Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (12)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ober, C
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ober, C
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction Update, Vol.5, No.2 pp.103-107, 1999
© European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology 1999; all rights reserved

Studies of HLA, fertility and mate choice in a human isolate

C Ober

Departments of Human Genetics and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, 924 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60615, USA

Abstract

The role of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes in pregnancy and in human mate choice has been investigated in the Hutterites, an inbred population of European origins. High-resolution HLA haplotypes were defined by alleles at 16 loci in >1000 Hutterites. Prospective studies of pregnancy outcome previously demonstrated increased fetal loss rates among Hutterite couples matching for HLA-B antigens (P = 0.033) or for the entire 16-locus haplotype (P = 0.002). Among living children of couples matching for HLA-B or the haplotype, there was a non-significant deficit of children who were heterozygous and compatible with the mother; the number of living children who were compatible and homozygous or incompatible and heterozygous was not different than expectations (HLA-B, P = 0.095; haplotype, P = 0.376). Mate choice among 411 couples was non-random with respect to the HLA haplotype, assessed by a variety of methods (P = 0.020 to <0.001). These combined data indicate a role for HLA region genes in both pregnancy outcome and mate choice, and suggest that selection acting on these genes occurs pre-conceptually as well as during pregnancy. This review outlines previously published studies on HLA, fertility and mate choice in the Hutterites.

Keywords: fertility/HLA/human inbred population/mate choice


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.