Genetic polymorphisms of the Basques from Gipuzkoa: genetic heterogeneity of the Basque population.

A random sample of 586 Basque individuals from the province of Gipuzkoa was studied for 16 genetic systems: A1A2B0, Rh, MNSs, P, Lewis, Duffy, Kell, GC, TF, AAT, ACP, AK, ADA, ESD, HP and PGM1. The results of this study indicate that the Basque population of Gipuzkoa presents certain differential values with respect to other Basque series, such as maximum values for RH*cde, AK*2 and PGM1*2+ and minimum for PGM1*1-, while the remaining alleles are located within the range of values found in the Basque population to date. It is suggested that there is intraprovincial heterogeneity, as described for Bizkaia by Aguirre et al. in 1991, and the existence of heterogeneity within the Basque population on an inter-provincial level, backing up previous studies in this respect (by Aguirre et al. in 1989 and Manzano et al. 1993).