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Gombault C, Grenet G, Segurel L, Duret L, Gueyffier F, Cathébras P, Pontier D, Mainbourg S, Sanchez-Mazas A, Lega JC. Population designations in biomedical research: Limitations and perspectives. HLA 2023; 101:3-15. [PMID: 36258305 PMCID: PMC10099491 DOI: 10.1111/tan.14852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In biomedical research, population differences are of central interest. Variations in the frequency and severity of diseases and in treatment effects among human subpopulation groups are common in many medical conditions. Unfortunately, the practices in terms of subpopulation labeling do not exhibit the level of rigor one would expect in biomedical research, especially when studying multifactorial diseases such as cancer or atherosclerosis. The reporting of population differences in clinical research is characterized by large disparities in practices, and fraught with methodological issues and inconsistencies. The actual designations such as "Black" or "Asian" refer to broad and heterogeneous groups, with a great discrepancy among countries. Moreover, the use of obsolete concepts such as "Caucasian" is unfortunate and imprecise. The use of adequate labeling to reflect the scientific hypothesis needs to be promoted. Furthermore, the use of "race/ethnicity" as a unique cause of human heterogeneity may distract from investigating other factors related to a medical condition, particularly if this label is employed as a proxy for cultural habits, diet, or environmental exposure. In addition, the wide range of opinions among researchers does not facilitate the attempts made for resolving this heterogeneity in labeling. "Race," "ethnicity," "ancestry," "geographical origin," and other similar concepts are saturated with meanings. Even if the feasibility of a global consensus on labeling seems difficult, geneticists, sociologists, anthropologists, and ethicists should help develop policies and practices for the biomedical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Gombault
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Lyon, France
| | - Guillaume Grenet
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Lyon, France.,Pole de Santé Publique, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire de PharmacoToxicologie, Lyon, France
| | - Laure Segurel
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Lyon, France
| | - Laurent Duret
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Lyon, France
| | - François Gueyffier
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Lyon, France.,Pôle de Santé Publique, Hospices Civils De Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Pascal Cathébras
- Service de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Nord, CHU de Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Dominique Pontier
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Lyon, France
| | - Sabine Mainbourg
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Lyon, France.,Service de Médecine Interne et Pathologie Vasculaire, Hôpital Lyon Sud, Hospices Civils De Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Alicia Sanchez-Mazas
- Laboratory of Anthropology, Genetics and Peopling history, Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Christophe Lega
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Lyon, France.,Service de Médecine Interne et Pathologie Vasculaire, Hôpital Lyon Sud, Hospices Civils De Lyon, Lyon, France
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Galland L, Gombault C, Khalaf G, Koudri M, Grenet G, Cucherat M, Kassai B, Cathébras P, Duret L, Lemaitre J, Mainbourg S, Lega J. Classification des populations humaines dans les essais cliniques randomisés : une revue systématique. Rev Med Interne 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.revmed.2020.10.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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