CTGA: the database for genetic disorders in Arab populations

Abstract

The Arabs comprise a genetically heterogeneous group that resulted from the admixture of different populations throughout history. They share many common characteristics responsible for a considerable proportion of perinatal and neonatal mortalities. To this end, the Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS) launched a pilot project to construct the ‘Catalogue of Transmission Genetics in Arabs’ (CTGA) database for genetic disorders in Arabs. Information in CTGA is drawn from published research and mined hospital records. The database offers web-based basic and advanced search approaches. In either case, the final search result is a detailed HTML record that includes text-, URL- and graphic-based fields. At present, CTGA hosts entries for 692 phenotypes and 235 related genes described in Arab individuals. Of these, 213 phenotypic descriptions and 22 related genes were observed in the Arab population of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These results emphasize the role of CTGA as an essential tool to promote scientific research on genetic disorders in the region. The priority of CTGA is to provide timely information on the occurrence of genetic disorders in Arab individuals. It is anticipated that data from Arab countries other than the UAE will be exhaustively searched and incorporated in CTGA ().

Consanguinity, endogamy, and genetic disorders in Tunisia

“…In fact, our findings reveal an increased risk of nearly six times for developing a recessive disorder. This result is consistent with a prior publication on genetic disorders in the Arab world which reported that consanguineous marriage increases the incidence of autosomal recessive disorders by five to ten times at the population level (Tadmouri et al 2006). In Tunisia, few studies have focused on inbreeding and its genetic consequences.…”

“…Likewise, a previous study conducted on a cohort of 100 Egyptian patients suffering from various recessive autosomal conditions reported that the frequency of consanguinity among parents of patients was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than that reported for the general Egyptian population (Mokhtar et al 1998). A previous report on genetic disorders in Arab countries shows that the majority of genetic conditions reported over the last decades among Arab populations are recessively inherited (Tadmouri et al 2006). This finding was recently confirmed by a study that aimed at assessing the burden of these inherited disorders on the Tunisian population.…”

“…Indeed, many apparently nonconsanguineous unions may possibly share a common ancestor as a result of non-recorded consanguinity. This fact is particularly observed in several Middle Eastern and North African populations like Tunisia which include a multitude of small endogamous communities where, after several generations, the genetic kinship of related mutation carriers become unrecognizable (Tadmouri et al 2006). This makes detection and prevention of the potential deleterious effects of inbreeding more difficult given that couples who do not know their relatedness are less aware of the importance of premarital counseling and prenatal diagnosis given the information on family history, suggesting a genetic basis of their predisposition to recessive disease state is missing.…”

Strategies to Decrease the Incidence of Genetic Disorders in Arab Countries

“…[1][2][3] The incidence of genetic diseases is higher than in the developed world. As a matter of fact, several new genetic diseases were identified in Arabs.…”

The Moroccan Genetic Disease Database (MGDD): a database for DNA variations related to inherited disorders and disease susceptibility

“…The HGVS website displays two mutation databases dedicated to the Arab population, including the Catalogue of Transmission Genetics in Arabs (CTGA) Database, constructed by the Centre for Arab Genomic Studies, and The Lebanese National Mutation Frequency Database. 6,7 Morocco is located at the northwest of Africa with a land area of 710.850 km 2 . It is bordered in the north by the Mediterranean Sea, to the south by Mauritania, to the east by Algeria and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean.…”