Objective   To investigate the distribution of the gap junction protein relat ed to cardiovascular disease Connexin 37(Cx37)gene C1019T polymor phism in the Han population in Shanxi province.

  Methods   The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymor phism(PCR-RFL P)technique was used to examine Cx37 gene C1019T polymorphism of 116 unrelated healthy persons.χ² test was used to compare the geno type and allele frequencies of Han population with those of otherethnic populations.

  Results   The allele frequencies of Cx37 gene C1019T were as follows: C=68.5%, T=31.5%.The genotype frequencies were as follows: C/C=63.8%, C/T=30.2%, T/T=6.0%;The allele frequencies of the male were as follows: C=76.1%, T=23.9% and the genotype frequencies were as follows: C/C=59.2%, C/T=33.8%, T/T=7.0%;No significant difference was found in the frequencies of Cx37 gene C1019T genotype and alleles between men and women in Chinese Han population in Shannxi province.(P > 0.05).There were significant differences between Chinese Han population and Swedish population(P < 0.05), but no significant difference was detected between Chinese Han population and those in Japan and Taiwan(P > 0.05).

  Conclusion   The frequencies of Cx37 gene C1019T genotype and allele in Shannxi Han population are not different from oriental population, but are different from Hesperian population.