Haptoglobin 1F allele frequency is high among indigenous populations in the state of Durango, Mexico.
We studied haptoglobin polymorphism in Mexican populations with high Indian ancestry living in isolated and urban areas in the state of Durango. Analysis with respect to the HP*1F and HP*1S allelic subtypes by isoelectric focusing showed unusually high HP*1F allele frequencies among urban (0.370) and isolated Mexican Indians (0.383). Comparison with other population studies demonstrated a geographical cline of the HP*1F allele increasing in the same direction of the HP*1 allele, while HP*1S frequency does not show racial differences.