HLA gene frequencies of northern Thais.

We investigated the distribution of HLA-A and B locus, gene frequency (GF), antigen frequency (AF), haplotype frequency (HF) and non detectable antigens in Northern Thais. Of 289 native northern Thai people residing in Chiang Mai province for many generations were tested using lymphocytotoxicity test and 146 unrelated subjects were selected for analysis. The common alleles were A2, A11 and A24 for A locus with GF of 36.4%, 35.4% and 15.6%, respectively and B46, B40 and B13 for B locus with GF of 21.1%, 15.7% and 8.6%, respectively. The frequent linkage disequilibrium haplotypes were A2,B46; A33,B17 with HF of 15.9%; 5.0% and LD of 8.3%; 4.6%, respectively (p < 0.0001). The undetectable antigens (blanks) occurred with GF = 11.64% at A locus and GF = 4.92% at B locus. Comparing the GFs to other Thai ethnic groups, showed that the Northern Thais shared several alleles such as A2, A11, B46, and B62 in common with Dai Lue (Thai-speaking people who lived in the southern part of China), (p > 0.05), more than Thais, Thai/Chinese or present-day Thais (p < 0.001). Especially, HLA-B46 with the GF of 21.1% is considered to be a very typical antigen for Southern Mongoloids. These similarities will support the root of migration and origin of Northern Thais.