HIGH FREQUENCY OF THE PROPERDIN FACTOR Bf F1 AND ITS LINKAGE TO HLA IN FRENCH BASQUES

Abstract

Summary We studied 201 unrelated French Basque individuals for HLA and Bf polymorphisms. The haplotypes of eighty‐seven of them were deduced from family studies. The results show the frequency of the Bf F1 allele (0.1393) which is the highest one currently reported. They confirm the high frequencies of HLA‐Aw19.2 and B18 previously reported in that population and show that a whole haplotype with strong linkage disequilibria, namely Aw19.2, Cw5, B18, Bf F1, DRw3 is frequent. On the other hand, the gene frequency of Bf S is decreased (0.5497) as compared with the other European Caucasoïd populations, while a slight increase in the Bf F gene frequency (0.2960) appears. These results point out that it is of importance to consider the genetic background in choosing the population where linkage disequilibria are to be studied.

Properdin Factor B (Bf) Polymorphism in Saudi Arabs

“…In non-European Caucasoids the gene frequency of B f 07 = 0.076 was re ported in Usbeks [Benkmann et al, 1980], in Tunisians BJS0 7 = 0.083 [Davrinche et al, 1981], in Kabyles B f 0 7^ 0.064 [Bouali et al. 1981], and in Saudi Arabs BJS,K7 = 0.059 [Goedde et al, 1979], The gene fre quency of BJS" 7 = 0.151 found in this study is the highest reported frequency of a 'rare' Bf allotype in any population so far reported and exceeds the frequency of another rare Bf allotype, B f = 0.139 found in the Basques [Ohayon et al, 1980].…”