Genetics Disorders which might affect
Franco-Americans

Introduction

Acadians and Cajuns:

Friedreich Ataxia
Tay-Sachs Disease
Alstrom Syndrome
Niemann-Pick Disease without Sphingomyelinase Deficiency
Usher Syndrome, Type III
Hyperlysinemia

French Canadians:

Hypercholesterolemia, Familial
Tay-Sachs Disease
Hyperlipoproteinemia, Type I
Phenylketonuria
Cystic Fibrosis
Hemoglobin--Beta Locus
Tyrosinemia, Type I
Dystrophia Myotonica
Ceroid-Lipofuscinosis, Neuronal 2, Late Infantile Type
Apolipoprotein B
Solute Carrier Family 3, Member 1
Gaucher Disease, Type I
Histidinemia
Leber Optic Atrophy
Pseudovitamin D Deficiency Rickets
Spastic Ataxia, Charlevoix-Saguenay Type
Multiple Carboxylase Deficiency, Late-Onset
Dibasicaminoaciduria II
Thyroxine-Binding Globulin of Serum

Ataxia

From: Wes216@aol.com
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 22:24:15 EST

ATAXIA is a Cajun Disease. For more information, see

• Google
• http://cajunheart.tripod.com/

  ---

Which ataxia? Friedreich ataxia? It is a well-know disease here in Quebec, because of Claude St-Jean, my neighbour's first cousin. His family was badly hurt (4 out of 5 children with the disease, two ever dead). See

• http://www.cam.org/~acaf/docs/combat.html (no longer valid)
• http://www.cam.org/~acaf/docs/oratoire.html (no longer valid)

Claude founded an association for promoting research: http://www.lacaf.org/
Another interessant link (Switzlerland): http://www.achaf.org/us/index2.html

Yvonne

Alpha-1

From: Jacques L'Heureux
Date: Wed, 08 Jan 2003 09:44:29 -0500

Alpha-1 is another inherited desease that affected a Baril branch in the St-Thecle area (central Quebec). A cousin Claude Baril and a radio announcer in Montréal formed an association and for several years, was in charge of a website on it at http://www.alpha2alpha.net/memorials.htm. He died from it but the website is being continued.

Jacques

From: "Jane Tannenwald" <tannenj@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 20:51:48 -0500

Hi
Just read about the Alpha-1 inherited disease that affected a Baril branch of the family.I had a rare familial non-malignant heart tumor called Atrial myxoma. Has anyone ever reported this as occurring in the family. I know my first degree female relatives were advised to have echocardiograms.

Jane

Genetic Deseases in General

From: llepore@juno.com
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 02:57:34 -0500

Hi George -

I'd start here with John P. DuLong's site: Genetic Disorders, Databases, and Genealogy:
http://habitant.org/genetics.htm. Lot's of links and books about the subject - also a list of French Canadian and Acadian diseases.

Your family group may want to investigate this BYU study:
http://molecular-genealogy.byu.edu/participate.htm

Acadian Genetic disorders
http://www.angelfire.com/la2/GenealogyHome/AcadianGenetics.html

HELP FOR CAJUN ILLNESSES Congressman William Tauzin - LA03
http://www.house.gov/tauzin/health.htm

Here are some other sites - not necessarily French Canadian.

HHMI Longwood & HMS Genetics Site Search
http://genetics.med.harvard.edu/htdig/

Building and Understanding Your Medical Family History
http://www.jamesline.com/output/genwkbk/7.htm

Creating a Family Medical History
http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9612/htm/fami_1sb.htm

Genealogy and Genetics
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/1439/

Hereditary Disease Foundation:
http://www.hdfoundation.org

Cyndis List for Medical, Medicine, Genetics:
http://www.cyndislist.com/medical.htm

Welcome to Family Health History:
http://www.yourfamilyconnection.com/health.htm

You might want to go the list archives at rootsweb.com because this subject has come up in the past, or do a search for genetic disorders.

Lisa

Links for Further Research

• PubMed - Department of Health & Human Services
• Links to the Genetic World - Human Genome Project
• Inherited Deseases affecting the Saguenay-Lake-St-John Region of Quebec (French)
• Friedreich Ataxia - Swiss Association

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