HPA polymorphism in sub-Saharan African populations: Beninese, Cameroonians, Congolese, and Pygmies

The frequency of human platelet antigen-1 (HPA-1) to HPA-11w (excluding HPA-8w) and HPA-15 systems was studied in four sub-Saharan populations: Beninese, Congolese (Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa), Cameroonians, and Aka pygmies (Central African Republic). No report of HPA prevalence has previously been published concerning these populations which are characterized by the highest HPA-2b gene frequencies of any reported to date (Aka 0.393, Benin 0.292, Cameroon 0.237, and Congo 0.224) and at lesser degree HPA-5b (Aka 0.405, Congo 0.268, Cameroon 0.254, and Benin 0.182). This study is of great importance (i) particularly in the context of the diversity caused by the population migrations, we may observe today in our hospitals (ii) to confirm that the Pygmy population with distinctive frequencies (absence of the HPA-1b, HPA-2b, and HPA-5b highest frequencies) is an isolated population.