APPLICATION OF HLA CLASS-II POLYMORPHISM ANALYSIS TO THE STUDY OF THEPOPULATION-STRUCTURE OF THE ISLAND OF KRK, CROATIA

The population structure of the northern Adriatic island of Krk, Croat ia, was studied using PCR methodology and nonradioactive oligonucleoti de hybridization for the analysis of HLA-DRB1, DRB3, DRB4, DRB5, DQA1, and DQB1 polymorphisms, Allele frequencies, genetic kinship (R), and genetic distances (E-2) were computed, and correlations between distan ce (genetic, linguistic, geographic) and kinship (migration) matrices were examined. The results, reflecting past (micro-) evolutionary proc esses, indicate that ethnohistorical and sociocultural events rather t han geographic distances are the primary determinants of today's popul ation structure of the island.