Ethnic differences in CF genetic coding not addressed in screening tests for nonwhite patients

(Elsevier Health Sciences) Cystic fibrosis (CF) occurs less frequently in nonwhites than in whites, and nonwhites tend to be diagnosed at a later age. Delaying diagnosis can result in postponed treatment and clinical deterioration. A new study in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics found that one reason for this ethnic disparity in CF diagnoses is that the variants examined in the most common CF newborn screening panels do not sufficiently include the variants present in nonwhite populations.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news