Abstract
New HLA-B locus alleles have been found in South American Amerindian populations but were largely absent in North American Amerindian tribes also descended from this first Paleo-Indian migration. We have now extended these studies to the Navajo, descendants of the second Nadene migration. No new functional alleles were found at the B locus of this tribe. This limited study supports the notion that while new B locus variants are common in South American Amerindians, it is more difficult to find new B locus alleles in North American native peoples. Whether this dichotomy is due to differences in pathogen environment and/or population structures between North and South America remains a subject of speculation.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 143-146 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Tissue Antigens |
Volume | 47 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 1996 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- HLA-B locus alleles
- North and South American Amerindian
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology
- Cell Biology