title: HLA-A, B, Cw, DRB1, DQB1 and DPB1 alleles and haplotypes in the genetically homogenous Irish population.
abstract: The frequencies of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II alleles and haplotypes of 250 Irish unrelated bone marrow donors were determined by high resolution polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using a combination of reverse line blot hybridization and PCR with sequence-specific primers. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that this Irish population is closely related to British, North-western European, American and Australian Caucasian populations. These observations are consistent with recognized historical, geographical, cultural, ethnic and linguistic relationships between these populations and suggest that Irish haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients have a greater likelihood of finding a phenotypically matched donor within registries based on these populations. HLA-A, B, Cw, DRB1, DQB1 and DPB1 analysis confirms that this young homogenous population is characterized by features of a North-western European anthropological type with limited influence of additional ethnic haplotypes.
authors.affiliation: National Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Reference Laboratory, National Blood Centre, Dublin, Ireland. ciaran.dunne@ibts.ie
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dunne
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crowley
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hagan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rooney
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lawlor
mesh_terms: D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006682:HLA-DP Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics*; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D006682:HLA-DP Antigens; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; C069051:HLA-DQB1 antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains