The biomaterials currently available for this population are shown in the table below:

Population Description

Principal Investigator for Community Engagement and Sample Collection:
Morris Foster, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

These cell lines and DNA samples were prepared from blood samples collected in the Southwest USA. The samples are from 11 parent-adult child trios, 24 parent-adult child duos and 9 unrelated individuals. The samples were collected from individuals who identified themselves primarily as African-American. All parents in the trios and duos, and all the unrelated individuals identified themselves as having four African-American grandparents who were born in the same general area of the Southwest USA.

It is important to include a reference to "Southwest USA" when describing the source of these samples in articles or presentations. Including the area of the United States were these samples were collected reinforces the point that the sample set, while not genetically "atypical", does not necessarily represent all African-American people in the United States, whose population history is complex. The population should not be described as "African American" out of respect for the expressed wishes of the donor community. It also should not be described "African".

After the complete descriptor "African Ancestry in SW USA" has been provided, it is acceptable to use the shorthand label "African Ancestry SW" or the abbreviation "ASW" in the remainder of the article or presentation. However, the full descriptor for the population should be provided before the shorthand labels are used; this will help to avoid the risks associated with over-generalization of findings.

It may be scientifically appropriate to pool data from these samples with data from other ancestrally related groups, when the data show that the groups have similar allele frequencies. If the groups all have primarily African ancestry, the designation "African ancestry" (abbreviation: AFA) to describe the combined analysis panel is recommended. If only groups very closely related to this group of African ancestry individuals have similar allele frequencies, then another abbreviation may need to be used.

Additional guidance about how to refer to the populations can be found at Guidelines for Referring to the Populations in Publications and Presentations.

Policies and Guidelines

• Important Information for Investigators Who Order Samples
• Information Provided to Sample Donor Communities
• Secondary Distribution and Shared Use of Cell Cultures and DNA Samples