Objective: The Moroccan LRRK2 Registry aims to establish a comprehensive database integrating clinical data and biosamples to provide valuable insights into the penetrance, phenotype, and biomarkers associated with the LRRK2 G2019S mutation in North Africans. Additionally, this registry will serve as a platform for longitudinal follow-up, enabling the monitoring of disease progression over time.
Background: The LRRK2 G2019S mutation is the most frequent dominantly inherited form of Parkinson’s disease (PD) occurring in 6% of familial and 1.5% of sporadic cases globally. The highest carrier rates are in North Africa, with 37% for familial PD, 41% in sporadic cases, and 1% in control subjects (Bouhouche A et al., 2017). Mutation penetrance changes according to age, ethnicity, and other genetic or environmental elements, but is not well known. Understanding these factors is crucial for earlier detection and treatment options, more so with the developments in genetic testing and LRRK2 interventions (Tolosa 2020).
Method: In May 2024, we began the recruitment exercises which included Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences in Casablanca, Mohammed V University in Rabat, and the UCL’s Institute of Neurology. The participants included PD patients with LRRK2 G2019S mutation from Kenitra, Errachidia, Fez, Khenifra, and Casablanca, as well as unaffected relatives, ipidopathic PD cases, and controls.
The recruited subjects undergo assessment of motor, non-motor, cognitive symptoms, and digital biomarkers. Collected biosamples include DNA, RNA, plasma, serum, urine, dried blood spots, and nasal swabs.
Results: As of March 2025, a total of 420 participants have been recruited, including 120 PD patients, 100 unaffected relatives, and 200 control participants. All participants have submitted clinical data and a full set of biosamples. Genotyping, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses are currently underway.
Conclusion: The Moroccan LRRK2 Registry is evolving into a valuable resource for understanding the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of PD in North African populations. This initiative will generate critical insights into the LRRK2 G2019S mutation, its penetrance, and its molecular mechanisms. Findings from this registry are expected to inform future therapeutic strategies and improve clinical care for affected populations.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Y. Razouqi, M. Megraoui, F. Belahsen, L. Bouguenouch, B. Elmakhzen, H. Ouhabi, J. Aasfara, Y. Zaid, A. Atpu, L. Khalki, M. Rizig. The Moroccan LRRK2 Registry: Building Resources to Investigate the Penetrance and Phenotype of LRRK2 in North Africans [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2025; 40 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-moroccan-lrrk2-registry-building-resources-to-investigate-the-penetrance-and-phenotype-of-lrrk2-in-north-africans/. Accessed November 20, 2025.« Back to 2025 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-moroccan-lrrk2-registry-building-resources-to-investigate-the-penetrance-and-phenotype-of-lrrk2-in-north-africans/