Why are the Sami of Lapland important in Rh- studies?

Anthropologists have been studying the Sámi people for hundreds of years for their assumed physical and cultural differences from the rest of the Europeans. Recent genetic studies have indicated that the two most frequent maternal lineages of the Sámi people are the haplogroups V (Neolithic in Europe and not found in Finland 1500 years ago) and U5b (ancient in Europe).

The mystery of Haplogroup V (mtDNA)

Y-chromosome haplogroup N-VL29 makes up 20%, came from Siberia 3500 years ago. Y-chromosome N-Z1936 makes up similarly about 20%, and likely came from Siberia with the Sámi language, but slightly later than N-VL29. This tallies with archeological evidence suggesting that several different cultural groups made their way to the core area of Sámi from 8000 to 6000 BC, presumably including some of the ancestors of present-day Sámi.

Who are the Saami people of Lappland?

Haplogroup V is a relatively rare mtDNA haplogroup, occurring in around 4% of native Europeans. Its highest concentration is among the Saami people of northern Fennoscandia (~59%). It has been found at a frequency of approximately 10% among the Maris of the Volga-Ural region, leading to the suggestion that this region might be the source of the V among the Saami.

Where in the world does the Rh negative blood factor come from?

Haplogroup V has been observed at higher than average levels among Cantabrian people (15%) of northern Iberia, and among the adjacent Basque (10.4%).

Blood groups of the Cantabrian and Asturian populations (Spain)

Haplogroup V is also found in parts of Northwest Africa. It is mainly concentrated among the Tuareg inhabiting the Gorom-Gorom area in Burkina Faso (21%), Sahrawi in the Western Sahara (17.9%), and Berbers of Matmata, Tunisia (16.3%). The rare V7a subclade occurs among Algerians in Oran (1.08%) and Reguibate Sahrawi (1.85%).

Who were the original Berbers?

Human leukocyte antigen B27 is a class I surface molecule encoded by the B locus in the major histocompatibility complex on chromosome 6 and presents antigenic peptides to T cells.

The Sami (or Saami)

The prevalence of HLA-B27 varies markedly in the global population. For example, about 8% of Caucasians, 4% of North Africans, 2–9% of Chinese, and 0.1–0.5% of persons of Japanese descent possess the gene that codes for this antigen. Among the Sami in Northern Scandinavia (Sápmi), 24% of people are HLA-B27 positive, while 1.8% have associated ankylosing spondylitis, compared to 14-16% of Northern Scandinavians in general. In Finland, an estimated 14% of the population is positive for HLA-B27, while over 95% of patients with ankylosing spondylitis and approximately 70–80% of patients with Reiter’s disease or reactive arthritis have the genetic marker.

Lower rates of HIV infection among RhD- individuals

Around 1 in 500 people infected with HIV are able to remain symptom-free for many years without medication, a group known as long-term nonprogressors. The presence of HLA-B27, as well as HLA-B5701, is significantly common among this group.

The Sea Peoples

To be continued…