title: Distribution of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes in Poles.
abstract: Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) present on natural killer cells and minor subpopulations of T cells recognize class I human leucocyte antigen (HLA) molecules on the surface of target cells. Humans differ by the presence or absence of some KIR genes on their chromosomes. As KIRs are important for the outcome of tissue transplantation (particularly for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation) and possibly for pregnancy and autoimmune diseases, knowledge of the KIR gene distribution in a given human population is of practical value. Therefore, we tested 363 healthy individuals from Western Poland for the presence or absence of KIR genes. Results are compared with those published for other human populations. KIR gene frequencies in Poles are close to these in other Caucasoids but different from those in Asian and African populations, and particularly distant from those in Australian Aborigines.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Clinical Immunology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Majorczyk
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Łuszczek
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pawlik
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiśniewski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jasek
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuśnierczyk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011044:Poland; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054340:Receptors, KIR