Cystic fibrosis carrier frequency and estimated prevalence of the disease in Morocco.

BACKGROUND The epidemiology of cystic fibrosis (CF) is poorly known in North African populations, in particular in Morocco and the CF carrier frequency in the general Moroccan population has never been evaluated. METHODS To estimate the prevalence of CF mutations in Morocco, blood samples from 150 healthy Moroccans were tested for frequent CFTR mutations and the intron 8 polyT variant. RESULTS Two subjects were heterozygous for F508del and eight others for the (T)5 variant. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that the Moroccan population is at risk for CF and CFTR-related disorders. CF prevalence could be in the range of that found in European populations. Wider studies are necessary to identify the clinical pattern and accurately determine the prevalence and molecular basis of CF in Morocco.