title: HLA class I polymorphism in a Moroccan population from Casablanca.
abstract: We have studied the distribution of HLA-A and -B alleles and haplotypes by sequence-specific primer amplification in a sample of 100 unrelated healthy individuals belonging to both Berber and Arabic-speaking groups from the region of Casablanca in Morocco. Among the 17 HLA-A and 23 HLA-B alleles observed, the most frequent were HLA-A2 (21%), -A1 (11%), -A3 (10%), -B44 (11.4%), -B50 (9.9%), -B5(8.5%) and -B35 (6.5%). Six two-locus haplotypes were observed with a frequency above 5%: A2-B50 (9.6%), A23-B44 (7.4%), A2-B15 (6.4%), A68-B39 (5.3%), A1-B51 (5.3%) and A68-B44 (4.3%). Our data confirm that, on the basis of genetic distances, the majority of present-day North Africans from Morocco are closely related to Berbers and also to Iberians. They cluster apart from Middle-Eastern Mediterranean populations, and show greater genetic distances to Eastern and other Mediterranean populations. This study will serve as a reference for further anthropological studies, as well as studies of HLA and disease associations.
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences Ben Msik, Hôpital Necker, Paris, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Choukri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chakib
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Himmich
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raissi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caillat-Zucman
mesh_terms: D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D009018:Morocco; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic