INDIANS are a peculiar lot. They havethree 'unique' genes which are not present in any other race across the world.These genes, belonging to the groupDR2, put them at a high risk of contracting diseases like tuberculosis and leprosy. The DR2 group has 11 sub-types ofgenes. The three genes have been isolated by a group of scientists from theNew Delhi-based All India Institute ofMedical Sciences (AIIMS) and UniversityHospital, Leiden in The Netherlands.
The findings, published in a journalon genetic research, Tissue Antigens,are likely to have an important effecton donor selection during organ andbone marrow transplantation. They arebased on a study conducted on 192Indian families from the states ofPunjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh andDelhi. According to N K Mehra, an AIIMSscientist and a member of the research team, "These genes have neither beenfound in the western world noramongst the Japanese or the Chinese."The study was initiated as Indianpatients suffering from leukaemia, ablood disorder, failed to obtain donorsfrom the registry maintained for donorsall over the world.