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This book, written by very well known opinion leaders in the field, covers all aspects of familial Mediterranean fever, the most common monogenic autoinflammatory disease. The opening chapters explain the genetic basis of the disease and provide insights into the pathogenesis derived from recent experimental studies. A large part of the book is then devoted to a detailed description of the typical and atypical clinical presentations, the disease course, and potential complications in both pediatric and adult patients. Guidance is provided on the measurement of disease severity and the management of patients in daily practice. The advice regarding treatment is based on the best currently available evidence and attention is also paid to important emerging treatments.The book is part of Springer's series Rare Diseases of the Immune System, which presents recently acquired knowledge on pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy with the aim of promoting a more holistic approach to these conditions. Monogenic autoinflammatory diseases are hereditary disorders that are caused by single-gene defects in innate immune regulatory pathways and are characterized by a clinical and biological inflammatory syndrome in which there is limited, if any, evidence of autoimmunity. Familial Mediterranean fever itself is due to a mutation in the MEFV gene, which codes for the protein pyrin; it is characterized by periodic fever and episodes of painful inflammation in the abdomen, chest, and joints. Familial Mediterranean Fever will be an invaluable source of up-to-date information for all practitioners involved in the care of patients with the disease.

Arab populations have their “own” genetic disorders, both universal and particular. Genetic diversity within these source populations, along with the fact that the rates of inbreeding are often high and family sizes are often large, constitute conditions that facilitate the emergence and detection of phenotypes explained notably by autosomal recessive inheritance; in which case, the use of homozygosity gene mapping can facilitate the discovery of the corresponding genes. The present book includes 5 parts dealing with various aspects that relate to the genetic structure of Arabs and minorities within the Arab world as well as genetic disorders prevalent in this part of the world. It includes updated reviews of the genetic disorders in various Arab countries and geographic regions. The focus is primarily, but not exclusively, on the group of single-gene disorders with particular emphasis on autosomal recessive conditions. It further includes epidemiological and clinical data as well as inheritance patterns, mutation and polymorphism data, and available haplotype analysis data. The ethnic and genetic diversity of the Arab populations is discussed as well as aspects of genetic counseling practice in this region together with a proposal for an ethical framework for genetic research and prevention of genetic disorders. The target audience of this book includes human and medical geneticists, genetic counselors, researchers, medical specialists dealing with Arab patients or practicing in Arab countries, medical and genetic counseling students, and nurses.

Neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, mood disorders, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, alcoholism, substance abuse and others are one of the most debilitating illnesses worldwide characterizing by the complexity of the causes, and lacking the laboratory tests that may promote diagnostic and prognostic procedures. Recent advances in neuroscience, genomic, genetic, proteomic and metabolomic knowledge and technologies have opened the way to searching biomarkers and endophenotypes, which may offer powerful and exciting opportunity to understand the etiology and the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disorders. The challenge now is to translate these advances into meaningful diagnostic and therapeutic advances. This book offers a broad synthesis of the current knowledge about diverse topics of the biomarker and endophenotype strategies in neuropsychiatry. The book is organized into four interconnected volumes: “Neuropsychological Endophenotypes and Biomarkers” (with overview of methodological issues of the biomarker and endophenotype approaches in neuropsychiatry and some technological advances), “Neuroanatomical and Neuroimaging Endophenotypes and Biomarkers”, “Metabolic and Peripheral Biomarkers” and “Molecular Genetic and Genomic Markers”. The contributors are internationally and nationally recognized researchers and experts from 16 countries. This four-volume handbook is intended for a broad spectrum of readers including neuroscientists, psychiatrists, neurologists, endocrinologists, pharmacologists, clinical psychologists, general practitioners, geriatricians, health care providers in the field of neurology and mental health interested in trends that have crystallized in the last decade, and trends that can be expected to further evolve in the coming years. It is hoped that this book will also be a useful resource for the teaching of psychiatry, neurology, psychology and mental health.

Reflecting the shift from genetics to genomics in the pharmaceutical sphere, this Second Edition traces the evolution of the science of pharmacogenetics and gathers research from the forefront of the field-spanning the most influential breakthroughs in molecular diagnostics, metabonomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, disease mapping, pharmacodynamic