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PJVK gene was recently shown to create hypervulnerability to sound in humans and was the first human gene implicated in non-syndromic hearing impairment due to neural defect. Targeted next-generation sequencing of over 150 known deafness genes was performed in the proband. Sanger sequencing was used to validate the PJVK variant and confirm familial segregation of the disease. A minigene-based assay has been performed to assess the impact of the variant on splicing. We identified a novel c.550-6A > G acceptor splice-site variant in the PJVK gene in the homozygous state in a Mauritanian child with severe to profound congenital deafness. The substitution was located in intron 4. The effect of the variation was demonstrated by a minigene assay which showed that the variation, an insertion of an additional 5 bp, created a new splice site resulting in the appearance of a premature stop codon (p.Phe184Tyrfs*26) and likely a truncated protein. This result constitutes a new splice-site variant report in the PJVK gene leading to DFNB59 type associated with autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing impairment (ARNSHI)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Toll-Like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in the immune response during hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In this study, we evaluated the association between two SNP variants (TLR3 rs3775290 and TLR4 rs4986790) and susceptibility to chronic HBV infection in Mauritania., Subjects and Methods: A total of 188 subjects were recruited for this study: 102 chronically infected patients and 86 individuals with spontaneously resolved HBV infection who were considered controls. Targeted PCR products were sequenced using Sanger sequencing., Results: We found that TLR3 rs3775290 was significantly more frequent in patients with chronic HBV than in the control population (p = 0.03). However, no association was found between the TLR4 rs3775290 polymorphism and chronic infection., Conclusion: Our results suggest that the TLR3 rs3775290 polymorphism may be a risk factor for susceptibility to chronic HBV infection in the Mauritanian population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections caused 1.5 million deaths, mostly attributable to complications from chronic infections, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite the availability of a vaccine, 296 million people were chronically infected in 2019. Asia and Africa are the continents most affected by this infection, with around 100 million people infected in Africa as a whole.Hepatitis Delta or D virus (HDV), which is a "satellite" virus of HBV, is often misunderstood and its diagnosis remains neglected. However, it is associated with acute fulminant forms and chronic forms of hepatitis leading to a more rapid evolution towards cirrhosis and HCC than during HBV mono-infection. Research on these two viruses HBV and HDV has progressed a lot in recent years, and new treatments are currently in development.In people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (PlHIV), liver disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Due to common modes of transmission, dual or triple HIV/HBV or HIV/HBV/HDV infections are relatively common, particularly in HBV endemic regions such as Africa. However, while today most co-infected patients benefit from effective treatment against both HIV and HBV, the latter is not active against HDV. In Africa, hepatitis B and D have already been the subject of several studies. However, the frequency and clinical consequences of these co-infections have been little studied in the general population and in PlHIV.This review seeks to update the epidemiological and clinical data and the therapeutic perspectives of HDV co-infections or triple infections (HIV-HBV-HDV) in Africa., (Copyright © 2023 SFMTSI.)

Purpose: Although recessive mutations in GJB2 are the common genetic etiology of sensorineural hearing impairment (SNHI), variants in LRTOMT gene were also identified, mostly in Middle East and North African populations., Methods: Using Sanger sequencing we screened the exon 7 of LRTOMT in a cohort of 128 unrelated Mauritanian children with congenital deafness., Results: Only one biallelic missense mutation, predicted as pathogenic (c.179 T > C;p.Leu60Pro) was found at homozygous state in four families. This variant, not reported before, showed a deleterious effect by SIFT (score: 0.01) and a disease-causing effect by Mutation Taster (prob: 1). Exploration of the encoded protein 3D structure revealed a disruption from an organized α helix (in the normal protein structure) into a random conformation. Early fitting of a cochlear implant seemed to improve the audition ability of the mutation carrier., Conclusion: Further screening using a panel of deafness genes may expose other variants underlying hearing impairment in our population., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Study Aim: Carrying a pathogenic BRCA1/2 variant increases greatly young women's risk of developing breast cancer (BC). This study aimed to provide the first genetic data on BC in Mauritania., Methods: Using NGS based screening; we searched for BRCA1/2 variants in DNA samples from 137 patients diagnosed for hereditary BC., Results: We identified 16 pathogenic or likely pathogenic (PV) variants carried by 38 patients. Two predominant BRCA1 PV variants were found: c.815_824dup and c.4986 + 6 T > C in 13 and 7 patients, respectively. Interestingly, three novels BRCA1/2 predicted pathogenic variants have also been detected. Notably, no specific distribution of BRCA1/2 variants was observed regarding triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) or patient gender status., Conclusions: In this first genetic profiling of BC in Mauritania, we identified a substantial number of BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants. This finding could be important in the future diagnosis and prevention policy of hereditary BC in Mauritania., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Intraocular pressure leading to glaucoma is a major cause of childhood blindness in developing countries. In this study, we sought to identify gene variants potentially associated with primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) in the Mauritanian population., Methods: Using next-generation sequencing (NGS), a panel of PCG candidate genes was screened in a search for DNA mutations in four families with multiple occurrences of PCG., Results: Targeted exome sequencing analysis revealed predicted pathogenic mutations in four genes: CYP1B1 (c.217_218delTC, p.Ser73Valfs*150), MYOC (878C>A, p.T293K), NTF4 (c.601T>G, p.Cys201Gly), and WDR36 (c.2078A>G, p.Asn693Ser), each carried by a different family., Conclusions: Genetic variation associated with PCG in this study reflects the ethnic heterogeneity of the Mauritanian population. However, a larger cohort is needed to identify additional families carrying these mutations and confirm their biologic role.

