- CAGS released the beta-version 0.22 of the CTGA database, which contains more than 210 full-records of genetic disorders described in Arab individuals. This new version is also characterized by a more elaborate "advanced search" engine that offers the flexibility of searching for disease phenotypes and gene loci as separate entities. On 21.11.2005, the CTGA database contained 685 records related to disease phenotypes and 259 records related to gene loci described in patients of Arab origin. More than 90% of the disease phenotypes in the CTGA database are now classified using the "WHO International Classification of Diseases" protocol.

November 2005

- The 3rd Emirates Neuroscience Conference was held at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel (Dubai) under the theme of 'Multidisciplinary Evidence-Based Neuroscience'. The conference was organized by the UAE Ministry of Health in association with the Department of Health & Medical Services (DoHMS). The topics addressed at the conference covered the critical areas of neuro-trauma, neurovascular disease (i.e., stroke), neuro-oncology, epilepsy, neuro-rehabilitation, spinal disorders, chronic pain, pediatric neuroscience, skull-base surgery, interventional neuro-radiology, movement disorders, as well as the latest on new technologies and applications in neurosience. The conference was mainly sponsored by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences... more

Facts & Figures

- Djibouti:
Population = 476,703

- Egypt:
Consanguinity rate = 29-41% of total marriages

- Eritrea:
Median age of population = 17.54 years

- Iraq:
Population growth rate = 2.7%

- Jordan:
Birth rate = 21.76 births/1,000 population

- Kuwait:
Death rate = 2.42 deaths/1,000 population

- Lebanon:
Infant mortality rate = 24.52 deaths/1,000 live births

- Libya:
Life expectancy at birth = 76.5 years

- Mauritania:
Total fertility rate = 5.94 children born/woman

- Morocco:
Genetic disorders = not less than 68

- Oman:
Biomedical articles according to 1st author affiliation = 94

- Palestine:
Total science citations = not reported

- Qatar:
Biomedical research output share of total science research = about 28.1%

- Saudi Arabia:
Emigration rate = 7 emigrant(s)/1,000 population

- Somalia:
Net migration rate = 5.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population

- Sudan:
R & D expenditure = 10 millions of US$ (1996)

- Syria:
Number of universities = 3 (1996)

- Tunisia:
Internet users = 6.3% of population (2003)

Note: All figures are 2005 estimates unless otherwise stated

Forthcoming Events

- International Neuroscience Conference, November 26-29, 2005, Intercontinental Hotel, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

- ICT and Health Information Education and Research, November 27, 2005, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

- The 10th International Conference on Thalassaemia & Haemoglobinopathies, January 7-10, 2006, Dubai World Trade Centre, United Arab Emirates

Glossary of Terms

- DNA microarray:
A wafer, similar to a computer chip, with a high density grid of tiny DNA (or oligonucleotide) spots.

- Encephalocele:
Protrusion of the brain through a cranial fissure.

- Hydrocephalus:
Abnormal increase in pressure of cerebrospinal fluid within the skull.

- Hypoplasia:
Underdevelopment of a tissue or organ.

- Oncogene:
A gene coding for a protein that can contribute to the transformation of a normal cell into a tumor cell.

CAGS Newsletter
Issue 4, November 2005

Editorial

Dear Colleagues,

The current release of the CTGA Database indicates that more than 50% of disease phenotypes in Arab individuals include congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities as well as endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases. Diseases of the nervous system, diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs, and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism make up about 18% of the inherited disorders in Arabs. This valuable information and many more could not be obtained without the steady growth of the CTGA database and the continuous support of colleagues in the region and the world.

Parallel to the developing sources of information of CAGS, the Executive Board of the centre recently formed the Council of CAGS of experts in genetics from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Tunisia. This initial step will be complemented in the future to extend the council memberships to other Arab countries.

The scientific achievements of the members of the Council of CAGS are indicative of the functions of this new platform as a solid base that will develop CAGS into a new dimension. In addition, the Council of CAGS is expected to facilitate the exchange of information on genetic disorders occurring in Arab countries and to be a medium for multidisciplinary collaborative research aiming at the identification and prevention of genetic disorders in the region.

www.cags.org.ae

Genetic Disorders in the Arab World
Meckel Syndrome

Meckel syndrome is a major autosomal recessive monogenic malformation syndrome with a neural tube defect leading to death of the fetus in utero or shortly after birth. It comprises of a classical triad of occipital meningo-encephalocele, infantile polycystic kidneys, with multicystic dysplasia and fibrotic changes in the portal area of the liver, ductal proliferation, and postaxial polydactyly. Other features include facial clefts, microcephaly, cerebellar and cerebral hypoplasia, hydrocephalus, sloping forehead, congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypoplasia. The later being the leading cause of death in patients with Meckel syndrome.

The incidence of Meckel syndrome worldwide varies from 1 in 13,250 to 1 in 140,000 live births. Reports indicate a frequent observation of the disease in Egypt, Palestine, and in the Arabian Peninsula. Hence, it is common to see patients who are compound heterozygotes for Meckel syndrome in combination with other genetic disorders such as: hydrocephalus of prenatal onset, Dandy-Walker syndrome, autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease, and others. The CTGA Database currently reports on the occurrence of Meckel syndrome Type 1 and Type 2 in Egypt, Kuwait, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.

