Genetic diversity of the Sudanese: insights on origin and implications for health

Abstract

By virtue of their cultural, linguistic and genetic legacies, many populations from Sudan have deep histories in the region and retain high genetic diversities. Sudan’s location in north east Africa, a unique spot believed to act as a climatic refuge during periods of climate extremes, might have dictated that fate. Among the marked consequences of this diversity is the potential to provide information on the origin and structure of human populations within and outside the continent, as well as migration patterns towards various parts of the African continent, and out of Africa. The diverse Sudanese gene pool, further has the potential to inform on genetic adaptations driven by culture and the environment resulting in unique and interesting traits, some of which are yet to be investigated. In addition, these genomes could offer clues to complex issues of causation amidst the challenge of new paradigms in biology underpinned by the genomic revolution.

Clinical phenotyping and genetic diagnosis of a large cohort of Sudanese families with hereditary spinocerebellar degenerations

“…The Sudanese population is paradoxically characterized by a complex genetic structure and high consanguinity rates [6,10]. The high level of homozygosity in our cohort was reflected by the predominance of homozygous recessive diseases (75%) and the detection of three established/possible founder variants.…”

“…Sudan is an East-African country with complex genetic and population structures [6]. This complexity stemmed from the linguistic and cultural differences between its ethnic groups acting in parallel with other, sometimes opposing, population genetic forces, e.g., consanguinity, admixture, and migration [6][7][8][9].…”

“…Sudan is an East-African country with complex genetic and population structures [6]. This complexity stemmed from the linguistic and cultural differences between its ethnic groups acting in parallel with other, sometimes opposing, population genetic forces, e.g., consanguinity, admixture, and migration [6][7][8][9]. For instance, 67% of marriages in some parts of the country are consanguineous (42% first-degree cousins and 25% fifth-degree consanguinity and above) [10].…”

Correlates and Severity of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Type 2 Diabetes Patients in an Afro-Arab-cross Ethnic Community

“…Finally and importantly, in this study the demographic and biochemical determinants of LVH in T2DM were unexpectedly limited as seen from significant correlates and associations, which cannot explain the generally high prevalence of LVH seen in diabetic patients, thus genetic predisposition would be expected to play a major role as seen in hypertension [13]. Unlike in most of the Arabs and Africans countries, this setting is unique in the sense that the genetic makeup of the Sudanese, including the study subjects, is mostly a cross between several Africans and Arabs and other ethnic minorities, although some ethnic groups are conserved [22], unlike the multi-ethnicity in USA [31], which is coupled with ethnic segregation in marriage. It is difficult to classify most people in Sudan to a single tribe biologically, although socially is doable.…”

“…The Sudanese are relatively heterogeneous population with marked cross-ethnic breed, due to the intermarriage between different tribes unlike the case in the Arab, African or American societies where there are clear ethnic segregation as in USA [19] and sub-Saharan Africans [20], and familial segregation (consanguinity) as in Arabic settings [21]. In Sudan the original Africans have frequent inter marriage with the Arabs and other ethnicities [22].…”