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Extensive polymorphism of the HLA genes in different ethnic groups has been used as an invaluable tool for anthropological studies. In this study, HLA-DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 allele frequencies and haplotypes were determined in 72 Parsees and 65 Zoroastrians living in Iran. The predominant DRB1 allele was *1103 = 4 in Parsees and *0701 in Zoroastrians. DQA1*0501 was the most common alleles in both spopulations. The most frequent DQB1 allele was *0301 in Parsees and *0201 in Zoroastrians. DRB1*1103 = 4-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301 and DRB1*0701-DQA1*0201-DQB1*0201 were the most prevalent haplotypes in Parsees and Zoroastrians, respectively. Significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium was observed in DQA1 and DQB1 loci of Zoroastrians. The former locus also departed from neutrality due to balancing selection. All pairs of the studied loci in this study showed significant linkage disequilibrium. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that the main variation was confined to individuals within the studied populations. Neighbour-joining tree based on Nei's genetic distances according to DRB1 and DQB1 allele frequencies showed that Parsees and Zoroastrians of Iran were located in the same cluster of the phylogenetic tree. Furthermore, Zoroastrians of Iran and Pakistan are very close to each other. This study will serve as a reference for further anthropological studies when the HLA profile of all ethnic groups of Iran is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extreme polymorphism in different loci of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system has been used as an invaluable tool for anthropological studies. Determination of HLA allele and haplotype frequencies in different ethnic groups is useful for population genetic analyses and the study of genetic relationships among them. In the present study, molecular analysis ofHLA-A,-B,-C,-DQA1,-DQB1, and-DRB1genes has been used to assign HLA allele and haplotype frequencies in 100 unrelated healthy individuals from the Baloch ethnic group of Iran. The results were compared with Baloch and other ethnic groups in the neighboring Pakistan. The results of this study showed that the most frequent HLA class I alleles were A*02011 (20.2%), B*4006 (11.1%), and C*04011 (28.6%). The most common HLA class II alleles were DQA1*0101/2 (42.5%), DQB1*0201 (32%), and DRB1*0301 (29%). Three-locus haplotype analysis revealed that A*11011-B*4006-C*15021 (5.8%) and DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201-DRB1*0301 (22.1%) were the most common HLA class I and II haplotypes, respectively, in this population. Neighbor-joining tree based on DA genetic distances and correspondence analysis according to HLA-A, -B, -DQB1, and -DRB1 allele frequencies showed that Baloch of Iran are genetically very close to Baloch and Brahui of Pakistan. This may reflect an admixture of Brahui and Baloch ethnic groups of Pakistan in the Balochistan province of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Because umbilical cord blood (UCB) allows transplantation of partially matched HLA grafts, it is considered a valuable resource for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and genetic diseases, especially for who lack of a compatible bone marrow donor. This study was designed to determine how many of ethnic groups of Iran can be covered by current public Royan UCB. Materials and Methods: From 2009-2011, 4354 of all collected UCB samples (30%) met the necessary criteria for storage and were cryopreserved in public Royan UBC bank, Tehran, Iran. Parental demographic information was collected and a written informed consent has obtained from each family based on their willingness to public donation of the UCB cells. HLA-A, B and DRB1 were typed for 1454 samples. Results: The mean volume of the samples was 83±40.7 mL with a range of 14-1200×107 nucleated cells in different samples. The most common HLA alleles were HLA-A"2 (17%) and "24 (15.4%); HLA-B"35 (16-5%) and "51 (13.3%), and HLA-DR"11 (19.6%) and "15 (14.4%). HLA-A"24-B"35-DR"11 (1.9%), HLA-A"02-B"50-DR"07 (1.9%), and HLA-A"02-B"51-DR"11 (1.6%) were the predominant haplotypes. Conclusion: Based on the broad therapeutic potential of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), UCB can be considered the main source of different stem cells for cell-based therapy against various disorders. Based on HLA-DRB1 profiles, the current public Royan UCB bank can potentially be considered a proper resource for HSCs transplantation for Iranian recipients from Parsees and Zoroastrians. Regular educational programs for improving public knowledge about UCB advantages in transplantation can be effective to enrich this source as cover all Iranian ethnic groups in near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the study which examined the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the Iranian population as of January 2012. Among the possible ancestors of majority of Iranians are the Aryans and Indo-European nomadic tribes. In the study, the various Iranian ethnic groups that were studied include Balochis, Mazandaranis, and Qashqaees.