HLA DRB1 polymorphism in the Iranian population

Background and ObjectivesMajor Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is the most polymorphic system in the genome of different species. In human beings, these genes named HLA are located on the chromosome 6. HLA class I and II undertake genetic control of the immune system. Identification of HLA alleles is useful in transplantation, disease, and anthropological studies. Among different antigens of HLA, DR (DRB1) antigens are the most variable. In this research, due to the importance of DRB1 antigens in bone marrow transplantation, these antigens were studied in normal population. This study was performed on different Iranian races and did not suffice to a specific group.Materials and Methods DNA was extracted from the whole blood sample of 466 normal individuals after randomized sampling. Some HLA-DRB locus segments were amplified using 23 primer pairs by using PCR-SSP method. Finaly, PCR products were evaluated by electrophoresis in 2% agarose gel.ResultsThe most prevalent alleles in DRB1 locus in normal poulation of Iran were DRB1*11, DRB1*13, DRB1*15, and DRB1*04 (20%, 11.4%, 11.4%, 10%, respectively). Whereas DRB1* 09 was the least frequent allele.ConclusionsThis research showed genetic diversity of HLA DRB1 in the mixed Iranian population. The data suggest that the Iranian population share certain HLA class II genetic components with the populations residing in Russia and Eastern and Southern European countries.