title: Diversity distributions of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes and their ligands in the Chinese Shaanxi Han population.
abstract: In the present study, 17 killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) genes and KIR ligands (human leukocyte antigen [HLA] -A and -B) were detected by using a polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific primer (PCR-SSP) method in 104 unrelated healthy Han individuals living in Shaanxi province, China. The observed carrier frequencies of the 12 KIR genes ranged from 0.14 to 0.96. KIR2DL4, 3DL2, 3DL3, 2DP1 and 3DP1 were found to be present in every individual. A total of 51 different KIR gene profiles were identified, in which 11 gene profiles exclusively belonged to the study population. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree between the studing population and its neighboring ethnic groups was constructed using the observed carrier frequencies of 13 KIR loci. The phylogenetic tree shows that the Shaanxi Han population, Han populations in different regions, Yi, Japanese, and Koreans were in the same cluster. KIR/HLA relationships show that KIR3DS1(-)/3DL1(+)/Bw4(+) was the most common association in the population. In conclusion, the present study findings reveal the high polymorphism of KIRs in the Shaanxi Han population, demonstrate the KIR/HLA association in the study population, and enrich the KIR and HLA gene resources. The obtained KIR data will further the understanding of genetic relationships among populations in different geographic areas, and assist in answering questions regarding KIR/HLA relationships.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environment and Gene Related to Diseases (Xi'an Jiaotong University), Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Hong-dan
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bo-feng
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Chun-mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Ai-ying
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Tie-niu
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jia-li
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hai-xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Li-bin
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Shuan-liang
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Qi-zhao
authors.initials: QZ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: You-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chun-xia
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D005006:Ethnicity; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005828:Genetics, Population; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D054340:Receptors, KIR