Allelic frequency variation of ACKR1 in three Algerian populations: Zenata, Reguibat, and Oran.

INTRODUCTION: The discovery of the Duffy antigen is of great significance, given its essential role in immune response and various physiological processes. Genetic mutations in the Duffy gene not only affect antigen expression but also result in different antigen types. This underscores the importance of genetic characterization for clinical studies and exploring genetic diversity within the population. This study primarily aims to genetically characterize the Duffy blood group within three Algerian populations: the Zenata, Reguibat, and Oran populations. METHODS: The genetic polymorphism of the Duffy erythrocyte group was examined, focusing on five allelic versions of the ACKR1 locus: FY*01, FY*02, FY*X, and silent alleles FY*01 N.01 and FY*02 N.01. A total of 223 Algerian individuals, including 90 from the Oran population, 66 from the Zenata population, and 67 from the Reguibat population, were analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primer (PCR-SSP) method. The results revealed the presence of the silent alleles (FY*01 N.01 and FY*02 N.01) in all three populations, with a total frequency of 78.03% in the Zenata population. Additionally, the FY*X allele was exclusively detected in the Reguibat population, with a frequency of 0.75% CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable insights into the allele and genotypic frequencies of the Duffy system in the Zenata, Reguibat and Oranpopulations, contributing to our understanding of the genetic history and origins of the Algerian population. Further research incorporating additional genetic markers and establishing a comprehensive database would enhance our knowledge in this area.

Genetic Heterogeneity in Algerian Human Populations.

The demographic history of human populations in North Africa has been characterized by complex processes of admixture and isolation that have modeled its current gene pool. Diverse genetic ancestral components with different origins (autochthonous, European, Middle Eastern, and sub-Saharan) and genetic heterogeneity in the region have been described. In this complex genetic landscape, Algeria, the largest country in Africa, has been poorly covered, with most of the studies using a single Algerian sample. In order to evaluate the genetic heterogeneity of Algeria, Y-chromosome, mtDNA and autosomal genome-wide makers have been analyzed in several Berber- and Arab-speaking groups. Our results show that the genetic heterogeneity found in Algeria is not correlated with geography or linguistics, challenging the idea of Berber groups being genetically isolated and Arab groups open to gene flow. In addition, we have found that external sources of gene flow into North Africa have been carried more often by females than males, while the North African autochthonous component is more frequent in paternally transmitted genome regions. Our results highlight the different demographic history revealed by different markers and urge to be cautious when deriving general conclusions from partial genomic information or from single samples as representatives of the total population of a region.

Association analysis of the IL-1 gene cluster polymorphisms with aggressive and chronic periodontitis in the Algerian population.

OBJECTIVE: There is strong evidence that genetic as well as environmental factors affect the development of periodontitis. Various studies suggest that genetic polymorphisms of the interleukin-1 (IL-1) genes are associated with an increased risk of developing the pathogenesis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible relationship between two polymorphisms of IL-1 gene cluster IL-1B (C+3954T) (rs1143634) and IL-1A (C-889T) (rs1800587) SNPs and the aggressive and chronic periodontitis risk in a case control study in Algerian population. METHODS: 279 subjects were recruited and received a periodontal examination: 128 healthy controls and 151 cases. From cases, 91 patients were having a chronic disease whereas 60 subjects with aggressive form. All these subjects were genotyped for IL-1A (C-889T) and IL-1B (C+3954T) polymorphisms using TaqMan real time PCR technology. Frequencies of IL-1 alleles, genotypes and the haplotypes were also examined. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the carriage rate of both minor alleles of the IL-1A (C-889T) and IL-1B (C+3954T) polymorphisms of aggressive periodontitis cases compared with healthy controls (OR [95%CI]=1.61 [1.03-2.49], p=0.03), (OR [95%CI]=1.69 [1.09-2.63], p=0.01), respectively. The result did not reach significance with the chronic form. CONCLUSION: The studied polymorphisms of the IL-1 genes appear to be associated with susceptibility to aggressive periodontitis (AgP) in the Algerian population.