Major histocompatibility complex class II alleles and haplotypes and blood groups of four Amerindian tribes of northern Colombia

MHC class II alleles and haplotypes were determined from unrelated individuals and families of the Arhuaco ( n = 107), Kogi ( n = 42), Arsario ( n = 18), and Wayu ( n = 88) tribes located in the northern part of Colombia. Class II DRB, DQA1, and DQB1 alleles were determined by PCR-SSO and PCR-RFLP based methods. Four haplotypes, [DRB1 ∗ 0407, DRB4 ∗ 0101, DQA1 ∗ 03, DQB1 ∗ 0302]; [DRB1 ∗ 0403, DRB4 ∗ 0101, DQA1 ∗ 03, DQB1 ∗ 0302]; [DRB1 ∗ 1402/1406, DRB3 ∗ 0101, DQA1 ∗ 0501, DQB1 ∗ 0301]; and [DRB1 ∗ 0802, DQA1 ∗ 0401, DQB1 ∗ 0402], were observed among these four tribes. In addition to these haplotypes, the Wayu Indians showed a frequency of 21.3% for the [DRB1 ∗ 1602, DRB5 ∗ 02, DQA1 ∗ 0501, DQB1 ∗ 0301] haplotype, 13.1% for the [DRB1 ∗ 0411, DRB4 ∗ 0101, DQA1 ∗ 03, DQB1 ∗ 0302] haplotype, and 8.1% for the [DRB ∗ 0411, DRB4 ∗ 0101, DQA1 ∗ 03, DQB1 ∗ 0402] haplotype. Red cell antigen typing was used to calculate genetic admixture. The Kogi and Arsario showed no genetic admixture while the Arhuaco tribe showed admixture with genes of African origin and the Wayu showed admixture with Caucasians as well as genes of African origin. These findings were confirmed by the MHC class II allele and haplotype data obtained, as alleles and haplotypes of Caucasian and African origin were detected in the Wayu and Arhuaco and not in the Kogi or Arsario. These studies will be important in disease association and transplantation studies for Amerindian and Colombian populations and for correlating genetic traits with the anthropologic and linguistic data available in order to better understand the Amerindian populations.