CTGA Database

Arab Medical Institutions
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre,
Saudi Arabia

In 1970, the late King Faisal laid the foundation stone of the hospital that was to bear his name with the aim to overcome the shortage in therapeutic services in Saudi Arabia. At present, the hospital has more than 20 medical and clinical departments, with over 8000 support staff serving 700 beds. The hospital receives a large number of cases, and the outpatient clinics alone receive more than 600,000 cases annually. King Faisal Specialist Hospital also developed an electronic system whereby each patient has an electronic file to expedite inter-departmental treatment. Additionally, the hospital organizes a number of academic programs, including a program for doctor training, fellowship and continuing medical education.

The research centre at King Faisal Specialist Hospital was established in the mid-1970s, and has significantly contributed to the improvement of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities at the hospital through focusing on a limited number of medical fields. Some 300 researchers, scientists, doctors, and technicians undertake a large number of research projects in collaboration with Saudi and foreign institutes. Over the last few years, the Centre completed more than 700 research projects, the results of which were published in regional and international peer-reviewed journals. For these considerations and achievements, King Faisal Hospital and Research Centre received the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences as the best Arab medical institution for the year 2004.

www.kfshrc.edu.sa

Arab Medical Journals
The Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics

The Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics is a record of research and review relating to heredity in humans; to the applications of genetic principles in medicine, psychology, anthropology, and social services; and to areas of molecular and cellular biology relevant to human genetics. The scope of the journal includes biochemical, cell biological, molecular genetic and structural biological studies of enzyme and other protein deficiencies, and fundamental investigations of the pathogenesis of inherited and acquired disorders.

The journal is published biannually by the Egyptian Society of Human Genetics, Medical Genetics Center, Ain-Shams University. It considers reviews and research articles as well as case reports. The first issue was published on November, 2000. Since then, 10 issues were published; the last one appeared in May, 2005. The journal is also published online and offers free access to captured scans of the issues starting from May 2003.

www.ejmhg.eg.net

A Glimpse into Arab Papers
Arsenic/interferon specifically reverses 2 distinct gene networks critical for the survival of HTLV-1-infected leukemic cells.

Blood. 2003 Jun 1;101(11):4576-82.

Author: Nasr R. et al.

Address: Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is a severe chemotherapy-resistant malignancy associated with prolonged infection by the human T cell-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) retrovirus. Although the Tax viral transactivator is clearly an oncogene, the role of its continuous expression in the maintenance of the transformed phenotype is controversial. On the other hand, arsenic trioxide (As) and interferon alpha (IFN) synergize to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of ATL cells both ex vivo and in vitro. Nasr et al. investigated the effects of As alone and As/IFN combination on gene networks in HTLV-1-infected leukemic cells. The As/IFN combination reduced Tax expression and, accordingly, reversed the Tax-induced constitutive nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation. Using DNA microarray analyses, Nasr et al. demonstrated that As rapidly and selectively blocks the transcription of NF-kappaB-dependent genes in HTLV-1-infected cells only. In contrast, only the As/IFN combination induced late and massive down-regulation of cell cycle-regulated genes, concomitantly with Tax degradation by the proteasome and cell death induction, indicating the importance of continuous Tax expression for ATL cell survival.

PubMed

Arab Medical Websites
WHO - EMR Virtual Health Sciences Library

The World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region has developed an electronic health sciences library network and adopted an internet-based approach to build the virtual library supported by off-line digital resources that would enable health sciences professionals to communicate, participate and add value by accessing and sharing knowledge from available sources. The Virtual Health Sciences Library comprises networks of libraries, databases, professionals, researchers and institutions. Databases include, AIDS Information Exchange Center, Arabic Medical Library, Arabic Medical Subject Headings List, EMRO Library Catalogue, Index Medicus for WHO Eastern Mediterranean, Union Catalogue of Health Sciences Journals in EMR, WHO - CEHA Library Database, and WHO - CEHA - Environmental Health Articles Database.

The Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) project started in 1987 by indexing the health and biomedical journals published in the Region in 1984. The backlog of the journal articles of the Index Medicus was completed in 1997. Five volumes have been published in printed form. The database is published on the Internet and includes over 80,000 records and linked to WHO/HQ site with other Regional Indices. The quarterly current contents bulletin continued to be published and distributed regularly to 350 addresses in the Region. A CD-ROM version is also available. The Index includes now 320 journals from the Region. A document delivery service based on the indexed journals is also available.

WHO - Eastern Mediterranean Region Virtual Health Sciences Library

Contact Us

In this Issue

New at the CTGA Database

News from CAGS

Facts & Figures

Forthcoming Events

Glossary of Terms

CAGS Newsletter Issue 4, November 2005

Editorial

Genetic Disorders in the Arab World Meckel Syndrome

Arab Medical Institutions King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Saudi Arabia

Arab Medical Journals The Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics