HLA Class I and Class II Polymorphism in the Population of Vojvodina, Serbia

The HLA (Human Leucocyte Antigens) class I and class II polymorphism in a sample population of 250 Vojvodinians using standard microlymphocytotoxicity test was investigated. The antigens with the highest frequencies were: HLA-A2 (50.4%), A1 (24.1%) and A3 (22.7%); B35 (22.7%), B51(5) (16.9%) and B18 (15.6%); DR11(5) (34.5%), DR7 (20.0%) and DR3 (19.3%); DQ1 (44.8%), DQ7(3) (30.9%) and DQ2 (13.3). The HLA two-locus haplotypes with high frequency (>0.02) in Vojvodinians included DR11(5)DQ7(3) (7.27%), A2DR11(5) (4.85%), DR3DQ2 (4.84%), DR7DQ2 (3.78%), B8DR3 (3.05%), A1B8 (2.79%) and A2B44(12) (2.45%). The antigen DR3 showed the strongest association with DQ2 (D=0.0416, c 2 =60.016) as well as antigen DR11(5) with DQ7(3) (D=0.0408, c 2 =19.023). Analysis of the population distance dendrogram revealed the closest relationship of Vojvodina population with Romanians, Hungarians, Albanians, Italians and Croats, which is consistent with the historical data about the turbulent migrations in the microregion of Vojvodina in the times past.