Background: HLA antigens have been widely studied for their role in transplantation biology, human diseases and population diversity. The aim of this study was to provide the first profile of HLA class I and class II alleles in the Mauritanian population., Methods: HLA typing was carried in 93 healthy Mauritanian blood donors, using single specific primer amplification (PCR-SSP)., Results: Occurrences of the main HLA class I (-A, -B, -C) and class II (-DR, -DQ) antigens in the general population showed that out of the 17 HLA-A allele groups detected, five main HLA-A allele groups: A*02 (18.42%), A*01 (14.04%), A*23 (14.04%), A*30 (13.16%) and A*29 (12.28%) were the most common identified along other 12 relatively minor allele groups. Twenty three allele groups were observed in the locus B of which B*07 (13.46%) was the most prevalent followed by B*15, B*35, B*08 and B*27 all, with a frequency between 7 to 8%. Three prevalent HLA-C allele groups (C*02: 35.09%, C*07: 20.19% and C*06: 13.6%) were detected. The main HLA class II observed allele groups were: DRB1*13 (27.42%), DRB1*03 (24.73%), DRB1*11 (13.98%), DQB1*03 (36.03%), DQB1*02 (22.06%) and DQB1*05 (18.8%). Except for few haplotype in class I (A*02-B*07: 4.45%, A*02-C02: 10%, A*23-C*02: 8.8%, B*07-C*02: 8.8%, B*15-C*02: 8.8%) and in class II (DRB1*13-DQB1*06: 11.94%, DRB1*03-DQB1*02:11.19% and DRB1*03-DQB1*03: 10.45%), the majority of locus combination were in the range of 2-3%. A single predominant haplotype C*02-DRB1*03 (16.67%) was found., Conclusions: These results, in agreement with previous data using different tissues markers, underlined the ethnic heterogeneity of the Mauritanian population.

Background: In Mauritania, some authors have described a possible high prevalence of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection in the 1990s in studies of small-size samples., Objectives: The aims of our study were to assess the prevalence of HDV in HBsAg positive blood donors in Mauritania, to identify the main risk factors for HDV transmission and to analyze genetic diversity of HDV strains., Study Design: From October 2008 to December 2009, 11,100 consecutive blood donors were considered in this study. Among them, 1700 (15.3%) were HBsAg positive and 455 accepted to participate in this study. Demographic, epidemiological, ethnical, clinical and biological data were recorded. HDV screening, i.e., antibodies (HDVAb) and RNA (HDV-RNA) detection, was performed for all of them as well as HDV and HBV genotyping., Results: Ninety/455 (19.78%) donors were HDVAb positive and HDV-RNA was detectable in 56 (62.2%) of them. HDV infection was significantly associated with older age, number of marriages, military profession, residence in the desert and a history of hospitalization. The HDV genotypes of the circulating strains were HDV-1 (89.3%) and HDV-5 (10.7%)., Conclusion: HDV is highly endemic in Mauritanian blood donors indicating that a high number of them will develop chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Associated risk factors support nosocomial transmission of HDV. These data underline the need to reinforce HBV vaccination in newborns and in blood donors without HBV markers, together with screening for HDV in HBV-infected individuals., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

There is no data available on the ABO/Rh(D) frequencies in the Mauritanian population. We retrospectively analysed records of a 5-year database that contained ABO/Rh phenotype and ethnic origin of 10 116 volunteers giving blood at the national blood transfusion centre to derive the frequencies of ABO/Rh(D) groups in the Mauritanian population. The two race categories in the country and their sub-ethnic groups: the Moors (whites and black) and the black Africans (Pulhars, Soninkes and Wolof) were included in this study. Globally, group O had the highest frequency (49.10%) followed by A (28.28%), B (18.56%) and AB (4.05%). This order more common in North African populations was found in four of the five ethnic groups composing our population. Allele frequencies were, respectively, 70.20%, 17.74% and 12.04% giving the same order of O > A > B. We observed no significant variation in these frequencies between the different ethnic groups. Rhesus study showed that with a percentage of 94.23% Rh(D) positive is by far the most prevalent, while Rh(D) negative is present only in 5.77% of the total population. This frequency distribution supports the mixed-race composition of the Mauritanian population., (© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)