Abstract :
Highly polymorphic human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes are considered as useful markers by molecular anthropologists to determine genetic relationship among populations. Two human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I loci (HLA-A and HLA-B) were typed in the Iraqis Kurd population. The assumptions underlying the study of genetic structure, based on HLA allele polymorphism, that can be distinguished according to historical criteria and that they are likely to have contributed to cultural and probably genetic differences. This study provides allele and haplotype frequency data from 144 Kurdish individuals. A total of 23 and28 genes were detected in HLA-A and -B loci. The most common alleles frequency in the Kurdish population were A2 (14.9 %) followed by A1, A3 (12.5, 11.4%) and A9 (10.76%), B15:136 (11.11%) and B35 (9.37%). The most common haplotypes frequency of HLA-A-B haplotypes occurred at frequencies HLA-A3-B15 (0.002728), A1-B35 (0.003102), A1-B13 (0.002516), and A9-B44 (0.001067). This study is the first comprehensive investigation of HLA–allele group distribution in a subset of Iraqi populations, and the first to provide HLA–allele and haplotype frequencies at a high-resolution level. It is a valuable reference for future studies of HLA-associated diseases in Kurds populations.
