriers of anomalous albumins, specially in the American Indians. Population genetic and physical anthropology may benefit from the search for these genetic traits in primitive and mixed populations, as specific variants have been recently described in them (albumin Naskapi in northern North American tribes,1’5 albumin Mexico in a Mexican tribe,6 and albumin M#{225}kuin a Brazilian tribe7). This report concerns a new albumin variant found during the course of a multidisciplinary study on the anthropological, genetic and hematologic aspects of the Venezuelan Warao Indians.