HLA-A and HLA-B distribution in Toto – a vanishing sub-Himalayan tribe of India

Authors: Debnath, M.; Chaudhuri, T. K.

Source: Tissue Antigens, Volume 67, Number 1, January 2006 , pp. 64-65(2)

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Abstract:

The frequency of HLA-A and HLA-B locus alleles was studied by using polymerase chain reaction-based sequence-specific primer method in a very primitive and vanishing sub-Himalayan Indian Tribe, the Toto population of North Bengal. The Toto, a Mongoloid tribe with a population size of 1172 reside only in the Totopara of Jalpaiguri district of North Bengal. We studied 40 individuals and observed some high frequency alleles when compared to other Indian tribal, non-tribal, and major world populations. Particularly, the frequency of HLA-B14 was 32.5% in the Toto population, the highest known frequency reported in any population in the world. This indigenous tribal population may harbour novel HLA alleles and unique haplotypes which extensive HLA genotyping will help to reveal, and thus further our understanding of their genetic admixture and migration patterns.

Keywords: B14; HLA antigens; PCR-SSP; Toto population

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-0039.2005.00517.x

Affiliations: 1: Cellular Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of North Bengal, Siliguri 734430, West Bengal, India

Publication date: 2006-01-01