Altruism as an Explanation for Human Consanguinity.

Background: Human inbreeding is a sociobiological puzzle. Despite widespread knowledge of its potential for genetic disorders, human consanguinity remains surprisingly common. The current reasons explaining its continued persistence in today's modern world have major shortcomings.

Consensus Statement by an Expert Panel on the Diagnosis and Management of Iron Deficiency Anemia in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) and ID anemia (IDA) are common in the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The unique genetic and lifestyle factors of the patient population in the region have necessitated the development of recommendations to help educate health-care professionals on appropriate diagnosis and management of ID/IDA.

Methods: A panel of regional experts, including gastroenterologists and hematologists with expertise in the treatment of IDA, was convened to develop regional practice recommendations for ID/IDA.

Breast cancer protection by genomic imprinting in close kin families.

Human inbreeding generally reduces breast cancer risk (BCR). When the parents are biologically related, their infants have a lower birth weight due to smaller body organs. The undersized breasts, because of fewer mammary stem cells, have a lower likelihood of malignant conversion.

Prevalence of neutropenia in children by nationality.

Background: A high prevalence of neutropenia has been reported in several ethnic groups amongst whom many healthy individuals with low neutrophil counts undergo unnecessary investigations. This study aims to ascertain the prevalence of neutropenia (NP) in a large cohort of children from North African, Middle Eastern, and Asian countries residing in the United Arab Emirates.

Methods: Neutrophil counts of 26,542 children (one day to six years of age) from 86 countries were analyzed.

KIN AND NON-KIN MARRIAGES AND FAMILY STRUCTURE IN A RICH TRIBAL SOCIETY.

Human consanguinity is often attributed to poverty, lack of education and social insecurity. Nevertheless, kin unions continue to be arranged in socioeconomically transformed societies. This study examined the structure of families and marriages in the rich tribal society of the United Arab Emirates, which has had a high gross domestic product for the last two generations and currently has one of the highest in the world.

Red cell parameters in infant and children from the Arabian Peninsula.

α+-Thalassemia trait and iron deficiency anemia are frequent causes of microcytosis and a common diagnostic challenge in Arabian children. In this study, their prevalences and effects on the red cell parameters were evaluated in 28,457 children aged one day to 6 years. α+-Thalassemia trait was considered to be present when mean cell volume (MCV) was <94 fL at birth and iron deficiency anemia when red cell distribution width (RDW) was >14.

Half of the Emirati population has abnormal red cell parameters: challenges for standards and screening guidelines.

In populations with high prevalences of iron deficiency and thalassemia trait, many apparently healthy individuals have abnormal erythroid parameters, which may cause diagnostic problems in clinical practice. We studied the prevalence and causes of red cell parameter values outside their reference ranges in 394 healthy individuals of Bedouin Arab origin, who had complete blood counts (CBCs), hemoglobin (Hb) analyses and serum ferritin tests done. Their mean age ± standard deviation (SD) was 24.

β-Thalassemia in Abu Dhabi: consanguinity and tribal stratification are major factors explaining the high prevalence of the disease.

Tribalism and consanguineous marriages are common in parts of the world with a high prevalence of the β-thalassemia (β-thal) mutations, and increase the risks of homozygosity for this and other recessive disorders. We explored the frequency of β-thal genes and β-thal carriers in 5672 subjects screened before marriage, of whom 2262 were couples. The mean coefficient of inbreeding (F) in the population was estimated from self-reported relationships to prospective spouses in 383 subjects.

Hemoglobin A2 Lowered by Iron Deficiency and α -Thalassemia: Should Screening Recommendation for β -Thalassemia Change?

Screening for β -thalassemia trait (BTT) relies on measuring hemoglobin (Hb) A2. Since multiple factors can affect HbA2 levels, the screening can become unreliable. In 1356 healthy Arabs enrolled into a federally funded premarital BTT screening program, the effects of iron deficiency (ID), α (+)-thalassemia trait, gender, smoking, and tribalism on HbA2 were studied.

Erythrocyte reference values in Emirati people with and without α+ thalassemia.

Background: Interpreting the erythroid lineage in populations with high frequency of α+ thalassemia allele is challenging due to the high prevalence of α+ thalassemia homozygotes. For such populations, separate reference values for normal and α+ thalassemia homozygotes are needed.

Methods: We studied the erythroid lineage in 1,079 citizens of United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Acute Thrombocytopenia, Leucopenia, and Multiorgan Dysfunction: The First Case of SFTS Bunyavirus outside China?

