HLA and B-lymphocyte alloantigens in Gila River Indians

HLA-A, B, C, DR, and MB and MT B-lymphocyte alloantigens were tested in 249 Pima and Papago Indians from Arizona. Frequencies of A and B locus antigens in Pimas were similar to published values for other North American Indians, as well as previous reports from Pimas. Cw3 was the most frequent C locus antigen found and DR5 was the most frequent DR antigen. Another B-cell specificity, DuB31, behaved as a DR allele and had a phenotype frequency of .717. This study is the first report of MB and MT frequencies in a North American Indian population, and the pattern of association with some DR antigens appears to be different from that observed in Europeans. MT3 had a phenotype frequency of .583, but was not associated with DR4, 7, 9, which suggests an undefined DR allele associated with MT3.