title: Familial aggregation and excess maternal transmission of type 2 diabetes in Tunisia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the degree of familial aggregation of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Tunisia and to investigate transmission patterns of the disease and their relationships with patients' clinical profiles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Family history of diabetes and clinical data were collected for 132 unrelated type 2 diabetic Tunisian patients. Diabetes status was recorded for first degree relatives (parents, siblings) and second degree relatives (aunts and uncles from both maternal and paternal sides). Information about family history of diabetes was gathered for a total of 1767 individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Familial aggregation of type 2 diabetes was prominent and more important among first degree relatives than among second degree relatives (p = 0.01). Among studied subjects, 70% reported at least one relative with diabetes and 34% had at least one parent with diabetes. Diabetes was more frequent among mothers than fathers of probands (p = 0.03). This maternal effect extends to second degree relatives as diabetes was more common among maternal than paternal aunts and uncles (p = 0.01). There is no significant difference in clinical and metabolic profiles between patients according to transmission patterns of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest familial aggregation and excess maternal transmission of type 2 diabetes in the Tunisian studied population.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Investigation of Genetic Orphan Diseases Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Tunis. Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Imen
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arfa
authors.forename: Abdelmajid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abid
authors.forename: Dhafer
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malouche
authors.forename: Nissaf
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ben Alaya
authors.forename: Théophile Roland
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Azegue
authors.forename: Imen
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mannai
authors.forename: Mohamed Majdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Zorgati
authors.forename: Mohamed Chiheb
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ben Rayana
authors.forename: Slim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Ammar
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blousa-Chabchoub
authors.forename: Habiba
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ben Romdhane
authors.forename: Béchir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zouari
authors.forename: Mohamed Koussay
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Dellagi
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdelhak
mesh_terms: D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D014416:Tunisia