title: Distribution of rhesus blood group system in the French basques: a reappraisal using the allele-specific primers PCR method.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine for the first time using PCR the distribution of Rhesus (Rh) blood group in French Basques and compare these results with those obtained by serology in the same sample and in the historical series from various Basque subgroups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rh polymorphism was determined in a sample of 127 autochthonous French Basques using allele-specific primers (ASP) PCR and traditional serological technique. Statistical comparisons were performed between both techniques and with the data published from various Basque subpopulations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No intra-sample discrepancies were detected between ASP-PCR and serology. A high frequency of RH Ddel exceeding 0.50, as typically described from several decades, was found here (0.511), as the peculiar frequency of cde (0.456) and cDE (0.073) haplotypes. This profile, obtained by molecular analysis, was within the range of previous historical studies in various Basque subpopulations using serological approach. The Rh polymorphism among the reviewed autochthonous Basque samples indicates a heterogeneous pattern of distribution, with individuals from the Alava province demonstrating the most atypical profile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Molecular biology approach using PCR confirms the peculiar pattern of Rh polymorphism which was previously defined by serology among Basques. Nevertheless, this distribution profile is not homogeneous within the Basque area.
authors.affiliation: Etablissement Français du Sang Alpes-Méditerranée, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Mhammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Touinssi
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chiaroni
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Degioanni
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Micco
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dutour
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bauduer
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005602:France; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System