LINKAGE DISEQUILIBRIUM WITHIN THE HLA-DP REGION OF THE ATAYAL TRIBE IN THE TAIWAN POPULATION.
A. Van Der Zwan, S. A. Scheltinga, M. G. J. Tilanus, S. WU.
Dept. of Pathology, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands 

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We have analyzed HLA-DP from the Atayal aborigines tribe, located in the North of Taiwan. From 100 healthy individuals DNA was isolated. HLA-DPA1 as well as HLA-DPB1 alleles were identified by sequencing the second exon using the PCR-SBT method. In all samples 3 alleles were found for the DPA1 locus, among which 02022 a high frequency (72%), followed by 0103 (16%) and 02011 (12%). F or DPB1, a total of 5 alleles were found, with a high frequency for 0501 (74%) followed by 1401 (11%), 02012 (7%), 0301 (7%) and 1301 (1%). In village A 5 haplotypes were identified; DPA1*0103-DPB1*02012, DPA1*0103-DPB1*0301, DPA1*02011-DPB1*1401, DPA1*0103-DPB1*0501 and DPA1*02022-DPB1*0501. In village B the haplotype DPA1*0103-DPB1*0501 was not present. The found linkage between DPA and DPB is in agreement with the suggested Linkage Disequilibrium. Remarkable is the high frequency of homozygous DPA1*02022 (53 %) and DPB1*0501 (52 %) alleles. This Atayal tribe in the Taiwan population showed a restricted HLA-DP polymorphism linkage. Samples from the remaining 8 tribes will be studied subsequently.