The Open Immunology Journal

2009, 2 : 59-66
Published online 2009 March 27. DOI: 10.2174/1874226200902010059
Publisher ID: TOIJ-2-59

HLA Genes in Afro-American Colombians (San Basilio de Palenque): The First Free Africans in America

Antonio Arnaiz-Villena , Raquel Reguera , Carlos Parga-Lozano , Sedeka Abd-El-Fatah-Khalil , Luis Monleon , Luz Barbolla , Pablo Gomez-Prieto , Jorge Martínez-Laso and Carlos Silvera
Department of Immunology, University Complutense, The Madrid Regional Blood Center, Madrid, Spain.

ABSTRACT

An Afro-American semi-isolated Colombian population is studied for its HLA genes: San Basilio de Palenque community in Colombia northern mountains. This community represents the first free Africans in America earning recognition by the Spanish Crown in 1691 AD. Nowadays, they also speak the only extant Bantu-Spanish Creole language over the World; these people have been apart from there neighbours and claim a direct African descent. Their HLA genes were compared with African, Afro-American, Amerindian and worldwide populations by using genetic distances (DA), Neighbour- Joining dendograms and correspondences analyses. Arlequin, DISPAN and VISTA softwares were used for the completion of these computerised calculations. San Basilio de Palenque, a relatively ethnic isolate, is genetically close to other North and South Afro-Americans and to West Africa-Bantu speaking groups (Senegalese; Bubi, Guinea Gulf). Five HLA extended haplotypes are found only in this population: A*02-B*07-DRB1*0801-DQB1*0301, A*02-B*35- DRB1*1304-DQB1*0301, A*02-B*15-DRB1*0302-DQB1*0402, A*01-B*51-DRB1*0301-DQB1*0201, A*68-B*15- DRB1*0102-DQB1*0501. Only very limited gene flow is found from either Amerindians or Europeans, as expected by historical records. Our HLA data may also prove useful for future regional transplant programs and genetic epidemiology of HLA-linked.

Keywords:

First free Afro-Americans, Afro-Americans, HLA.