HLA frequencies in black Zimbabweans

Abstract

One-hundred-and-nineteen normal Black Zimbabweans were typed for HLA antigens. We found a close similarity between the HLA antigen frequencies in Zimbabweans and Black South Africans (Xhosa), another Bantu-speaking group. The only significant differences noted were for HLA-Aw36, -Bw53, -Cw6, -DR4 and -DQw3 (p less than 0.01). The most common HLA haplotypes in significant positive linkage disequilibrium in the two groups were different. The differences that were noted may be due to gene flow from the San to the Black South Africans, since it is thought that the Zimbabweans had little if any contact with the San.