title: Allelic polymorphisms of human platelets-specific alloantigens in South Tunisian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human platelet-specific alloantigens (HPA) are polymorphic epitopes which vary among ethnic groups.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In Tunisia, HPA frequencies were determined in North and centre; however, the pattern of HPA in South Tunisian population is not been studied yet. The aim of this work was to determine allelic frequencies of HPA-1, -3, and -5 systems in south Tunisian population, in order to estimate the risk of anti-platelet allo-immunization and to create a register of HPA-typed blood donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study concerned 212 unrelated healthy, regular blood donors from southern Tunisia. Allelic polymorphisms of each system were determined using a polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genotype frequencies a/a, a/b, and b/b were, respectively, 0.670, 0.288, and 0.042 for HPA-1 system, 0.430, 0.462, and 0.108 for HPA-3 system, and 0.750, 0.241, and 0.009 for HPA-5 system. The allele frequencies were 0.814 and 0.186 for HPA-1a and -1b alleles; 0.660 and 0.340 for HPA-3a and -3b alleles and 0.870, and 0.130 for HPA-5a and -5b alleles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reported frequencies are more similar to those of Caucasians than those of north Tunisian population.
authors.affiliation: Université de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mariem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smaoui
authors.forename: Basma
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hadjkacem
authors.forename: Ikram
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ben Amor
authors.forename: Héla
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mnif
authors.forename: Lobna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maalej
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gargouri
authors.forename: Jalel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gargouri
mesh_terms: D016824:Antigens, Human Platelet / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D016824:Antigens, Human Platelet; D000939:Epitopes