Population-genetic and comparative interpopulation studies of Azerbaijan population based on the 15 autosomal STR markers.

We have investigated 765 unrelated individuals from Azerbaijan using AmpFlSTR® Identifiler® Plus PCR Amplification Kit. For each STR locus basic population-genetic and forensic parameters were determined. The calculated P-values (PHWE) for the accuracy of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) tests, showed that this parameter had a statistically significant value (PHWE = 0.0000) only for the THO1, D18S51 and FGA loci. The values of parameters for the set of 15 STR loci such as CPE, CPD, CTPI and the PP showed that the given set of loci can be confidently used to solve identification problems for the studied population. Multiple population differentiation tests performed between Azerbaijan and other 17 world populations revealed that between Azerbaijan and Iraqi, Iranian, Turkish populations there were no significant differences on all STR loci. Additionally, comparisons of Fischer genetic distance indices (FST) P-values did not reveal any statistically significant difference between Azerbaijan and Iranian populations at P < 0.05. However, with South African black population differences at all STR loci were detected. Both tests did not reveal a locus by which our population would differ from all the other compared populations. PCA and PCoA analyzes showed that the Azerbaijani population was grouped with different populations in different quarters, showing a negative and zero correlation, respectively. Regarding the location of the Azerbaijan population, there are some differences between NJ and UPGMA phylogenetic trees. For example, in the NJ tree, Azerbaijan population was grouped with Iranian, but in the UPGMA tree, it was grouped with the Turkish population. Based on Nei's genetic distance between populations the second tree has a more realistic outcome.

Suicidal Thoughts, Attempts and Motives Among University Students in 12 Muslim-Majority Countries.

There is a scarcity of research on suicidal phenomena in the Muslim world. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the self-reported prevalence of suicidal thoughts, attempts and motives in 12 Muslim countries. A total of 8417 (54.4% women) university students were surveyed by means of a self-report questionnaire. Overall, 22% of the participants reported suicidal ideation and 8.6% reported attempting suicide. The odds of suicidal thoughts were elevated in Azerbaijan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, while reduced ORs were recorded in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Malaysia. While odds of suicide attempts were high in Azerbaijan, Palestine and Saudi Arabia reduced odds ratios (OR) were detected in Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia and Tunisia. Taking drugs and using a sharp instrument were the two most frequently used methods to attempt suicide. Only 32.7% of attempts required medical attention. Escape motives were endorsed more than social motives by participants who attempted suicide. Suicidal behaviors were more frequent in women than in men. Compered to men, fewer attempts by women required medical attention. Moreover, our results show that making suicide illegal does not reduce the frequency of suicidal behavior. Results from this comparative study show that suicidal thoughts and attempts are frequent events in young adults in countries where religious scripture explicitly prohibit suicide and the frequencies of nonfatal suicidal behavior show large variation in nations adhering to the same religion.

Challenges of Combining Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Asylum seekers have increased risk of suicide and suicidal behavior, with differences related to origin, gender, and age. There are barriers to communication in clinical encounters between asylum seekers and clinicians. There is insufficient knowledge about how communication in the clinical encounter affects the suicide risk in female asylum seekers. AIMS: To explore the documented communication between female asylum-seeking suicide attempters and clinicians and how it affects treatment. METHOD: The medical records of 18 asylum-seeking women who had attempted suicide were analyzed with content analysis. RESULTS: Communication between patients and clinicians was affected by: the unbearable realities of the women; difficulties for clinicians in decoding languages of distress, and understanding trauma and subjective meanings of suicide; challenges of combining patients' and clinicians' perspectives; and a sense of shared powerlessness. LIMITATIONS: The medical records did not give direct access to the patient's experience, only to the patient as documented by the clinician. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that clinicians working with asylum seekers who have attempted suicide need to develop an understanding of social and cultural factors and of trauma issues. A question for further study is how an enhanced integration of context and subjectivity in psychiatric practice would equip clinicians for the specific challenges encountered.

