Genotype frequencies at codon 129 of the prion protein gene in Brazil: Implications in susceptibility to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease compared to European and Asian populations.

A polymorphism at codon 129 of the prion protein gene has been shown to confer genetic susceptibility to prion diseases, and to influence the epidemic course of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. We employed a PCR-endonuclease digestion-based assay to investigate this genetic trait in Brazil, and then compared our results to previously published data from several European and Asian countries.