Distribution of HLA antigens in Kotas and Badagas of the Nilgiri Hills, South India.

Blood samples from 103 Kotas and 58 Badagas residing in the Nilgiri Hills, South India, were examined for HLA-A and -B antigen profiles. The Kota group was characterized by fairly high frequencies of A2 and B7 antigens as well as the haplotype A2-B7. The frequencies of Aw19, A28, and Bw22 were found to be higher in Badagas than in Kotas. The results are compared with the literature available on other Indian populations.