Chemokine MCP1/CCL2 gene polymorphism influences Henoch-Schönlein purpura susceptibility in Iranian Azeri-Turkish patients.

BACKGROUND: Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is the most common small-vessel vasculitis and mainly affects children. Although its pathophysiology is unknown, several studies have indicated the possible involvement of infections and genetic factors in the development of HSP. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene family and several other genes involved in the inflammatory system have been studied. The CCL2 gene, encoding chemokine monocyte chemo-attractant protein 1 (MCP-1/CCL2), is one of several cytokine genes clustered on chromosome 17. The encoded protein displays chemotactic activity for monocytes. METHODS: This is a case-control study comparing 36 children diagnosed with HSP within the Iranian Azeri-Turkish ethnic population and 50 healthy adults from the same ethnic group. CCL2, C-2518T polymorphism genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction and by PVUII restriction enzyme analysis and subsequent agarose gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: Our results showed a significant association between the allelic and genotypic frequency of this gene and HSP disease in this cohort. The results of this study indicate that frequencies of the T allele of CCL2 (P = 0.015) and the TT genotype (P = 0.004) are significantly higher in HSP patients. A comparison of clinical symptoms and laboratory data with CCL2 C-2518T polymorphism showed that patients with the TT genotype presented a higher clinical score and more severe clinical features. CONCLUSIONS: MCP1/CCL2 C-2518T gene polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to HSP. This is the first study to report a significant association between MCP1/CCL2 C-2518T and a susceptibility to HSP in this population.

Dental caries among children in Georgia by age, gender, residence location and ethnic group.

OBJECTIVE: To provide prevalence data for dental caries in Georgia. METHODS: This World Health Organization pathfinder survey was conducted among 1,351 (6, 12 and 15 year-old) Georgian children, representing the main ethnic groups in urban and rural locations. Caries was analysed at univariate and multivariate levels, according to age, gender, urban/rural locality and ethnic group. RESULTS: Caries experience levels among 6-year-olds were dmft = 4.57, sd 3.42 (14.8% caries-free); DMFT = 2.04 (sd 2.02) among 12-year-olds (31.1% caries-free); and DMFT = 3.51 (sd 3.14) for the 15-year-olds (17.7% caries-free). Urban children at ages 6 and 12 years were more likely to be caries-free and have both lower levels of caries-experience and higher levels of filled or restored teeth. In multivariate regression analyses, most age groups showed a significant contribution from residence location. No differences were found by age and no consistent differences were detected by ethnic group. CONCLUSION: These data should provide the baseline for formulating and conducting public oral health efforts in Georgia, with emphases on rural residence locations.

McArdle disease: a novel mutation in Jewish families from the Caucasus region.

McArdle disease is caused by a myophosphorylase deficiency consequent to defects in the PYGM gene. A minority of the over-133 known mutations are associated with ethnicity, occurring mainly in patients from western Europe, the United States, and Japan. We identified a novel mutation, c.632delG, in three unrelated families of Jewish descent originating from the Caucasus region. This possibly ethnicity-associated mutation can significantly facilitate the diagnosis in Jews of the Caucasus and contribute to genetic consultations.

Spectrum of GJB2 (Cx26) gene mutations in Iranian Azeri patients with nonsyndromic autosomal recessive hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: Hereditary hearing impairment is a genetically heterogeneous disorder. In spite of this, mutations in the GJB2 gene, encoding connexin 26 (Cx26), are a major cause of nonsyndromic recessive hearing loss in many countries and are largely dependent on ethnic groups. The purpose of our study was to characterize the type and prevalence of GJB2 mutations among Azeri population of Iran. METHODS: Fifty families presenting autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss from Ardabil province of Iran were studied for mutations in GJB2 gene. All DNA samples were screened for c.35delG mutation by ARMS PCR. Samples from patients who were normal for c.35delG were analyzed for the other variations in GJB2 by direct sequencing. In the absence of mutation detection, GJB6 was screened for the del(GJB6-D13S1830) and del(GJB6-D13S1854). RESULT: Thirteen families demonstrated alteration in the Cx26 (26%). The 35delG mutation was the most common one, accounting for 69.2% (9 out of 13 families). All the detected families were homozygous for this mutation. Two families were homozygous for delE120 and 299-300delAT mutations. We also identified a novel mutation: c.463-464 delTA in 2 families resulting in a frame shift mutation. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that c.35delG mutation in the GJB2 gene is the most important cause of GJB2 related deafness in Iranian Azeri population.

