The study of population structure based on the analysis of HLA-DRB1, DRB3, DRB4, DRB5, DQA1, DQB1 Polymorphisms (an example of the Island of Hvar, Croatia)

Allele frequencies at the HLA-DRB1, DRB3, DRB4, DRB5, DQA1, DQB1 loci were determined in six rural populations of the island of Hvar, Croatia, using PCR methodology and non-radioactive oligonucleotide hybridisation. Allele frequencies, measures of genetic kinship (R matrix) and genetic distances (E2) were computed. The studied rural populations revealed isolation and clusterisation which coincides with the known ethnohistorical and socio-cultural data. The five studied groups formed two clusters (East-West) to which the sixth group (with highest Rii of 0.04036) joined later, thus indicating possible impact of historical immigrations from the mainland. Further on, genetic and geographic distances, as well as migrational kinship were utilised for quadratic assignment procedures, indicating high statistical significance for the both positive (genetic vs. geographic distances, r=0.6787) and negative (genetic distance vs. migrational kinship, r=-0.6109 ; geographic distances vs. migrational kinship, r=-0.5357) correlations. The possibilities and relevance of this kind of anthropological population structure analysis based on HLA polymorphisms is stressed.