Genetic Analysis on Frequency of Alleles for Rh and ABO Blood Group Systems in the Barak Valley Populations of Assam

Abstract

The genetic study was carried out on a sample of 1400 individuals in the Barak Valley Zone of Assam in India to estimate the gene frequency and the expected genotype frequency for Rh and ABO blood group systems in Hindu and Muslim populations separately. The Rh +ve blood group outnumbered Rh –ve blood group in Hindus (97 and 3%) and Muslims (98 and 2%). The frequencies of A (Rh +ve) and a (Rh –ve) alleles were 0.83 and 0.17 in Hindus and 0.86 and 0.14 in Muslims. For both of the populations, ‘O’ blood group was the highest followed by B, A and AB. Both A and B blood groups occurred in almost equal proportions in these two populations. The frequencies of IA, IB and i alleles were almost same for Hindus (0.19, 0.21 and 0.60) and Muslims (0.18, 0.19 and 0.63). The estimates of chi-square tests for gene frequency and genotype frequency of Rh and ABO blood group systems showed non-significant differences between the two populations. This suggested that the Hindus and the Muslims might be genetically the same, despite cultural, religious and socio-economic differences. Similar magnitudes of existing gene and genotype frequencies of Rh and ABO blood group systems of Hindus and Muslims suggested that both the populations of Barak Valley might have diversified from the same common ancestors in the recent past augmented by socioeconomic, religious and cultural factors over time.