Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T18:12:53.505Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Genetic disease and culture patterns in Lebanon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

P. M. Basson
Affiliation:
Department of Humanities and Social Studies, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan

Summary

Cases of βthalassaemia and haemophilia (factor 8 and 9 deficiency) in pre-war Lebanon were examined for social and genetic information, using medical records. All diagnosed cases admitted to the American University Hospital in Beirut between 1960 and 1970 were examined. Muslims and families of lower socioeconomic status predominated in the data, and many cases were located in the semi-rural poverty belt of Beirut, where many rural migrants and Palestinian refugees congregate. Parental consanguinity rates among male haemophiliacs were used as estimates for the general population. Consanguinity is higher in the thalassaemic population. In the Christian population the incidence of this autosomal recessive disorder appears to have been inflated by consanguinity more than in the Muslims

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1979, Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abu-Lughod, J. (1961) Migrant adjustment to city life: the Egyptian case. In: Peasant Society. Edited by Potter, J., Diaz, M. & Foster, G.. Little. Brown. Boston.Google Scholar
Bashshur, W. (1971) Family Conflict in a Lebanese Village. Master's thesis. American University of Beirut.Google Scholar
Chamie, J. (1977) Religion and Population Dynamics in Lebanon. Population Studies Center. University of Michigan. Ann Arbor.Google Scholar
Dahlberg, G. (1948) Mathematical Methods for Population Genetics. Interscience Publishers. New York.Google Scholar
Farhang, M., Sass, M. D., & Bank, A. (1970) Prolonged survival in homozygous high A, type β-thalassaemia. Scand. J. Haematol. 7, 465.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Granquist, H. (1935) Marriage conditions in a Palestinian village. Commentat. hum. litt. 3.Google Scholar
Khuri, F. (1970) Parallel cousin marriage reconsidered. Man, 5, 597.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pasvol, V., Weatherall, D. J., Wilson, R. J. M., Smith, D. M., & Giles, H. M. (1976) Fetal haemoglobin and malaria. Lancet, 1, 1269.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peters, E. (1970) Aspects of rank and status among Moslems in a Lebanese village. In: Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East, Vol. 2, p. 143. Edited by Sweet, L.. Natural History Press, New York.Google Scholar
Schull, W. J., & Neel, J. V. (1965) The Effects of Inbreeding on Japanese Children. Harper and Row, New York.Google Scholar
Sweet, L. (1960) Tell Togaan, a Syrian village. Anthrop. Pap. Mus. Anthrop. Univ. Mich. 14.Google Scholar