the DF508 deletion is present in:45% of Italians30% of African Americans30% of Ashkenazi JewsThe type of genetic testing used to detect the DF508 deletion and other mutations is called direct testing. Current testing readily detects up to 90% of carriers in the North European Caucasian population lining in North American and 95% of the CF carriers in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Approximately 50% of carriers in Hispanic and African American populations are detectable (Lory, 1999). Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disorder that affects many functions of the body: breathing, digestion, and reproduction. The lifelong illness usually gets more severe with age and can affect both males and female equally. The symptoms and severity of cystic fibrosis differ from person to person. Most patients have both respiratory and digestive problems, while others only have respiratory problems. Intelligence is not affected in people with CF. People with cystic fibrosis have secretions that are thick and sticky rather than thin and watery. In CF the glands that produce mucus, saliva, and intestinal fluids do not work properly. Thick mucus in the lungs interferes with the removal of dust and germs and can cause breathing problems, infections, and lung damage. The traditional first line of defense against the build-up of mucus is a regime of physical therapy, which helps bring up the thick mucus using mechanical methods and coughing. This needs to be done once or more times per day, every day (Ramsey, B. W., 1999). In addition to mechanical stimulation, there are medical treatments that are also useful in helping remove and prevent the viscous secretions. A medical breakthrough in recent years was the discovery that of the three components that make up the thick mucus (protein, bacteria, and DNA of dead white blood cells) the DNA from the WBCs are most responsible for airway destruction. The concentration of dead white bl...
