title: Genetic variation of MHC Class I polymorphic Alu insertions (POALINs) in three sub-populations of the East Midlands, UK.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alu elements are highly researched due to their useful nature as markers in the study of human population genetics. Recently discovered Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) polymorphic Alu insertions (POALINs) have not been examined extensively for genetic variation and their HLA associations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to assess the genetic variation between three populations using five recently discovered POALINs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study examined 190 healthy, unrelated subjects from three different populations in the East Midlands (UK) for the presence or absence of five Alu elements (AluHG, AluMICB, AluHJ, AluTF and AluHF) via the polymerase chain reaction followed by gel electrophoresis. Data were analysed for genetic variation and phylogenetic analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All Alus were polymorphic in study populations. Appreciable allele frequency variation was observed at a number of loci. The British population was significantly different from both the Punjabi Jat Sikh and Gujarati Patel populations, although showing a closer genetic relationship to the Punjabi Jat Sikh population than the Gujarati Patel population (Nei's DA= 0.0031 and 0.0064, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MHC POALINs are useful markers in the investigation of genetic variation and the assessment of population relationships, and may have some bearing on disease associations due to their linkage disequilibrium with HLA loci; this warrants further studies.
authors.affiliation: a Human Genomics Lab , School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University , Loughborough , UK.
authors.forename: Sarabjit S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mastana
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics , Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26 , Chandigarh , India.
authors.forename: Jasvinder S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.affiliation: c Department of Human Genetics , Punjabi University , Patiala , Punjab , India.
authors.forename: Puneetpal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: a Human Genomics Lab , School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University , Loughborough , UK.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiles
authors.affiliation: a Human Genomics Lab , School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University , Loughborough , UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holland
mesh_terms: D020087:Alu Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D004739:England; D005787:Gene Frequency; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
keywords: Alu; East Midlands; Gujurati Patels; POALIN; Punjabi Jat Sikhs; major histocompatibility complex