[Association between Alu insertion polymorphisms and HLA class I alleles in Chinese Lisu and Nu ethnic populations]
Zhao-mei Dong1, Yu-feng Yao, Lei Shi
1Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.
Objective:
To investigate the frequencies of HLA-Alu repeat polymorphisms (AluMICB, AluTF, AluHJ, AluHG and AluHF) in Chinese Lisu and Nu ethnic populations.
Methods:
The frequencies of HLA-Alu repeat polymorphisms in above populations were determined with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The associations between HLA-Alu repeat polymorphisms and HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-C alleles were also analyzed. Phylogenetic trees were constructed with genetic distance calculated from the frequencies of HLA-Alu repeat polymorphisms.
Results:
Frequencies of AluTF*2 and AluHF*2 were different between the two populations (P< 0.05), while those of other three insertions were similar. The strength of association between HLA-Alus and HLA alleles were different (P< 0.05) in the two populations. Although AluMICB*2 were associated with HLA-B*56:01 in both populations, the association was stronger in Lisu population (74.0%) but moderate in Nu population (30.7%). HLA-Alus were associated with particular HLA subtypes, e.g., AluHG*2 with certain HLA-A*02 subtypes. By phylogenetic analysis, Lisu and Nu were clustered together with southern Chinese and Thai populations.
Conclusion:
The distribution of HLA-Alus and the strength of associations between HLA-Alus and HLA class I alleles have varied between the two populations. Study of this association may facilitate identification of origins, evolution, progenitor haplotypes and recombination within the HLA class I region.
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