[Detection of pulmonary tuberculosis in migrants]. / Osobennosti vyiavleniia tuberkulza legkikh u migrantov.

Tuberculosis was detected in 2.2% of migrants from Baku, whereas among those applying for medical and social care to the charity organization "Physicians without Boundaries" this value is 4 times higher: 8.6%. These results necessitate the development of a complex of antituberculosis measures adapted to new marginal risk groups-migrants. The principal purpose of these measures should be to make specialized medical care as available as possible for this group.

[Genetics of the Caucasian population: Distribution of certain immunologic and biochemical markers in the Azerbaijanian and Armenian populations in the Georgian SSR]. / Genetika narodonaseleniia Kavkaza: razpredelenie nekotorykh immunologicheskikh i biokhimicheskikh markerov v azerbaidzhanskikh i armianskikh populiatsiiakh v Gruzinskoi SSR.

Distribution of the genetic markers of blood groups (AB0, Rhesus, MNSs, Lewis, P, Kell-Cellano); serum proteins (Hp, C'3, Tf, Gc); red-cell enzymes (AcP, EstD,Glo-1) and also ABH-secretion was studied among three Azerbaijanian and two Armenian populations of the Georgian SSR. The results were used in analysis of the interpopulation variations and genetic relationship of the populations to their geographical neighbours.

[The distribution of ABO system blood groups in patients with unilocular echinococcosis]. / Raspredelenie grupp krovi sistemy ABO u bol'nykh odnokamernym ékhinokokkozom.

The distribution of the AB0 blood groups was investigated in 624 patients with echinococcosis operated on and in 579 persons whose sera were subjected to IHAT with echinococcosis diagnosticum. Higher disease incidence was recorded in patients with the A (II) blood, especially in males, as compared to the controls. Simultaneous involvement of the liver, lungs and other organs was more common in them. Rh-positive patients predominated both in the A (II) and control groups. Blood group distribution with regard to IHAT findings failed to reveal any regular features.

[Patterns of Gd- allele distribution in ethnic groups of the Soviet Union]. / Zakonomernosti rasprostraneniia allelei Gd- v nekotorykh étnicheskikh gruppakh Sovetskogo Soiuza.

The rate and the spectrum of Gd- alleles have been determined in representative groups of schoolchildren and students from three populations (Russians, Ashkenazi Jews and Azerbaijhanians). The Gd- frequency is 0,36% in Russians (Kostroma region). 0.91% in Ashkenazi (Gomel region), these being 10.5% in Azerbaijhanians (Sheki region) and 3.6% for Kobi settlement of Apsheron region. G6PD-deficiency in Russians is represented by family forms, while in Ashkenazi it is II class alleles Kirovograd and Zhitomir and in Azerbaijhanians--a wide spectrum of II and III class alleles. Genetic factors involved in Gd- spectrum formation in these three populations are discussed.

[Some epidemiological factors in the incidence of female genital cancer in the Azerbaijan SSR]. / Nekotorye épidemiologicheskie faktory zabolevaemosti rakom zhenskikh polovykh organov v Azerbaidzhanskoi SSR

In the structure of cancer morbidity of the female genitalia in Azerbaijan SSR within a ten-year period (1957-1966) cervical cancer occupies the first place--86.6%, it is observed more frequently among Russian female population (46.4 per 100 000 wives) and more rarely among aboriginal female population (7.1 per 100 000 wives). Of 2488 patients with cervical cancer 24.5% showed previous lesions against which background cancer would arise. Patients with cervical ruptures, advanced erosions, polyps should be identified as high-risk groups of cervical cancer.