Blood groups, serum proteins, and red-cell enzyme frequencies were determined on a random sample of 148 Libyan Jews now settled in Israel. Comparisons with data on Libyan non-Jews show significant differences in most systems, implying maintenance of a high degree of genetic isolation of the Jewish group from surrounding populations. The relative lack of the African component in their gene pool shows that they have interbred very little, if at all, with their negroid neighbours.
Phenotype and gene frequencies of antigens at the A and B HLA loci were determined in a sample of 89 random Libyan Jews now settled in Israel. Most antigens at the A locus are within the range found in European populations while, at the B locus, the frequencies differ from Caucasoid populations: B7 is usually rare (1%), Bw35 is frequent (14%) and Bw40 very common with more than 10%. Thirteen percent of Libyan women whose sera were screened for the presence of HLA antibodies gave positive results. Some of them are elderly women, about 15 years or more beyond their last birth.
Seventy-three random Jewish individuals whose families have lived in Germany for at least 4-5 generations, were typed for HLA antigens at the A and B loci. In comparison with other European populations, the frequencies of B7 and B12 are low whereas Bw35 is almost twice as frequent (21%). Among the uncommon associations found in the German Jews were: (A2, Bw21), (Aw25, B18), (A29, B14), (A28, Bw15). The frequent haplotype (Aw24, Bw35) was previously found, but only in Asia and in American Indians. Subdivisions of the subjects according to geographic regions within Germany point to differences in gene frequency between the groups.
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