Analysis of human platelet antigen systems in a Moroccan Berber population

The human platelet alloantigen systems HPA-1, -2, -3, -4, -5 and -6 in a Moroccan Berber population from the Amizmiz region were determined by polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). The gene frequencies obtained from these unrelated Berbers were 0 x 747 and 0 x 252 for HPA-1a and -1b; 0 x 817 and 0 x 182 for HPA-2a and -2b; 0 x 682 and 0 x 317 for HPA-3a and -3b; 1 and 0 x 0 for HPA-4a and -4b; 0 x 8616 and 0 x 1383 for HPA-5a and -5b; 1 and 0 x 0 for HPA-6a and -6b. The Berbers have the highest frequency for the 1b, 2b and 5b alleles of all the populations reported to date and also the lowest frequency for the 3b allele.