HLA DRB1 and DQB1 Gene Diversity in Maratha Community from Mumbai India

Abstract

Indian Population exhibits not only a wide variety of ethnic but also great cultural and linguistic diversity. In the present study 113 unrelated Marathas residing in Mumbai, Maharastra, (Western India) were studied for HLA DRB1 and HLA DQB1 locus antigen profiles. The HLA antigens were identified using com- mercially procured PCR- SSP typing kits. The geno- type frequency, haplotype frequency and Linkage dis- equilibrium estimates were calculated following the stan- dard methods. The HLA antigen frequencies of HLA DRB1*02, DRB1*15, DRB1*0701, DQB1*06 and DQB1*0203 were increased while that of HLA DRB1*0301, DRB1*12, DRB1*09, and DQB1*04 were decreased in the Marathas. Two Locus haplotype analy- ses revealed the presence of DRB1*02 - DQB1*06, and DRB1*04 - DQB1*0303 haplotypes with positive link- age disequilibrium among the Maratha. Haplotype DRB1*0701 - DQB1*06 and DRB1*0401 - DQB1*06 were the haplotypes identified in negative linkage dis- equilibrium. The observed antigen frequencies, haplo- type frequencies and linkage disequilibrium in Marathas suggest the influence of genetic drift caused by selec- tion, geography and culture. Further the study reveals that the Hindu population of India cannot be consid- ered as a single panmictic population due to vast allelic diversity and immense heterozygosity in haplotypes.