The frequency of HLA alleles in a population of Inuit women of northern Quebec

Background. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles code for proteins that are involved in the recognition of foreign antigens and activation of the immune system. The frequency of HLA alleles varies across different populations. Objective. To describe the frequency of HLA alleles in a population of I...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal of Circumpolar Health
Main Authors: Stephanie Metcalfe, Michel Roger, Marie-Claude Faucher, François Coutlée, Eduardo L. Franco, Paul Brassard
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2013
Subjects:
human leukocyte antigen
Inuit
Nunavik
Canada
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Arctic
Circumpolar Health
International Journal of Circumpolar Health
inuit
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21350
https://doaj.org/article/b0046db2cb574346b590e7c439d73016
Description
Summary:Background. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles code for proteins that are involved in the recognition of foreign antigens and activation of the immune system. The frequency of HLA alleles varies across different populations. Objective. To describe the frequency of HLA alleles in a population of Inuit women of Nunavik, Quebec, Canada. Design. A cohort of women was recruited from 4 different communities between January 2002 and December 2007. HLA-B*07, HLA-DQB1*03, DQB1*06:02, DRB1*13 and DRB1*15:01 alleles were typed by PCR sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) and HLA-E and G alleles were type by DNA-sequencing procedures. Results. We obtained data on 524 participants. The most frequent HLA alleles in this population were HLA-E*01:03, HLA-G*01:04:01 and HLA-DQB1*03, and they were found in 89, 75 and 94% of the population, respectively. Conclusions. The distribution of HLA alleles in Nunavik, Quebec is unique when compared to other populations in Canada or around the world.

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