Genome-wide association studies in an isolated founder population from the Pacific Island of Kosrae.

It has been argued that the limited genetic diversity and reduced allelic heterogeneity observed in isolated founder populations facilitates discovery of loci contributing to both Mendelian and complex disease. A strong founder effect, severe isolation, and substantial inbreeding have dramatically reduced genetic diversity in natives from the island of Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia, who exhibit a high prevalence of obesity and other metabolic disorders. We hypothesized that genetic drift and possibly natural selection on Kosrae might have increased the frequency of previously rare genetic variants with relatively large effects, making these alleles readily detectable in genome-wide association analysis.

Cancer in Kosrae State, Federated States of Micronesia.

Little is known about the impact of cancer and the extent of cancer-related services in Kosrae. The purpose of this study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, was to document the state of cancer awareness and services in Kosrae and to begin to identify cancer-care needs. Findings suggest that cancer is the eighth-leading cause of death in Kosrae, although a number of factors contribute to a possible undercount of cancer cases.