Distribution of hereditary blood groups among Indians in South America. I. In Ecuador

Blood specimens were procured from 658 Quechua, 36 Colorado, 233 Jivaro, 244 Cayapa, and 48 Secoya Indians of Ecuador. These were examined for antigens in the A-B-O, M-N-S-s, P, Rh-Hr, Lutheran, K-k, Lewis, Duffy and Kidd systems and for Diego (Di^a), Wright (Wr^a), and Berrens (Be^a) agglutinogens as well. Hemolystes were prepared and studied for hemoglobin types and the serum samples were tested for haptoglobins and transfserrins. Gene frequencies are high for O, M, s, R¹, (CDe), R² (cDE), Lu^b, k, Kp^b, Le^b and Fy^a; and low or absent for A, B, N, S, Mi^a, Vw, Mt^a, R⁰ (cDe), V (ce^s), Lu^a, K, Kp^a, Le^a, Fy^b, Js^a, Wr^a and Be^a. The Diego (Di^a) gene is present but its frequency varies greatly from tribe to tribe. Gene frequency Hp¹ is well within the range previously reported for Indians in Middle America excepting the Colorado in which population the frequency of 0.889 is unusually high. All 723 serum specimens tested for transferrins were C or CD. No D or BC types were found. All Ecuadorian Indian bloods tested electrophoretically contained only hemoglobin (A) as a major component.