Publications by authors named "Charfeddine C"

Article Synopsis
  • The Genome Tunisia Project is a two-phase initiative (2022-2035) aimed at sequencing the Tunisian Genome and advancing personalized medicine in Tunisia, a diverse North African country affected by human migration patterns from various continents.
  • A multidisciplinary team of Tunisian experts is focused on addressing key priorities, such as determining the reference genome sequence, enhancing education and awareness, and improving infrastructure for personalized medicine integration.
  • The project involves collaboration among various stakeholders, including healthcare providers and policymakers, and aims to boost research and innovation in genomics while improving healthcare practices in the region.
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  • Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) is a rare skin condition primarily characterized by skin scaling and hair abnormalities, which are often overlooked regarding their impact on patients' quality of life.
  • This study involved clinical and trichoscopic examinations of 30 ARCI patients over three years, revealing that alopecia affects a significant number, with various patterns of hair loss documented among participants.
  • Notable trichoscopic findings included scaling and different hair types that correlate with the severity of ARCI, suggesting that hair health is a crucial component of this condition often underestimated in prior research.
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  • * A 14-year study analyzed over 700 patients with syndromic deafness (SD) in Tunisia, using advanced genetic sequencing techniques to identify various genetic conditions, including Usher syndrome and H syndrome.
  • * The research highlights challenges in distinguishing between non-syndromic and syndromic HI and reveals that nearly 50% of Tunisian SD cases relate to rare inherited metabolic disorders, providing valuable insights for improving molecular diagnoses in Tunisia and North Africa.
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Recent advances in sequencing technologies have significantly increased our capability to acquire large amounts of genetic data. However, the clinical relevance of the generated data continues to be challenging particularly with the identification of Variants of Uncertain Significance (VUSs) whose pathogenicity remains unclear. In the current report, we aim to evaluate the clinical relevance and the pathogenicity of VUSs in DNA repair genes among Tunisian breast cancer families.

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Genetic diseases in Tunisia are a real public health problem given their chronicity and the lack of knowledge concerning their prevalence and etiology, and the high rates of consanguinity. Hence, we performed systematic reviews of the literature in order to provide a more recent spectrum of these disorders and to expose the challenges that still exist to tackle these kinds of diseases. A manual textual data mining was conducted using MeSH and PubMed databases.

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  • Erythrokeratodermia variabilis (EKV) is a rare skin disorder linked to mutations in the GJB3 and GJB4 genes but can also occur due to other genetic mutations as seen in a consanguineous Tunisian family.
  • Whole-exome sequencing identified a new homozygous mutation in the NIPAL4 gene in two sisters, suggesting it plays a critical role in this specific EKV phenotype.
  • The younger sister displayed signs of Autosomal Recessive Congenital Ichthyosis, highlighting the variability of symptoms in EKV and reinforcing the importance of studying the NIPAL4 gene's impact on skin barrier function.
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Alpha-Mannosidosis (AM) is an ultra-rare storage disorder caused by a deficiency of lysosomal alpha-mannosidase encoded by the MAN2B1 gene. Clinical presentation of AM includes mental retardation, recurrent infections, hearing loss, dysmorphic features, and motor dysfunctions. AM has never been reported in Tunisia.

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Computational approaches have been developed to prioritize candidate genes in disease gene identification. They are based on different pieces of evidences associating each gene with the given disease. In this study, 648 genes underlying genodermatoses have been compared to 1808 genes involved in other genetic diseases using a bioinformatic approach.

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Molecular diagnosis of rare inherited palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK) is still challenging. We investigated at the clinical and genetic level a consanguineous Tunisian family presenting an autosomal dominant atypical form of transgrediens and progrediens PPK to better characterize this ultrarare disease and to identify its molecular etiology. Whole-exome sequencing (WES), filtering strategies, and bioinformatics analysis have been achieved.

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Background: Punctate palmoplantar keratoderma type I (PPPK-BFB), also called Buschke-Fischer-Brauer disease (MIM 148600) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder of keratinization, characterized by multiple hyperkeratotic lesions on the palms and soles. Recently, PPPK-BFB has been shown to be associated with mutations in the AAGAB gene in several families of European, African, Canadian and Asian origins.

Objective: To characterize the clinical and genetic features of PPPK-BFB in a broad group of Tunisian patients.

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Genetic diseases in the Tunisian population represent a real problem of public health as their spectrum encompasses more than 400 disorders. Their frequency and distribution in the country have been influenced by demographic, economic and social features especially consanguinity. In this article, we report on genetic disease association referred to as comorbidity and discuss factors influencing their expressivity.

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Mal de Meleda (MDM) is a rare, autosomal recessive form of palmoplantar keratoderma. It is characterized by erythema and hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles that progressively extend to the dorsal surface of the hands and feet. It is caused by mutations in SLURP-1 gene encoding for secreted mammalian Ly-6/uPAR-related protein 1 (SLURP-1).

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Tyrosinemia type II, also designated as oculocutaneous tyrosinemia or Richner-Hanhart syndrome (RHS), is a very rare autosomal recessive disorder. In the present study, we report clinical features and molecular genetic investigation of the tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) gene in two young patients, both born to consanguineous unions between first-degree cousins. These two unrelated families originated from Northern and Southern Tunisia.

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Background: Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is an autosomal-dominant heart disease characterized by an accessory pathway that arises from an aberrant conduction from the atria to the ventricles. Several mutations within the PRKAG2 gene were shown to be responsible for WPW. This gene encodes the γ2 regulatory subunit of adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase, which functions as a metabolic sensor in cells, responding to cellular energy demands.

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Summary Background: Most of the published reports on Hailey-Hailey disease (HHD) come from European and Asian countries. We report here the clinical and genetic investigation of 20 patients affected with HHD in Tunisia.

Methods: Affected individuals from three large teaching hospitals in Tunis were recruited for the study over a 25-year period.

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Introduction: Mal de Meleda is a rare form of palmoplantar keratoderma, with autosomal recessive transmission. It is characterized by diffuse erythema and hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles. Recently, mutations in the ARS (component B) gene (ARS, MIM: 606119) on chromosome 8q24.

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Objective: To study the mutation spectrum and phenotype-genotype correlation of Darier disease (DD) in Tunisian patients.

Design: Case series.

Setting: Referral center: Department of Dermatology (La Rabta Hospital), Tunis, Tunisia.

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Darier's disease (DD, MIM 124200) also known as Darier-White disease and keratosis follicularis, is a rare autosomal dominant skin disorder characterized by warty papules and plaques in the seborrheic area (central trunk, flexures, scalp, and forehead). Pathogenic mutations in the ATP2A2 gene encoding the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase (SERCA) 2 gene underlie the disease. In the present study, we performed genetic investigation of three unrelated Tunisian families affected by DD.

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Background: Darier's disease (OMIM 124200) is an autosomal-dominant skin disorder characterized by warty papules and plaques in seborreheic areas, palmo-plantar pits and distinctive nail abnormalities. The disease has complete penetrance in adults and variable expressivity. It is caused by mutations in the ATP2A2 gene, which encodes the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase type 2 isoform (SERCA2).

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Supernumerary nipples (SNs) or polythelia are developmental abnormalities of breast tissue. They are located along the embryonic mammary lines. Polythelia usually occurs as a sporadic abnormality, although familial aggregation has been occasionally reported.

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Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) is a rare genodermatosis caused by mutations in the type VII collagen gene COL7A1. Clinical diagnosis of DEB should be confirmed by histopathological and electron microscopy analysis, which is not always accessible. We report here a genetic investigation of DEB consanguineous families in Tunisia.

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