HLA polymorphism in Israel. 3. Ashkenazi Jews of German descent.

Seventy-three random Jewish individuals whose families have lived in Germany for at least 4-5 generations, were typed for HLA antigens at the A and B loci. In comparison with other European populations, the frequencies of B7 and B12 are low whereas Bw35 is almost twice as frequent (21%). Among the uncommon associations found in the German Jews were: (A2, Bw21), (Aw25, B18), (A29, B14), (A28, Bw15). The frequent haplotype (Aw24, Bw35) was previously found, but only in Asia and in American Indians. Subdivisions of the subjects according to geographic regions within Germany point to differences in gene frequency between the groups.