Abstract
In this study, a sample of 126 Kuwaiti was analysed using 12 Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms. A total of 101 different haplotypes were identified, among which 87 were individual specific. The high haplotype diversity (0.994) supports the usefulness of Y-STR markers in Kuwaiti population diversity investigation. Our results suggest a close genetic relationship between Kuwait and other populations of the Arabian Peninsula, and an even more pronounced similarity of Kuwaiti populations and Yemenis and Saudi Arabians.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to all donors for providing their blood. We thank Mrs Fatma Moalla for her help with the English proofreading.
Declaration of interest: This study was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technology, Tunisia and the Kuwait University Research Administration. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.