HLA CLASS-II DNA POLYMORPHISM IN A MOROCCAN POPULATION FROM THE SOUSS, AGADIR AREA

HLA DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR-SSO typing in a sample of the Moroccan population from Souss. Uneven allelic freq uency distributions are observed at each locus, with particularly high frequencies for DRB10701, DRB1*0301, DQA1*0501, DQA1*0201, and DQB1* 0201. Only three haplotypes (DRB10701-DQA1*0201-DQB1*0201, DRB1*0301- DQA10501-DQB1*0201 and DRB1*11-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301) account for nearl y 50% of the total gene frequencies. A genetic distance analysis revea ls that the Moroccan population is close to the Spanish and the Algeri ans, who live in geographically neighboring areas. However, the Souss population is also characterized by a lower level of genetic diversity compared to other African and European populations from the Mediterra nean area. This may be the result of a rapid genetic drift due to thei r likely geographical and/or cultural isolation.