MedPath

The Genetic Basis of Congenital Heart Disease in Africa

Completed
Conditions
Heart Disease
Congenital Heart Disease
Registration Number
NCT01952171
Lead Sponsor
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Brief Summary

Recent advances in genomic techniques are making possible a new wave of genetic discovery in congenital heart disease (CHD). Existing data suggests that CHD occur in Sub-Saharan Africa at frequencies similar to the rest of the world. In this application, we propose to utilize the unique advantages of Sub-Saharan Africa - a combination of the most genetically diverse populations in the world and of diminished environmental background effects (i.e. low prevalence of smoking, alcohol abuse, obesity in comparison to western countries) - to better understand the genetic basis for congenital heart disease. We will couple next generation genomic techniques with more traditional gene discovery methods to investigate CHD in two African countries: Uganda and Nigeria. The inclusion of syndromic and non-syndromic CHD observed in these populations as well as careful phenotyping (including echocardiography) will greatly enhance our potential to provide insight into the genetic architecture of CHD in African populations. To accomplish this, we plan to enroll families, in whom members have congenital heart malformations consistent with an error of early human development in our research protocol. Patients will be enrolled at the Uganda Heart Institute in Kampala, Uganda, and at the Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria, with the potential to include other African sites. High throughput genomic studies will be done at the NIH.

Detailed Description

Recent advances in genomic techniques are making possible a new wave of genetic discovery in congenital heart disease (CHD). Existing data suggests that CHD occur in Sub-Saharan Africa at frequencies similar to the rest of the world. In this application, we propose to utilize the unique advantages of Sub-Saharan Africa - a combination of the most genetically diverse populations in the world and of diminished environmental background effects (i.e. low prevalence of smoking, alcohol abuse, obesity in comparison to western countries) - to better understand the genetic basis for congenital heart disease. We will couple next generation genomic techniques with more traditional gene discovery methods to investigate CHD in two African countries: Uganda and Nigeria. The inclusion of syndromic and non-syndromic CHD observed in these populations as well as careful phenotyping (including echocardiography) will greatly enhance our potential to provide insight into the genetic architecture of CHD in African populations. To accomplish this, we plan to enroll families, in whom members have congenital heart malformations consistent with an error of early human development in our research protocol. Patients will be enrolled at the Uganda Heart Institute in Kampala, Uganda, and at the Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria, with the potential to include other African sites. High throughput genomic studies will be done at the NIH.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
1233
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Genetic DiagnosisOne patient visit only

The primary outcome is a genetic diagnosis for congenital heart disease. There are no treatments.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod

Trial Locations

Locations (3)

College of Medicine, University of Lagos

🇳🇬

Lagos, Nigeria

Childrens National Medical Center

🇺🇸

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Chiang Mai University

🇹🇭

Chiangmai, Thailand

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath