Distribution of killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) in Comoros and Southeast France

Killer‐cell immunoglobulin‐like receptors (KIRs) expressed by natural killer cells are cell surface molecules able to recognize groups of HLA class I alleles. The number and distribution of KIR genes vary among individuals and populations. The aim of this study is to analyse the KIR gene content in a Comorian population in order to investigate genetic relationships with other populations and to reconstruct past migration events. The Comorian population consisted of 54 unrelated immigrants living in France and a control population consisted of 38 individuals from Southeast France. We investigated the presence or absence of 15 KIR genes, two pseudogenes expressed and non‐expressed forms of KIR2DL5 and the two major subtype full‐length and deleted forms of KIR2DS4. All individuals were typed positive for the framework genes, i.e. KIR2DL4, KIR3DL2 and KIR3DL3, and the two pseudogenes KIR3DP1 and KIR2DP1. The frequencies of full‐length KIR2DS4 (*00101/00102/002) were lower in the French population (F = 29%) than in the Comorian population (F = 72%) (Pc