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Abstract
Background: The genetic differentiation of Bahrain natives is unclear because of the absence of adequate genetic studies.
Aim: Eight Alu insertion polymorphisms have been analysed in Bahrainis and southern Iranians to examine the origins of Bahrainis and to determine their genetic position among wider Middle East populations.
Subjects and methods: Two representative samples of 97 Bahrainis and 65 southern Iranians have been determined. Genetic relationships among populations have been estimated by a principal component plot based on the R-matrix software. Mantel tests have been used to check the statistical significance of correlation between genetic and geographic distances.
Results: The results show that Bahrainis are in an intermediate genetic position between Emirians and Southern Iranians. Although a general significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances was found between the 16 populations included in the analysis, a lack of this correlation may occur in some particular situations such as the case of populations from southern Iran, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, separated by the Persian Gulf.
Conclusion: The results support the idea that Bahrainis ancestors were mainly emigrants from Arabia and Iran. In addition the results show that the Iranian component may reach 69.2% of the current genetic pool of Bahrainis.