Methods: A cross-sectional study was used. Totally, 427 samples of dissimilar Thai-Muslim healthy blood donors living in three southern border provinces were selected via simple random sampling (aged 17-65 years old) and donors found to be positive for infectious markers were excluded. All samples were analysed for JK*A and JK*B alleles using PCR-SSP. The Pearson's chi-squared and Fisher exact tests were used to compare the JK frequencies among southern Thai-Muslim with those among other populations previously reported.

Results: A total of 427 donors-315 males and 112 females, with a median age of 29 years (interquartile range: 18 years)-were analysed. A JK*A/JK*B genotype was the most common, and the JK*A and JK*B allele frequencies among the southern Thai-Muslims were 55.2% and 44.8%, respectively. Their frequencies significantly differed from those of the central Thai, Korean, Japanese, Brazilian-Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Africans and American Natives populations (P < 0.05). Predicted JK phenotypes were compared with different groups of Malaysians. The Jk(a+b+) phenotype frequency among southern Thai-Muslims was significantly higher than that of Malaysian Malays and Indians (P < 0.05).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 2451 blood samples from unrelated healthy Thai blood donors obtained from central, northern, and southern Thailand. DNA sequencing was used to determine the CO*A and CO*B alleles. In-house PCR with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) and high-resolution melting curve (HRM) assays were performed and genotyping results were compared using DNA sequencing. CO*A and CO*B allele frequencies among Thais were determined using PCR-SSP and their frequencies were compared with other populations. The risks of Coa and Cob transfusion-induced alloimmunization among Thai donor populations were calculated.

RESULTS: The validated genotyping results by PCR-SSP and HRM assays agreed with DNA sequencing. The CO*A/CO*A was the most common (100.0, 100.0, and 99.3%), followed by CO*A/CO*B (0.0, 0.0, and 0.7%) among central, northern and southern Thais. Homozygous CO*B/CO*B was not found. The CO*A and CO*B allele frequencies among central Thais significantly differed compared among southern Thais (p < 0.01) but not among northern Thais. Those allele frequencies among Thais were similar to those of Taiwanese, Chinese and Malay-Malaysian populations but not to South Asian, Southeast Asian, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, French Basque, and Maltese populations (p < 0.01). A higher risk of anti-Cob production rather than anti-Coa production was particularly noted in the southern Thai population.