Haptoglobin phenotypes among Egyptians.

Serum haptoglobins have been found to be useful genetic markers. The distribution of the different haptoglobin genes was found to vary in different parts of the world (Giblett, I96I). Thus Orientals and Eskimos were found to have a high incidence of the gene Hp2 and Negroes a high incidence of Hp'. Caucasians in continental Europe, Australia, and the United States have revealed an intermediate distribution of these 2 genes as have also the Australian aborigines. In studying American Indian populations both Blumberg, Allison, and Garry (1959) and Sutton, Matson, Robinson, and Koucky (I960) pointed out an increasing gene frequency of Hp' as one goes south. The present study aims primarily at describing the distribution of haptoglobin phenotypes among Egyptians, which has not been done before. Some observations on haptoglobin patterns in certain hereditary disease states are also included.