No abstract

Genetic studies have identified substantial non-African admixture in the Horn of Africa (HOA). In the most recent genomic studies, this non-African ancestry has been attributed to admixture with Middle Eastern populations during the last few thousand years. However, mitochondrial and Y chromosome data are suggestive of earlier episodes of admixture. To investigate this further, we generated new genome-wide SNP data for a Yemeni population sample and merged these new data with published genome-wide genetic data from the HOA and a broad selection of surrounding populations. We used multidimensional scaling and ADMIXTURE methods in an exploratory data analysis to develop hypotheses on admixture and population structure in HOA populations. These analyses suggested that there might be distinct, differentiated African and non-African ancestries in the HOA. After partitioning the SNP data into African and non-African origin chromosome segments, we found support for a distinct African (Ethiopic) ancestry and a distinct non-African (Ethio-Somali) ancestry in HOA populations. The African Ethiopic ancestry is tightly restricted to HOA populations and likely represents an autochthonous HOA population. The non-African ancestry in the HOA, which is primarily attributed to a novel Ethio-Somali inferred ancestry component, is significantly differentiated from all neighboring non-African ancestries in North Africa, the Levant, and Arabia. The Ethio-Somali ancestry is found in all admixed HOA ethnic groups, shows little inter-individual variance within these ethnic groups, is estimated to have diverged from all other non-African ancestries by at least 23 ka, and does not carry the unique Arabian lactase persistence allele that arose about 4 ka. Taking into account published mitochondrial, Y chromosome, paleoclimate, and archaeological data, we find that the time of the Ethio-Somali back-to-Africa migration is most likely pre-agricultural.

ObjectiveAlterations in plasma adipokines and/or inflammatory parameters in Type 2 DM remain vague as to whether they are due to obesity and/or directly associated with the diabetic state. Our objective was to compare plasma adiponectin, leptin, leptin/adiponectin ratio (LAR) and hs-CRP in obese non-diabetic subjects and non-obese Type 2 DM patients, as well as determining the association of these adipokines with MetS and diabetes-related quantitative traits.MethodsIn this study, 92 Yemeni male volunteers aged 25–60 years old were enrolled, 31 of whom were healthy subjects with BMI < 25 kg/m2 served as control; 30 non-diabetic obese subjects BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 and FBG < 6.1 mmol/l; and 31 non-obese Type 2 DM with FBG > 7 mmol/l and BMI < 25 kg/m2.ResultsAdiponectin was lower in obese subjects, with no differences between non-obese Type 2 DM patients and controls. In contrast, leptin, LAR and hs-CRP were higher in both obese subjects and non-obese Type 2 DM patients. Linear regression analysis showed adiponectin to be associated negatively with BMI, waist circumference, insulin, HOMA-β and HOMA-IR; whereas leptin, LAR and hs-CRP were associated positively with BMI, waist circumference, TG, FBG, insulin, HOMA-β and HOMA-IR. Moreover, adiponectin negatively correlated with leptin, LAR and hs-CRP; whereas leptin and LAR positively correlated with hs-CRP and with each other.ConclusionPlasma adiponectin is not affected by diabetes per se, suggesting that its alterations in Type 2 DM may be due to obesity and may be an important link between adiposity, IR and Type 2 DM.

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Our results are consistent with a history of gene flow between the Levant and southern Arabia. Consideration of genetic, archaeological, and paleoclimate data provide a slight edge for the SDR but, ultimately, more data are needed to definitively identify which dispersal route out of Africa was used.

Hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, which can not be fully explained by the atherogenic lipid profile, particularly total cholesterol and LDL-C, and other pathogenic factors may be involved. Plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and accelerated atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum total homocysteine (tHcy) levels and its relation to total cholesterol, creatinine and thyroid hormones fT3, fT4 and TSH levels in overt hypothyroid patients compared to control subjects. In this study thirty recently diagnosed, non-treated overt hypothyroid patients (f=27, m=3) and twenty normal volunteers control (f=18, m=2) were included and subjected to determination of serum tHcy by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) technique, fT3, fT4 and TSH by Elecsys cobas e 601 analyzer, total cholesterol by enzymatic method and creatinine by kinetic method. The data was statistically analysed by SPSS-10 and p values less than 0.05 were considered significant.Our results showed that there were a significant increase of tHcy, TSH, T.cholesterol and creatinine levels by 113%, 12-folds, 58% and 54%, respectively, and a significant decrease of fT4 and fT3 levels by 49.6% and 56.4% , respectively, in hypothyroid patients than in control group. For tHcy (Mean±SD, 24.45±5.50 μmol/l vs 11.48±3.03 μmol/l, respectively; P < 0.001). tHcy was significantly positively correlated with TSH, creatinine and age and negatively correlated with free thyroxine (fT4) and no significant correlations with fT3 and T.cholesterol. In conclusion, our study confirmed the observation of elevated serum tHcy, T.cholesterol and creatinine in overt hypothyroidism and the presence of an inverse relation between tHcy with fT4 and a positive relation with TSH.

Widespread interest in the first successful Out of Africa dispersal of modern humans ∼60-80 thousand years ago via a southern migration route has overshadowed the study of later periods of South Arabian prehistory. In this work, we show that the post-Last Glacial Maximum period of the past 20,000 years, during which climatic conditions were becoming more hospitable, has been a significant time in the formation of the extant genetic composition and population structure of this region. This conclusion is supported by the internal diversification displayed in the highly resolved phylogenetic tree of 89 whole mitochondrial genomes (71 being newly presented here) for haplogroup R0a-the most frequent and widespread haplogroup in Arabia. Additionally, two geographically specific clades (R0a1a1a and R0a2f1) have been identified in non-Arabic speaking peoples such as the Soqotri and Mahri living in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula where a past refugium was identified by independent archaeological studies. Estimates of time to the most recent common ancestor of these lineages match the earliest archaeological evidence for seafaring activity in the peninsula in the sixth millennium BC.

Archaeological studies have revealed cultural connections between the two sides of the Red Sea dating to prehistory. The issue has still not been properly addressed, however, by archaeogenetics. We focus our attention here on the mitochondrial haplogroup HV1 that is present in both the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa. The internal variation of 38 complete mitochondrial DNA sequences (20 of them presented here for the first time) affiliated into this haplogroup testify to its emergence during the late glacial maximum, most probably in the Near East, with subsequent dispersion via population expansions when climatic conditions improved. Detailed phylogeography of HV1 sequences shows that more recent demographic upheavals likely contributed to their spread from West Arabia to East Africa, a finding concordant with archaeological records suggesting intensive maritime trade in the Red Sea from the sixth millennium BC onwards. Closer genetic exchanges are apparent between the Horn of Africa and Yemen, while Egyptian HV1 haplotypes seem to be more similar to the Near Eastern ones.