title: Characterization of human killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) among healthy Saudis.
abstract: Genes encoding KIRs vary in frequency among different populations and ethnic groups. This study investigated the KIR gene frequency distribution in 148 healthy unrelated Saudi subjects and compared the results with other published findings. All inhibitory and activating KIR genes were present at variable frequencies, with A haplotype-associated genes (KIR2DL1, -2DL3, -3DL1, and KIR2DS4) being observed at higher frequencies (88.9-99.5%) than B haplotype-associated genes (KIR2DS1, -2DS2, -2DS3, -2DS5, -2DL5 and -2DL2) (31.1-70.1%). Thirty-one different KIR genotypes were observed, and AA genotypes displayed the highest frequency (18.2%). This Saudi population possesses similar KIR gene distributional characteristics to those reported in other neighboring populations (e.g., Lebanese) and shows disparities in certain genes and gene contents from other populations (e.g., Australian Aborigines). These findings can be used as a reference control in future studies evaluating the functional significance of the KIR genes and their associations with specific diseases.
authors.affiliation: King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 11525, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: awadelsid@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Awad E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.affiliation: King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 11525, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mubasher
authors.affiliation: King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 11525, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Nezar E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: ElSheikh
authors.affiliation: King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 11525, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: AlHarthi
authors.affiliation: King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 11525, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ahmed S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Al Yami
authors.affiliation: UCLA Immunogenetics Centre, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California at Los Angeles, United States.
authors.forename: Raja
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajalingam
authors.affiliation: King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 11525, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdulwahid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Dehaimi
authors.affiliation: Transplant Immunology, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Middleton
authors.affiliation: Mafraq Hospital and Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Gehad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: ElGhazali
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D018912:Arabs; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology*; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012529:Saudi Arabia
chemical_list: D054340:Receptors, KIR
keywords: Haplotype; Killer immunoglobulin-like receptor; Saudi