HLA GENE AND HAPLOTYPE FREQUENCIES IN DUTCH BLOOD-DONORS

We analyzed the HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR and -DQ phenotypes of 2, 440 health y, unrelated, Dutch Caucasoid blood donors and of 20, 814 Dutch blood donors who were registered as volunteer bone marrow or platelet donors . Phenotype and gene frequencies, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium fit and h omozygosity were calculated as well as 2- and 3-locus haplotype freque ncies, deltas, relative deltas and significance levels of the deltas. The population appears to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Many haplo types are in strong positive linkage disequilibrium. A phylogenetic tr ee, based on the HLA-A, -B and -DR gene frequencies of blood donors in different Dutch regions, reflects the limited but manifest heterogene ity of the Dutch population. Additionally we introduce a stepwise test for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and discuss the applicability of this test and of the single test for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for tissue typing quality control and for selection of split antigens prior to ge ne and haplotype frequency analyses.