A comparison of Fulani and Nadar HLA.

Here recent studies of Nadar and Fulani HLA-A and HLA-B were compared to determine if these populations were related. The analysis revealed that the Nadar and Fulani populations share a number of unique alleles including A*101, A*0211, A*03011, A*3303, B*3501, B*3701, and B*51011. The study suggests a former residence of these diverse populations in same geographical area.

The crown angulations and inclinations in Dravidian population with normal occlusion.

Background: There has always been a constant search for the definition of idealistic and realistic orthodontic treatment goals for different ethnic groups around the world. This study was hence devised to study the mesio-distal angulations and labio-lingual inclinations of the clinical crowns in Dravidian population with pleasing profiles and non-orthodontic normal occlusion. Materials and Methods: Forty dental casts from a Dravidian sample (21.5 years) with Class I canine and molar relation; normal maxillo-mandibular relationship; well-aligned arches; with no dental anomaly, restorations or attrition; no history of previous orthodontic treatment, and exhibiting normal growth were studied. A custom-made tip-torque device was used to measure the crown angulations and inclinations. The arithmetic mean and standard deviations for each tooth type were compared with those of Andrew's Caucasian norms using Student's 't' test. Results: The study group exhibited statistically significant decrease in crown angulation (mesial tip) and increased labial crown torque in both upper and lower anteriors. The lower anteriors exhibited distal crown tip while the posteriors were significantly tipped more mesially. All the posteriors demonstrated increased lingual crown torque. Conclusion: Tip and torque modifications are suggested for the fine finishing and easy retention of occlusion in Dravidians while using straight wire appliance.

HLA-A allele frequency and haplotype distribution in the dravidian tribal communities of south India.

Background: The tribal communities of South India are considered to be the original inhabitants of the Indian sub-continent, belonging to the most primitive Dravidian speaking communities. These Dravidian speaking forest dwelling tribal populations have remained isolated from any intermingling with other non-tribal communities. Aims and Objectives: We propose to understand the evolutionary processes mediated by molecular, functional and immunological information based on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genetic system. Material and Methods: The HLA-A diversity was analyzed in seven Dravidian tribal populations namely Malapandaram, Paniya, Kurichiya, Kanikkar, Adiya, Kattunaikka and Kuruma of Kerala, South India using the PCR-SSP method. The tribal communities were compared with a group comprising of random non-tribal Dravidian samples of southern India. Results: In the present study, 11 HLA-A alleles were identified in the South Indian population. The most frequent alleles included HLA-A*24, A*02, A*33 and *A11. HLA-A*24 had the highest frequency in all the tribal groups while, A*02 was the highest frequency allele in the RND group. The haplotype Cw*14-A*24 was present in all the populations. The three-locus haplotype B*52-Cw*14-A*24 was observed in all the populations except Kurichiya and Kanikkar. Conclusion: The study suggests that the RND population is highly diverse and more likely to have an admixed origin.