Cyprus-Forum.com

[Oracle]

So, have the racists like Bananiot, supporttheunderdog and Denizaksulu finally realized that migratory markers can confirm historical and migration tracks of Man - who is represented by only ONE race - but can not be abused for their political, segregationist agendas?

Because, being ONE race, it is down to our cultural practices and moral integrity, upholding of accepted mass/majority norms, as to whether we are better or lesser Human beings and not whether we have blue eyes or brown!

[denizaksulu]

Here is THE latest (abridged) study on Cypriots ... (not the much re-hashed 1992 Turk-preferred propaganda!

..................................................................................................

HEMOGLOBIN VARIANTS IN CYPRUS

Andreani R. Kyrri,1 Xenia Felekis,2 Eleni Kalogerou,1 Barbara J. Wild,3
Loukas Kythreotis,1 Marios Phylactides,2 and Marina Kleanthous2

1Thalassaemia Centre, Makarios Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus
2Thalassaemia Department, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus 3Haematology Department, King’s College Hospital, London, UK

Hemoglobin: 2009

Cyprus, located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean region, has been a place of eastern and western civilizations, and the presence of various hemoglobin (Hb) variants can be considered a testimony to past colonizations of the island. In this study, we report the structural Hb variants identified in the Cypriot population (Greek Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians, and Latinos) during the thalassemia screening of 248,000 subjects carried out at the Thalassaemia Centre, Nicosia, Cyprus, over a period of 26 years. A sample population of 65,668 people was used to determine the frequency and localization of several of the variants identified in Cyprus. The localization of some of the variants in regions where the presence of foreign people was most prevalent provides important clues to the origin of the variants. Twelve structural variants have been identified by DNA sequencing, nine concerning the b-globin gene and three concerning the a-globin gene.

The presence of some of these variants is likely to be directly linked to the history of Cyprus, as archeological monuments have been found throughout the island which signify the presence for many years of the Greeks, Syrians, Persians, Arabs, Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Turks.


INTRODUCTION

Cyprus is the second largest island in the Mediterranean, with a population
of 802,500 people. This is composed of five ethnic groups: Greek Cypriots
(708,000), Turkish Cypriots (89,000), Maronites (4,500), Armenians (500), and Latinos (approximately 500) (estimations by the Department of
Statistics and Research, Government of Cyprus, 2002).

The island is situated at the crossroads of three continents, at a point where great civilizations meet, and as a result has developed and maintained its own civilization for thousands of years, assimilating various influences but retaining the Greek civilization throughout and maintaining its Greek character. The influence of neighboring peoples is not only reflected in the culture of a place but also in the genetic makeup of its population. There has been continual change in the demographic status of Cyprus over the past few years due to the influx of various nationalities from Europe and other continents, and it is expected that additional non-native Hb variants have been and will continue
to be introduced to the island. A picture of the common Cypriot variant Hbs has been built up over the past 26 years through the Cyprus Thalassaemia Screening Programme.

RESULTS

The bS allele tends to be highly localized along the north and eastern
coast of the island, in the Morphou, Kyrenia, Karpasia, and Famagusta
districts (Figure 1). All the Hb D carriers identified originated from a total
of four villages, Deftera and Flasou in the Nicosia district, and Vasilia and
Lapithos in the Kyrenia district. The district of Larnaca in the south of
Cyprus is the main origin for Hb Lepore-WB with the main foci concentrated in the rural areas of this district.

Hb Setif is the most frequent a-globin variant (0.1%) and is mainly
located in the coastal area of the Kyrenia district in the northern part of
Cyprus. Sporadic cases were also found in certain villages of the district of
Paphos in the west. Another main focus of this a-globin variant is the village of Fterikoudi in the Troodos mountain range in the district of Nicosia. It has been observed that most of the rare Hb variants encountered in our study originate mainly from coastal villages in the north, east, and southern parts of Cyprus.

DISCUSSION

The structural Hb [Haemoglobin] variants identified in the Greek Cypriot population, both the rare and the more common ones, included both a-chain and b-chain variants. The presence of these variants shows that Cyprus can be considered at the same time a country of Greek, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern civilizations.
Throughout its history, Cyprus has been subjected to raids, foreign settlements, and colonizations.

From the fifth to the tenth century AD Cyprus was a province of the
Greek Byzantine Empire, and according to historical sources during this
time, it frequently came under attack from pirates who were based on the
shores of North Africa (24). The Byzantines guarded their provinces using soldiers originating from throughout the Byzantine Empire including
Black Africans who were granted their freedom in exchange for their services.
The north of Cyprus has historical evidence of these past skirmishes
with various fortifications and castles like Buffavento, Kantara, and Saint
Hilarion still standing. Slaves were also brought to the island by the Arabs
during their invasions and later by the Franks, Venetians, and Ottoman
Turks who settled in the fertile lands of Morphou, Messaoria, and
Karpasia. This explains the presence of the main foci of Hb S in this part of
the island.

Hb Lepore in Cyprus was identified in this study to be of the Washington-
Boston type, which is the predominant type of Hb Lepore worldwide. It is
common among other Mediterranean populations, especially in central
and eastern Mediterranean countries (25). It is possible that there was a
common origin for Hb Lepore-WB that spread by population migrations.
On the other hand, the presence of Hb Lepore-WB in diverse ethnic
groups, such as the Eastern Mediterraneans, Europeans, African Americans, Jamaicans, and Asian Indians, strongly suggests that at least in some areas this variant must have arisen independently.

The introduction of Hb Lepore-WB to Cyprus may be due to past colonization of the island by the Greeks (fifteenth to fifth century BC) (26,27), Persians (fifth to third century BC), Romans (first century BC), or the Venetians (thirteenth century AD) (26,28–30) or it might be due to the fact that Cyprus was a crossroad and a landing place for trade with the Middle East and North Africa.

The localization of Hb Lepore-WB to various villages in the fertile land near
Larnaca may be due to the fact that Larnaca was used as the main port in
Cyprus for commercial traffic and as a landing stage for people from countries all over the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Many delegations and embassies were present in Larnaca from the eleventh to the twentieth century AD. Interestingly, the villages in the Larnaca district that are currently the foci of Hb Lepore-WB incidences had been settled by the Italians after the twelfth century AD following the Venetian and Frankish occupation of Cyprus.

Hb D-Punjab, which is rarely found in Cyprus (0.02%), is confined to only a few villages located in the Nicosia district (Deftera and Flasou) and in the Kyrenia district (Vasilia and Lapithos). This is a stable b-globin variant encountered in neighboring countries such as Turkey (31); Morocco,Algeria, and Tunisia (32); India (33); Iran (34); Greece (35) as well as in the United Kingdom (36) and the United States (37). The presence of this variant in Cyprus may be explained on the basis of population migrations and covers the period of appearance of the mutation and its distribution to Northern India, Iran, and Turkey and may reflect the pattern of migrations that occurred in the region during the times of Darious I of Persia or later during the Mongol invasion.

It must be noted that Cyprus was under Persian rule from 521 to 485 BC and Ottoman occupation for almost 308 years (AD 1570–1878).

Most of the remaining b-globin variants encountered in Cyprus were
originally identified in neighboring countries. Hb Beirut was found in
members of a Lebanese family, Hb Knossos was found in Greece and other Mediterranean countries, Hb Serres was also found in Greece. Hb Nicosia was found in a Greek Cypriot boy living in Russia in 1983. Hb G-Accra was found in Black families from Ghana. The case reported in this study was not inherited from the parents but resulted from a spontaneous mutation.

A novel variant encountered during the screening of 250,000 Greek Cypriots is Hb Limassol (1). Hb Setif is the most common of the a-globin structural variant in Cyprus (0.1%). The main focus for the presence of this variant is the village of Fterikoudi in the mountain range of Troodos. The cases reported so far refer to families originating from the north (Kyrenia and Karpasia) and west of Cyprus (Paphos district). Hb Setif is found in the Mediterranean region. It was first described in an Algerian male in a Kamyl family (10) and is frequently found in the Arabo-Berber ethnic group in North Africa. The pirate raids in the seventh and ninth centuries AD from North Africa to Cyprus, the presence of the Persians, Egyptians, and the Assyrians from 1050 to 325 BC, as well as trade settlements are the main reasons that Hb Setif is present in Cyprus today.

The rare a-globin variant Hb Handsworth was found in an Indian, a Chinese, and a Saudi Arabian family. Hb Fontainebleau was found in an Italian family (12).
Among 1,000 cord blood samples screened, no g-globin variants were
detected, indicating that the frequency of g-globin variants in Cyprus is very low or nonexistent. Further research through the HbVar database on the frequency and origin of g-chain variants in the neighboring countries has revealed the low frequency of g-chain variants in these countries as well, i.e.,in Greece, two cases of g-chain variants, Hb F-Lesvos [Gg75(E19)Ile→Thr] and Hb F-Alexandra [g12(A9)Thr→Lys] (which were found in single families), have been described.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we drew upon historical data and records to explain the
localization patterns identified for the different Hb variants encountered in
Cyprus in a population of Greek Cypriot origin. The common Hb variants
(Hb S, Hb D-Punjab, Hb Lepore-WB) are highly concentrated in the north,
east, and south coastal areas of Cyprus, a fact strongly indicating that they are the ‘genetic heritage’ of several conquerors who came to the island through the years. The rare Hb variants, encountered in one or two families in each case, are located in the same areas and most probably have their origin from the neighboring Mediterranean, Middle East, and North African countries. In the last 10 years, an increased influx of people from various countries has been observed. Firstly, a number of Philippino women, who originally came to Cyprus for employment as domestic staff, have married local people and remained on the island. More recently, an influx of people was observed from other European countries, especially Russia, Ukraine, Moldavia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Georgia. The introduction of, and intermingling with, people of different genetic backgrounds will open a new a chapter in the genetic history of the globin genes in Cyprus, possibly introducing new mutations and different Hb variants.

Samples do not include TC's. Isn't that incomplete data?

In this study, we report the structural Hb variants identified in the Cypriot population (Greek Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians, and Latinos) during the thalassemia screening of 248,000 subjects carried out at the Thalassaemia Centre, Nicosia, Cyprus, over a period of 26 years

[denizaksulu]

So, have the racists like Bananiot, supporttheunderdog and Denizaksulu finally realized that migratory markers can confirm historical and migration tracks of Man - who is represented by only ONE race - but can not be abused for their political, segregationist agendas?

Because, being ONE race, it is down to our cultural practices and moral integrity, upholding of accepted mass/majority norms, as to whether we are better or lesser Human beings and not whether we have blue eyes or brown!

You are completely bonkers to call me racist. Now you have upset me big time.

I was not even supporting any one view on the subject. Genetics is not my forte at all.

[Oracle]

Out of respect for Kafenes, my one true indisputable Cypriot, I'm going to take some leave, now

[runaway]

Out of respect for Kafenes, my one true indisputable Cypriot, I'm going to take some leave, now

fuck off

[denizaksulu]

Out of respect for Kafenes, my one true indisputable Cypriot, I'm going to take some leave, now

fuck off

That was uncalled for R.

[supporttheunderdog]

Thank you for this

1) I have always been happy to reconsider my position on the basis of aobjective eviddnce - I said as much some time back.

2) I have always condemned racism and have never agreed with Eugenics.

3) However as I understand it this particular study concentrated on the Greek Speaking Cypriot populace and makes little reference to the Turkish speaking Cypriots (by which I exclude the post 1974 settlers who are Turkish speaking Turks) so, unless I have mis-read it, it neither supports nor disproves any theory relating to the closer genetic links between the "GC" and "TC" on the one hand and with the so called mother lands on the other, where as the 1992 Study at least contained some comparative data, albeit probably limited (which does NOT appear to be discredited by this study).

[denizaksulu]

Thank you for this

1) I have always been happy to reconsider my position on the basis of aobjective eviddnce - I said as much some time back.

2) I have always condemned racism and have never agreed with Eugenics.

3) However as I understand it this particular study concentrated on the Greek Speaking Cypriot populace and makes little reference to the Turkish speaking Cypriots (by which I exclude the post 1974 settlers who are Turkish speaking Turks) so, unless I have mis-read it, it neither supports nor disproves any theory relating to the closer genetic links between the "GC" and "TC" on the one hand and with the so called mother lands on the other, where as the 1992 Study at least contained some comparative data, albeit probably limited (which does NOT appear to be discredited by this study).

So I am not racist after all.

[supporttheunderdog]

Out of respect for Kafenes, my one true indisputable Cypriot, I'm going to take some leave, now

fuck off

Runaway - In the context of what is wrong with Kafenes that's offensive! Now you fuck off!

[supporttheunderdog]

So, have the racists like Bananiot, supporttheunderdog and Denizaksulu finally realized that migratory markers can confirm historical and migration tracks of Man - who is represented by only ONE race - but can not be abused for their political, segregationist agendas?

Because, being ONE race, it is down to our cultural practices and moral integrity, upholding of accepted mass/majority norms, as to whether we are better or lesser Human beings and not whether we have blue eyes or brown!

I thought it a bit rich of O to accuse others of Racism, bearing in mind the bile that pours out of her about the British and the Turks.