Association between mtDNA haplogroups and clinical phenotypes:

The genotype-phenotype association was studied in the Vitality 90+ group after stratification according to the Table 2 Frequencies of mtDNA haplogroup clusters among the Vitality 90+ subjects, controls, and infants Cluster Cluster frequencies Vitality 90+ Controls Infants n % n % n % HV 88 39.1 220 55.0 154 59.9 WIX 21 9.3 22 5.5 12 4.7 TJ 30 13.3 47 11.8 14 5.4 UK 81 36.0 106 26.5 71 27.6 Other 5 2.2 5 1.3 6 2.3 Total 225 99.9 400 100.1 257 99.9 

Like our finding that the frequency of haplogroup J increases with the age of the population, an association between this European-specific mtDNA haplogroup and longevity has also been reported among Italian centenarians (De Benedictis et al.1999). Interestingly, we have found that the frequency of subcluster J2 is higher among the Vitality 90+ subjects than among the controls. Differences in the frequencies of haplogroup J subclusters have also been reported in Irish centenarians and controls (Ross et al.2001), butJ Hum Genet. 

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