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Consanguinity and genetic diseases in North Africa and immigrants to Europe.

Anwar, Wagida A ; Khyatti, Meriem and Hemminki, Kari LU (2014) In European Journal of Public Health 24 Suppl 1. p.57-63
Abstract
Endemic diseases are caused by environmental and genetic factors. While in this special issue several chapters deal with environmental factors, including infections, the present focus is on genetic causes of disease clustering due to inbreeding and recessive disease mechanisms. Consanguinity is implying sharing of genetic heritage because of marriage between close relatives originating from a common ancestor. With limited natural selection, recessive genes may become more frequent in an inbred compared with an outbred population. Consanguinity is common in North Africa (NA), and the estimates range from 40 to 49% of all marriages in Tunisia and 29-33% in Morocco. As a consequence, recessive disorders are common in the NA region, and we... (More)
Endemic diseases are caused by environmental and genetic factors. While in this special issue several chapters deal with environmental factors, including infections, the present focus is on genetic causes of disease clustering due to inbreeding and recessive disease mechanisms. Consanguinity is implying sharing of genetic heritage because of marriage between close relatives originating from a common ancestor. With limited natural selection, recessive genes may become more frequent in an inbred compared with an outbred population. Consanguinity is common in North Africa (NA), and the estimates range from 40 to 49% of all marriages in Tunisia and 29-33% in Morocco. As a consequence, recessive disorders are common in the NA region, and we give some examples. Thalassaemia and sickle cell disease/anaemia constitute the most common inherited recessive disorders globally and they are common in NA, but with immigration they have spread to Europe and to other parts of the world. Another example is familial Mediterranean fever, which is common in the Eastern Mediterranean area. With immigrantion from that area to Sweden, it has become the most common hereditary autoinflammatory disease in that country, and there is no evidence that any native Swede would have been diagnosed with this disease. The examples discussed in this chapter show that the historic movement of populations and current immigration are influencing the concept of 'endemic' disease. (Less)
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
European Journal of Public Health
volume
24 Suppl 1
pages
57 - 63
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:25107999
  • scopus:84906239806
  • pmid:25107999
  • wos:000362969300009
ISSN
1101-1262
DOI
10.1093/eurpub/cku104
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
47695b79-6d28-4c29-a6bb-88d91bd4d33c (old id 4615083)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25107999?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 07:20:07
date last changed
2022-03-07 20:14:05
@article{47695b79-6d28-4c29-a6bb-88d91bd4d33c,
  abstract     = {{Endemic diseases are caused by environmental and genetic factors. While in this special issue several chapters deal with environmental factors, including infections, the present focus is on genetic causes of disease clustering due to inbreeding and recessive disease mechanisms. Consanguinity is implying sharing of genetic heritage because of marriage between close relatives originating from a common ancestor. With limited natural selection, recessive genes may become more frequent in an inbred compared with an outbred population. Consanguinity is common in North Africa (NA), and the estimates range from 40 to 49% of all marriages in Tunisia and 29-33% in Morocco. As a consequence, recessive disorders are common in the NA region, and we give some examples. Thalassaemia and sickle cell disease/anaemia constitute the most common inherited recessive disorders globally and they are common in NA, but with immigration they have spread to Europe and to other parts of the world. Another example is familial Mediterranean fever, which is common in the Eastern Mediterranean area. With immigrantion from that area to Sweden, it has become the most common hereditary autoinflammatory disease in that country, and there is no evidence that any native Swede would have been diagnosed with this disease. The examples discussed in this chapter show that the historic movement of populations and current immigration are influencing the concept of 'endemic' disease.}},
  author       = {{Anwar, Wagida A and Khyatti, Meriem and Hemminki, Kari}},
  issn         = {{1101-1262}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{57--63}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Public Health}},
  title        = {{Consanguinity and genetic diseases in North Africa and immigrants to Europe.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cku104}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/eurpub/cku104}},
  volume       = {{24 Suppl 1}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}