Concerning the Genetics of the Human Haptoglobins 126 Norwegian Families with 428 Children

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Abstract
Norwegian material consisting of 126 families with 428 children, and 5811 unrelated individuals, including the parents in the family material tested for the haptoglobin system, is presented and analysed together with data from other workers. Further support was found for the assumption of monomeric penetrant inheritance of the haptoglobin types, as determined by a pair of allelomorphs Hp1 and Hp2. The gene frequencies in Norway were found to be 0.376 and 0.624 for Hp1 and Hp2, respectively. A slight deviation from the expected proportions of children was observed. It is, however, only suggestive statistically, and even if real it might be due to limitations of technique rather than to biological causation. The frequency of aberrant Hp-types, i.e. those that are not classifiable into any of the three ordinary classes of phenotypes Hp 1-1, Hp 2-1 and Hp 2-2, was estimated to be 0.26% with 95% confidence limits. The usefulness of the Hp-system in various respects is discussed. Finally, the gene frequencies in various European countries are compared.