User:Gsulcebe

Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) studies in the Albanian population and their impact on the understanding of genetic relationships between the populations living in the Balkan region.

In two papers appeared at the scientific journal “International Journal of Immunogenetics” (Sulcebe et al. 2009 Dec; 36(6):337-43 and Sulcebe et al. 2012 Jun 22. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-313X.2012.01136.x.), Albanian researchers from the University Hospital Center of Tirana, Albania have reported about their study on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) polymorphism in the Albanian population from Albania and Kosovo comparing these data with those of neighboring and other European populations. The analysis of the HLA polymorphism is very useful for defining the genetic relationships between populations. The investigation of these relationships is of particular interest for anthropological studies but also for designing common international transplantation programs and unrelated donor registry networking. The HLA typing has been conducted using molecular methods from the DNA of sampled populations from Albania and Kosovo. HLA allele and haplotype frequencies have been estimated by using computer tools adapted to HLA data. Population differentiation from the frequencies of HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DRB1 alleles was studied by testing FST significance among each pair of populations and by computing the Nei’s genetic distances. HLA data of 23 European populations were used for inter-population comparisons. According to FST as well as Nei’s genetic distance analyses the authors conclude that the Albanians from Kosovo share a very close genetic relationship with the Albanians from Albania but also with the Bulgarians and the FYROM Macedonians, followed by the Greeks, while the Croatian, Bosnia-Herzegovinian, Serbian and Romanian populations are slightly more distantly located but with a statistical significance. From these data they infer that HLA compatible unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donors for Albanian patients could be found with a higher probability in donor registries of populations more closely related genetically with Albanians such as FYROM Macedonians, Bulgarians or Greeks, but also among other populations living in the Balkan area.