title: [Implications of HLA linkage disequilibrium phenomenon in finding unrelated volunteer bone marrow donors].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The distribution of HLA genes and haplotypes in the normal population is of considerable importance in disease susceptability studies, population and genetic studies and tissue and organ transplantation. The HLA phenotype frequencies can be used for the estimation of the probability of finding phenotypically identical unrelated volunteer bone marrow donors. It has been presumed that patients with HLA haplotypes in strong linkage disequilibrium, a have higher probability of finding HLA identical unrelated donors than others.
  
  
  METHODS
  HLA gene and haplotype frequencies were calculated, as well as delta values and their significance. The implications of HLA disequilibrium phenomenon in unrelated donor search, was investigated by calculating the correlation coefficient between frequencies of haplotypes showing significant delta values and the linkage disequilibrium coefficient, as well as between the average number of donors necessary for research.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Haplotypes showing the highest delta values are at the same time the most frequent haplotypes (A1B8:0,1188 and 0,145; A3B35:0,0722 and 0,1;A2B12:0,055 and 0,105). In patients who have both haplotypes showing significant delta values (e.g. A2B5/A3B35), the number of donors necessary for research is clearly lower than in patients who have only one given haplotype, or have no such haplotypes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed that patients with HLA haplotypes showing significant delta values have a higher probability of finding HLA identical unrelated donors.
authors.affiliation: Zavod za transfuziju krvi Novi Sad. ssvu@EUnet.yu
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vojvodić
authors.forename: Stevan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Popović
authors.forename: Lana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Macukanović-Golubović
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D006239:Haplotypes; D006648:Histocompatibility; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D010641:Phenotype; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens