A meta-analysis of the prevalence of the mutation LRRK2 G2019S in patients with Parkinson's disease in Africa

Abstract Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease. Although the etiology of PD remains unclear, there is increasing evidence of the contribution of the genetic factors to the onset of this pathology. The present study aims to assess the implication of the LRRK2 G2019S mutation in the development of PD in African populations. This meta-analysis included nine previous studies, carried out on a total of 3266 participants (1427 patients and 1839 controls), which we divided into two subgroups: North Africa, with 2683 participants; and Sub-Sahara, with 583 participants. The calculated odds ratio (OR), of the G2019S mutation in the total African populations, was around 27.42 [95% CI: 17.78, 42.29]. The OR was higher in North Africa (27.69 [95% CI: 17.86, 42.91]), compared to Sub-Saharan Africa (16.91 [95% CI: 0.91, 315.57]), However, the association between the PD and the mutation was not significant in the Sub-Saharan group. This meta-analysis suggests that the mutation LRRK2 G2019S appears to be a monogenic factor for the development of PD in North Africa, unlike Sub-Saharan Africa, where the G2019S mutation does not seem to be associated to PD. However, further studies are needed in order to evaluate this association in African populations.