We report a 57-year-old man with acute thrombocytopenia, leucopenia, and multiorgan dysfunction. Patient was from North Korea and was temporarily working in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when he fell ill in March 2009. At the same time and unknown to us, many patients with similar clinical manifestations were admitted to hospitals in China.

Choice of kin in consanguineous marriages: effects of altruism and ecological factors.

Background: Despite being associated with multiple genetic problems, consanguineous marriages continue to remain extremely prevalent worldwide. Studying the variation of kin preferences in diverse inbred societies may provide some answers to this paradox.

Aim: To find the reasons for specific kin choice in different geographical areas of the world.

Prevalence, phenotype and inheritance of benign neutropenia in Arabs.

Background: Benign neutropenia, i.e., neutropenia not associated with an increased risk of infection, may result in serious medical consequences when a 'standard' definition of neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count (ANC) < 1.

Validation of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaires for Arabic-speaking Populations.

Information about quality of life in patients with cancer in Arab populations in 21 countries is inadequate. The objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) general quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and of the breast cancer-specific questionnaire (QLQ-BR23) in Arab breast cancer patients. The questionnaires were administered to 87 breast cancer patients 3 months after surgery.

Consanguineous marriages and endemic malaria: can inbreeding increase population fitness?

Background: The practice of consanguineous marriages is widespread in countries with endemic malaria. In these regions, consanguinity increases the prevalence of alpha+-thalassemia, which is protective against malaria. However, it also causes an excessive mortality amongst the offspring due to an increase in homozygosis of recessive lethal alleles.

Consanguinity affects selection of alpha-thalassemia genotypes and the size of populations under selection pressure from malaria.

Background: In populations with alpha(+)-thalassemia gene deletion, the practice of consanguineous marriages is common.

Aim: The study explored the impact of consanguinity (inbreeding) on the selection of alpha(+)-thalassemia genotypes in a computer model.

Method: In a population under selection pressure from malaria, a single protective mutation (-alpha/alphaalpha genotype) was introduced among normal genotypes (alphaalpha/alphaalpha), and mating allowed to proceed.

Genetic benefits of consanguinity through selection of genotypes protective against malaria.

Consanguineous marriages are usually socially driven and can be genetically harmful. The detrimental effects of inbreeding are the consequence of homozygosity of harmful genes. On the other hand, beneficial effects of inbreeding, theoretically, could be expected in those who are homozygous for protective recessive and codominant genes.

Risk of cancer in an inbred population.

Background: In spite of a high prevalence of consanguineous marriages in Asia and Africa, there has been little epidemiological research on the effect of inbreeding on cancer risk.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study of 391 native Arabs with cancer and 378 matched healthy controls. All cases had a histologic diagnosis of cancer.

Nutritional iron deficiency: an evolutionary perspective.

Iron deficiency, with or without iron-deficiency anemia, is so ubiquitous that it affects all populations of the world irrespective of race, culture, or ethnic background. Despite all the latest advances in modern medicine, improved nutrition, and the ready availability of cheap oral iron, there is still no good explanation for the widespread persistence of iron deficiency. It is possible that the iron deficiency phenotype is very prevalent because of many factors other than the commonly cited causes such as a decreased availability or an increased utilization of iron.

Incestuous gene in consanguinophilia and incest: toward a consilience theory of incest taboo.

Westermarck's theory of incest taboo states that inhibition of sexual attraction between biologically close relatives is situational and develops during co-residence in early childhood. By contrast, the biological (genetic) basis of incest taboo is presumed from its universality in all human societies and animals and teleologically, from the need to prevent the detrimental effects of inbreeding. As incest taboo violation is infrequent, the frequency of the presumed gene in the population is believed to be near 100%.

Parental consanguinity and risk of breast cancer: a population-based case-control study.

Background: An estimated 600 million people in the world have consanguineous parents. The effect of consanguinity on the risk of breast cancer is uncertain. The objective of this case-control study was to examine whether parental consanguinity and different levels of inbreeding affect the risk and pathology characteristics of breast cancer.

Quality of age data in patients from developing countries.

Background: Age misreporting is common in demographic studies but the prevalence and magnitude of age misreporting in clinical cohorts is unknown. We analysed single-year age distribution and terminal digit preference in cancer patients from developing countries.

Method: Age distribution was analysed by plotting a single-year age of 3874 cancer patients from 72 different countries, mainly from the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East, who resided in the UAE at the time of cancer diagnosis.