Human leukocyte antigen profile in the Zaboli ethnic group living in the South-East region of Iran

The human leukocyte antigen has become a key component in investigating the genetic relationships between populations. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic diversity of HLA class I and II alleles among Zaboli ethnic group of South-east Iran to establish a database for further investigations on ancestry and the genetic factors contributing to complex diseases in this region.Unrelated individuals from the Southeast geographic location throughout Iran were serologically typed using standard microcytotoxicity assays with commercial and local trays. The ethnic background of each individual was self-defined. HLA profiles were determined in 41 Zaboli populations. The most frequent class I alleles of the Zaboli ethnic group being the following: HLA-A1 (34.1%), -A2 (58.5%), -A11 (29.3%), -A24 (23.9%), -B5 (70.7%), -B16 (26.8%), and -Cw4 (24.4%). The class II alleles more frequently observed in this group were HLA-DR1 (26.8%), -DR2 (26.8%), -DR3 (31.7%), -DR4 (29.3%), -DR7 (24.4%), -DR8 (22%), -DR11 (48.8%), -DRw52 (73.2%), -DRw53 (53.7%), -DQ1 (53.7%), -DQ2 (31.7%), and -DQ3 (29.3%). This report utilized a first study of HLA class I and II typed individuals, from widely dispersed areas of Iran. This will help in studies related to disease associations and cadaver organ allocation programmes.