Gorgan (Turkmen in Iran) HLA genetics: transplantation, pharmacogenomics and anthropology

Ethnic Disparities in Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Events (MACCEs) and Postoperative Outcomes Following Coronary Artery Bypass in Northeastern Iran (2007-2016)

BACKGROUND

Turkmens are an ethnic group mainly living in northeastern Iran. Despite previous studies on coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) outcomes among different ethnicities, the effect of Turkmen ethnicity on outcomes of CABG surgery is still unknown. We aimed to assess the association between Turkmen ethnicity and postoperative outcomes following CABG.

METHODS

We used the CABG data from two heart centers in northeastern Iran between 2007 and 2016. We included adult patients undergoing CABG surgery. The study outcomes were in-hospital major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), consisting of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and cardiovascular death, and postoperative outcomes, including postoperative arrhythmia, acute atrial fibrillation (AF), major bleeding, and acute renal failure (ARF).

RESULTS

Over the course of one decade, 3632 patients, with an average age (standard deviation) of 59.0 (9.8) years, were studied. Of these, 3,331 patients were of non-Turkmen ethnicity, and 301 patients were Turkmens. According to adjusted analysis, ethnicity was not associated with MACCEs (OR: 1.15, 95 % CI: 0.61, 2.16; P=0.663), postoperative arrhythmia (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 0.78, 1.54; P=0.588), acute AF (OR: 1.17, 95 % CI: 0.83, 1.66; P=0.359), major bleeding (OR: 1.21, 95 % CI: 0.55, 2.67; P=0.636), or ARF (OR: 2.60, 95 % CI: 0.60, 11.75, P=0.224).

CONCLUSION

This study found that despite ethnic disparity and preoperative differences, Turkmen ethnicity was not associated with in-hospital MACCEs, AF, major bleeding, or ARF after coronary artery bypass.

HLA alleles and haplotypes in Iran Tabriz Azeris population: genes and languages do not correlate

Azeri people are at present day mainly living in an area which comprises North (Azerbaijan) and South (Azeri Iran provinces) parts, living the biggest population in Azeri Iran provinces with about 17-20 million people. They were studied HLA-A, -B, -DRB1 and -DQB1 allele and extended haplotype frequencies in unrelated Iranian Tabriz Azeris from a rural area close to Tabriz City. The HLA extended haplotypes with highest frequencies are: 1) HLA- A*24:02-B*35:01-DRB1*11:01-DQB1*03:01, shared with Mediterraneans and southern Russians (Chuvash, which also show Mediterranean characters); and 2) HLA-A*01:02-B*08:01-DRB1*03:01-DQB1*02:01, found also in Chuvash and other Azeri samples from Tabriz. Neí's DA HLA-DRB1 genetic distances, HLA-DRB1 Neighbour-Joining dendrogram and Vista analyses show that population with closest distance is Kurdish, followed by Iranian Gorgan and Southern Russia/ North Caucasus Chuvash; probably these latter groups and Azeris were populating North Mesopotamia/ Caucasus Mts. since prehistoric times. Kurds (in Iraq and Iran) do not speak Turk while Azeris do: they are both genetically close, but they are not genetically close to present day Anatolia (Turkey) Turks who also speak Turk language and show a typical Mediterranean HLA profile. In summary, Azeri population studies show examples that genes and languages do not correlate, contradicting the postulate asserted by others.

Gorgan (Iran) population HLA genetics and anthropology

Gorgan (Iran) have been studied for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 genes for the first time. They are Turkmen and originated in East Asia around Altai Mts; they originally spoke a Turk language classified within the Turkish-Oguz group. Peripheral blood samples were collected from Gorgan City (Iran) and HLA typed by standard methodology. HLA allele frequencies were compared with 7984 chromosomes of other World populations and it was shown existence of admixture of Siberian and Mediterranean HLA characters in this population, probably due to longlasting contact with Persians. Three new HLA extended haplotypes were found: A*01:01-B*35:01-DRB1*03:01-DQB1*02:01, A*30:01-B*13:01-DRB1*15:01-DQB1*02:01 and A*31:01-B*35:01-DRB1*15:01-DQB1*03:01. Gorgan (Iran) were most close to Chuvashians (Noth Caspian Sea, Russia) and Siberians, like Tuvinians, Mansi and Buryats in Neighbour Joining and Vista analyses. It is established a relationship of this population with Kurgan (Gorgan, Iran) archaeological mounds culture. However, their kinship with Scythians (2nd century BC) and Sarmatians (4th century AD) is obscure although both of them spoke a Persian language.

Association between the polymorphism of HLA and ESRD in Dalian Han population located in north of China

BACKGROUND

End-stage renal disease (ESRD), the last stage of chronic renal failure, is a global health problem. The number of ESRD patients worldwide is increasing faster than the number of kidneys available per year for renal transplantation. Most of the ESRD patients are awaiting renal transplantation. The immune response to the transplanted kidney is directed mainly against mismatched human leukocyte antigen (HLA) glycoproteins expressed on donor tissues. Thus, the analysis of HLA allele and haplotype polymorphisms is valuable not only for identifying ESRD susceptibility factors but also to improve graft survival.

METHODS

In this study, 163 Han ESRD patients were recruited to participate. The blood samples were genotyped by sequence-specific oligonucleotide method. A group of 14,529 healthy Chinese Han individuals registered at the Dalian Blood Center as bone marrow donors, living in the same region and of the same ethnicity, were used as controls.

RESULTS

We found that only one allele, HLA-DRB1*12, showed a positive association with ESRD (p = 0.004, p_c = 0.028, odds ratio = 1.530, 95% confidence interval = 1.147-2.041); A*02-B*40-DRB1*09, A*02-B*40-DRB1*12, A*24-B*15-DRB1*12, and B*40-DRB1*12 were significantly more frequent in ESRD patients after Bonferroni correction (p_c < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

They were potentially valuable predictors for evaluating the risk of ESRD in the Dalian Han population.

Genetic HLA Study of Kurds in Iraq, Iran and Tbilisi (Caucasus, Georgia): Relatedness and Medical Implications

Kurds from Iraq (Dohuk and Erbil Area, North Iraq) have been analyzed for HLA genes. Their HLA genetic profile has been compared with that of other Kurd groups from Iran and Tbilisi (Georgia, Caucasus) and also Worldwide populations. A total of 7,746 HLA chromosomes have been used. Genetic distances, NJ dendrograms and correspondence analyses have been carried out. Haplotype HLA-B*52—DRB1*15 is present in all three analyzed Kurd populations. HLA-A*02-B*51-DRB1*11 is present in Iraq and Georgia Kurds. Haplotypes common to Iran and Iraq Kurds are HLA DRB1*11—DQB1*03, HLA DRB1*03—DQB1*02 and others in a lower frequency. Our HLA study conclusions are that Kurds most probably belong to an ancient Mediterranean / Middle East / Caucasian genetic substratum and that present results and those previously obtained by us in Kurds may be useful for Medicine in future Kurd transplantation programs, HLA Epidemiology (HLA linked diseases) and Pharmacogenomics (HLA-associated drug side effects) and also for Anthropology. It is discussed that one of the most ancient Kurd ancestor groups is in Hurrians (2,000 years BC).