In a sample of 68 chromosomes from sickle cell anemia patients from the population of Fortaleza, capital of Ceará State - Brazil, the haplotypes connected with βS-globin gene were analyzed with the aim to provide further information on haplotype frequency distribution, which ultimately contributed to the investigation into the ethnic origins of the state's population. The haplotype distribution of βS-globin gene was 66.2% Bantu type, 22% Benin type and 11.8% atypical. There was a significant statistical difference between the results of the present study and those achieved by other researchers in Ceará. The distribution of haplotype frequencies of βS-globin gene in the present study is consistent with the history of the Brazilian population origins. According to historical data on the origins of the slave population brought to Ceará State, Bantu haplotype would be the most prevalent, followed by Benin and Senegal. These results are relevant to the study of the slave traffic routes in Brazil and to understand the ethnic origins of Brazilian population.
Haplotypes; βS-globin; Sickle cell anemia
