HLA CLASS-II GENE AND HAPLOTYPE DIVERSITY IN THE POPULATION OF THE ISLAND OF HVAR, CROATIA

The DRB1, DRB3, DRB5, DQA1 and DQB1 allele polymorphisms were analysed in 3 western and 3 eastern villages of the island of Hvar using PCR-S SOP method and 12th International Workshop primers and probes. Three D QB1 alleles (0304, *0305 *0607) detected in the population of the isl and of Hvar (HP) have not yet been observed in general: Croatian popul ation. (GCP). Significant differences were observed between two region s of Hvar for: a) DRB10701 allele (p < 0.001), b) DQA1*0201 allele (p < 0.01), and c) DRB10101-DQA1*0101-DQB1*0501 haplotypic association (p < 005). Two unusual haplotypic associations, which have not yet bee n described in, general Croatian population (GCP), DRB10101-DQA1*0102 -DQB10501 and DRB1*1501-DQA1*0102-DQB1*0604 were observed in the popu lation from the island of Hvar (HP). Measures of genetic kinship and g enetic distances revealed isolation and clusterisation which coincides with the known ethnohistorical, as well as biological and biocultural data obtained from a series of previuos investigations. The five stud ied village subpopulations formed two clusters (East-West) to which th e far eastern. village (with the highest r(ii) of 0.0407)joined later, thus indicating possible impact of historical immigrations from the m ainland.