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Aamer W, Al-Maraghi A, Syed N, Gandhi GD, Aliyev E, Al-Kurbi AA, Al-Saei O, Kohailan M, Krishnamoorthy N, Palaniswamy S, Al-Malki K, Abbasi S, Agrebi N, Abbaszadeh F, Akil ASAS, Badii R, Ben-Omran T, Lo B, Mokrab Y, Fakhro KA. Burden of Mendelian disorders in a large Middle Eastern biobank. Genome Med 2024; 16:46. [PMID: 38584274 PMCID: PMC11000384 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01307-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome sequencing of large biobanks from under-represented ancestries provides a valuable resource for the interrogation of Mendelian disease burden at world population level, complementing small-scale familial studies. METHODS Here, we interrogate 6045 whole genomes from Qatar-a Middle Eastern population with high consanguinity and understudied mutational burden-enrolled at the national Biobank and phenotyped for 58 clinically-relevant quantitative traits. We examine a curated set of 2648 Mendelian genes from 20 panels, annotating known and novel pathogenic variants and assessing their penetrance and impact on the measured traits. RESULTS We find that 62.5% of participants are carriers of at least 1 known pathogenic variant relating to recessive conditions, with homozygosity observed in 1 in 150 subjects (0.6%) for which Peninsular Arabs are particularly enriched versus other ancestries (5.8-fold). On average, 52.3 loss-of-function variants were found per genome, 6.5 of which affect a known Mendelian gene. Several variants annotated in ClinVar/HGMD as pathogenic appeared at intermediate frequencies in this cohort (1-3%), highlighting Arab founder effect, while others have exceedingly high frequencies (> 5%) prompting reconsideration as benign. Furthermore, cumulative gene burden analysis revealed 56 genes having gene carrier frequency > 1/50, including 5 ACMG Tier 3 panel genes which would be candidates for adding to newborn screening in the country. Additionally, leveraging 58 biobank traits, we systematically assess the impact of novel/rare variants on phenotypes and discover 39 candidate large-effect variants associating with extreme quantitative traits. Furthermore, through rare variant burden testing, we discover 13 genes with high mutational load, including 5 with impact on traits relevant to disease conditions, including metabolic disorder and type 2 diabetes, consistent with the high prevalence of these conditions in the region. CONCLUSIONS This study on the first phase of the growing Qatar Genome Program cohort provides a comprehensive resource from a Middle Eastern population to understand the global mutational burden in Mendelian genes and their impact on traits in seemingly healthy individuals in high consanguinity settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waleed Aamer
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Najeeb Syed
- Applied Bioinformatics Core, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Elbay Aliyev
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Omayma Al-Saei
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | | | | | | | - Saleha Abbasi
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nourhen Agrebi
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | | | - Ramin Badii
- Diagnostic Genomic Division, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Tawfeg Ben-Omran
- Section of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, Department of pediatrics, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Pediatric, Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar
- Division of Genetic & Genomics Medicine, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Bernice Lo
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Younes Mokrab
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar.
- College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Khalid A Fakhro
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar.
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar.
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Akil AAS, Yassin E, Al-Maraghi A, Aliyev E, Al-Malki K, Fakhro KA. Diagnosis and treatment of type 1 diabetes at the dawn of the personalized medicine era. J Transl Med 2021; 19:137. [PMID: 33794915 PMCID: PMC8017850 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-021-02778-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes affects millions of people globally and requires careful management to avoid serious long-term complications, including heart and kidney disease, stroke, and loss of sight. The type 1 diabetes patient cohort is highly heterogeneous, with individuals presenting with disease at different stages and severities, arising from distinct etiologies, and overlaying varied genetic backgrounds. At present, the “one-size-fits-all” treatment for type 1 diabetes is exogenic insulin substitution therapy, but this approach fails to achieve optimal blood glucose control in many individuals. With advances in our understanding of early-stage diabetes development, diabetes stratification, and the role of genetics, type 1 diabetes is a promising candidate for a personalized medicine approach, which aims to apply “the right therapy at the right time, to the right patient”. In the case of type 1 diabetes, great efforts are now being focused on risk stratification for diabetes development to enable pre-clinical detection, and the application of treatments such as gene therapy, to prevent pancreatic destruction in a sub-set of patients. Alongside this, breakthroughs in stem cell therapies hold great promise for the regeneration of pancreatic tissues in some individuals. Here we review the recent initiatives in the field of personalized medicine for type 1 diabetes, including the latest discoveries in stem cell and gene therapy for the disease, and current obstacles that must be overcome before the dream of personalized medicine for all type 1 diabetes patients can be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammira Al-Shabeeb Akil
- Department of Human Genetics-Precision Medicine Program, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Esraa Yassin
- Department of Human Genetics-Precision Medicine Program, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Aljazi Al-Maraghi
- Department of Human Genetics-Precision Medicine Program, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Elbay Aliyev
- Department of Human Genetics-Precision Medicine Program, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Khulod Al-Malki
- Department of Human Genetics-Precision Medicine Program, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Khalid A Fakhro
- Department of Human Genetics-Precision Medicine Program, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, P.O. Box 24144, Doha, Qatar.,College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, P.O. Box 34110, Doha, Qatar
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