41
capacity. No correlation was seen, The cxplana-
tion for the higher B,, levels is not apparent at this
time.
Studies of Genetically Inherited Traits
Blood Groups.
The laboratory analysis of
blood groups was conducted by Dr. L.N. Sussman
and colleagues and reported as follows. Theresults
of the 1958 and 1959 studies were combined,
making a total of 310 individual bloods. Care was
taken to avoid duplication. The results of this
broader sampling, compared to findings of Simmons etal. for the same area” and for the Polynesians”® are presented in Tables 27, 28, and 29.
Data on all individuals tested are given in Appendix 6. The findings may be summarized as
follows.
1. ABO system. The high frequencyof the B gene
is again demonstrated, in contrast to the absence
of B genes in the Polynesians. The absence of A,
gene in this area has been noted repeatedly.*° In
the presentseries a single individual of group A,B
was confirmed. The x? valuein this system is 5.18
(#=0.15). The excess of AB persons (expected 8,
observed 14) contributes the major part of the x?
deviation.
2. MNsystem. The extremely lowfrequency of M
gene has been noted in manystudies of this population and area,in contrast to its high frequency
in Polynesians. The x? value in this system is 23.7
(~=0.001), whichis statistically invalid. The error
hes in the finding of 25 M persons whereas only
11.6 could be expected. Thus it appears that the
N gene in the heterozygote escapes detection.If
to the Amerindians; Mongolians, and Eskimos,”
among whom some Diego positive people are
found.
The following blood group characteristics of 310
Marshallese represent significant differences from
those of their eastern neighbors (Polynesians) and
suggest a relationship with Southeast Asians and
Indonesians.
1. A relatively high B gene frequency.
2. A high N gene frequency.
3. Extremely high R’ gene frequency.
4. Total absence of Kell and Diegofactors.
Haptoglobins and Transferrins. The distribution of the haptoglobin types in the 176 Rongelapese tested is shown in Table 30. Data onall individuals tested may be found in Appendix 6. This
sample included some families with two or more
offs pring; in these, all siblings but one were removed by random selection to give a sample of
124 individuals in which the families included, at
most, parents and one child. The distribution of
the haptoglobin types in this group did not differ
significantly from thatin the tota] group. In each
case, agreement with the Hardy-Weinbergpredictions was good, suggesting that the population
was homogeneousfor this trait. Omitting the two
sera with no haptoglobins, the frequencyof the
Hp’ gene is 0.58 and of the Hp’ gene 0.42. The
frequency of the Hp’ gene is higher than in the
West European populationsso far tested.
Four Rongelapese had no detectable haptoglobin either in 1957 or 1959. In addition, in
manysera only very small amounts of haptoglobjn
this were corrected for, the result would be an
even greater frequencyof N gene.
3. Rh-Hr system. The marked frequencyof the R?
gene is again demonstrated, higher than reported
in any other study. The failure to demonstrate any
_ rh negative persons suggests that the probable
genotype of the heterozygous Rh, people is R’R’.
This ts further supported by the finding of two
persons of phenotype Rho. The x? value in this
system 1s 13.7. Again thestatistical value is diminished because 2 Rh, people were found whereas
0.26 were expected. It can be seen that a major
changein x’ value can be caused bya single individual of “unusual” grouping.
4. Other systems. The failure to find in this group
of 310 a single person with a Diego or Kell factor
is noteworthy. The Marshallese, Maoris,*’ and
Polynesians are similar in this respect, in contrast
Table 29
Rh-Hr Frequency Among Marshallese and Polynesians
Marshallese
Present
report
Phenotype percent
Rh,Rh,
Rh,rh
Rh,Rh,
Rh,
Rh,
Genefrequency
R'
R?
R°
90.9
4.2
3.9
0.3
0.6
0.950
.020
.030
Simmons
et al.?*
90.6
0.7
8.0
0.3
0.12
0.951
04
.006
Polynesian
Simmons
and Graydon’?®
19.6
0.7
50.0
29.7
0.449
343
.007
4")