HLA antigen frequencies in an Irish population.

Two-hundred-and-fifty-three unrelated Irish adults were typed for 24 alleles at the HLA--A and B loci. A high frequency of HLA--B8 (34.8%) was observed compared with results published for other populations. Results of other gene frequencies, haplotype frequencies and linkage disequilibrium values were similar to those of Caucasian population studies. Close similarity of HLA polymorphism distribution was seen in relation to another relatively homogeneous Celtic population from the islands of the Outer Hebrides, off the coast of Scotland.