Distribution of Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor Genes in Albanians from Republic of Macedonia

AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze Killer Ig-Like Receptor ( KIR ) gene polymorphisms in Albanians from Republic of Macedonia. MATERIAL NA METHODS: The studied sample consists of 104 healthy unrelated individuals, aged 20-45 years. All individuals are of Albanian nationality, residents of different geographical regions (Skopje, Gostivar, and Tetovo) in Republic of Macedonia. The population genetics analysis package, Arlequin, was used for analysis of the data. RESULTS: All 16 KIR genes known were observed in the Albanian individuals and framework genes (KIR3DL3, KIR 3DP1, KIR 2DL4, and KIR3 DL2) were present in all individuals. The frequencies of other KIR genes were: KIR 2DP1 (0.981) , KIR 2DL1 (1), KIR 2DL2 (0.615), KIR 2DL3 (0.865), KIR 2DL5 (0.414), KIR 3DL1 (0.933), KIR 2DS1 (0.462), KIR 2DS2 (0.606), KIR 2DS3 (0.327), KIR2DS4 (0.875) , KIR 2DS5 (0.298), and KIR 3DS1 (0.442). Tested linkage disequilibrium (LD) among KIR genes demonstrated that KIR genes present a wide range of linkage disequilibrium. CONCLUSION: This is the first study analyzing the polymorphism of KIR genes and genotype frequencies in Albanian individuals in the world. The results can be used for anthropological comparisons.