Annotating DNA variants is the next major goal for human genetics.

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Cutting, Garry R

2014-01-02

Clinical genetic testing has undergone a dramatic transformation in the past two decades. Diagnostic laboratories that previously tested for well-established disease-causing DNA variants in a handful of genes have evolved into sequencing factories identifying thousands of variants of known and unknown medical consequence. Sorting out what does and does not cause disease in our genomes is the next great challenge in making genetics a central feature of healthcare. I propose that closing the gap in our ability to interpret variation responsible for Mendelian disorders provides a grand and unprecedented opportunity for geneticists. Human geneticists are well placed to coordinate a systematic evaluation of variants in collaboration with basic scientists and clinicians. Sharing of knowledge, data, methods, and tools will aid both researchers and healthcare workers in achieving their common goal of defining the pathogenic potential of variants. Generation of variant annotations will inform genetic testing and will deepen our understanding of gene and protein function, thereby aiding the search for molecular targeted therapies. Copyright © 2014 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ancient mtDNA genetic variants modulate mtDNA transcription and replication.

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Sarit Suissa

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Although the functional consequences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA genetic backgrounds (haplotypes, haplogroups have been demonstrated by both disease association studies and cell culture experiments, it is not clear which of the mutations within the haplogroup carry functional implications and which are "evolutionary silent hitchhikers". We set forth to study the functionality of haplogroup-defining mutations within the mtDNA transcription/replication regulatory region by in vitro transcription, hypothesizing that haplogroup-defining mutations occurring within regulatory motifs of mtDNA could affect these processes. We thus screened >2500 complete human mtDNAs representing all major populations worldwide for natural variation in experimentally established protein binding sites and regulatory regions comprising a total of 241 bp in each mtDNA. Our screen revealed 77/241 sites showing point mutations that could be divided into non-fixed (57/77, 74% and haplogroup/sub-haplogroup-defining changes (i.e., population fixed changes, 20/77, 26%. The variant defining Caucasian haplogroup J (C295T increased the binding of TFAM (Electro Mobility Shift Assay and the capacity of in vitro L-strand transcription, especially of a shorter transcript that maps immediately upstream of conserved sequence block 1 (CSB1, a region associated with RNA priming of mtDNA replication. Consistent with this finding, cybrids (i.e., cells sharing the same nuclear genetic background but differing in their mtDNA backgrounds harboring haplogroup J mtDNA had a >2 fold increase in mtDNA copy number, as compared to cybrids containing haplogroup H, with no apparent differences in steady state levels of mtDNA-encoded transcripts. Hence, a haplogroup J regulatory region mutation affects mtDNA replication or stability, which may partially account for the phenotypic impact of this haplogroup. Our analysis thus demonstrates, for the first time, the functional impact of particular mt

Novel genetic variants in miR-191 gene and familial ovarian cancer

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Shen, Jie; DiCioccio, Richard; Odunsi, Kunle; Lele, Shashikant B; Zhao, Hua

2010-01-01

Half of the familial aggregation of ovarian cancer can't be explained by any known risk genes, suggesting the existence of other genetic risk factors. Some of these unknown factors may not be traditional protein encoding genes. MicroRNA (miRNA) plays a critical role in tumorigenesis, but it is still unknown if variants in miRNA genes lead to predisposition to cancer. Considering the fact that miRNA regulates a number of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and oncogenes, genetic variations in miRNA genes could affect the levels of expression of TSGs or oncogenes and, thereby, cancer risk. To test this hypothesis in familial ovarian cancer, we screened for genetic variants in thirty selected miRNA genes, which are predicted to regulate key ovarian cancer genes and are reported to be misexpressed in ovarian tumor tissues, in eighty-three patients with familial ovarian cancer. All of the patients are non-carriers of any known BRCA1/2 or mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutations. Seven novel genetic variants were observed in four primary or precursor miRNA genes. Among them, three rare variants were found in the precursor or primary precursor of the miR-191 gene. In functional assays, the one variant located in the precursor of miR-191 resulted in conformational changes in the predicted secondary structures, and consequently altered the expression of mature miR-191. In further analysis, we found that this particular variant exists in five family members who had ovarian cancer. Our findings suggest that there are novel genetic variants in miRNA genes, and those certain genetic variants in miRNA genes can affect the expression of mature miRNAs and, consequently, might alter the regulation of TSGs or oncogenes. Additionally, the variant might be potentially associated with the development of familial ovarian cancer

Genetic variants in hormone-related genes and risk of breast cancer.

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Tess Clendenen

Full Text Available Sex hormones play a key role in the development of breast cancer. Certain polymorphic variants (SNPs and repeat polymorphisms in hormone-related genes are associated with sex hormone levels. However, the relationship observed between these genetic variants and breast cancer risk has been inconsistent. We conducted a case-control study nested within two prospective cohorts to assess the relationship between specific genetic variants in hormone-related genes and breast cancer risk. In total, 1164 cases and 2111 individually-matched controls were included in the study. We did not observe an association between potential functional genetic polymorphisms in the estrogen pathway, SHBG rs6259, ESR1 rs2234693, CYP19 rs10046 and rs4775936, and UGT1A1 rs8175347, or the progesterone pathway, PGR rs1042838, with the risk of breast cancer. Our results suggest that these genetic variants do not have a strong effect on breast cancer risk.

Changes in classification of genetic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2.

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Kast, Karin; Wimberger, Pauline; Arnold, Norbert

2018-02-01

Classification of variants of unknown significance (VUS) in the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 changes with accumulating evidence for clinical relevance. In most cases down-staging towards neutral variants without clinical significance is possible. We searched the database of the German Consortium for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (GC-HBOC) for changes in classification of genetic variants as an update to our earlier publication on genetic variants in the Centre of Dresden. Changes between 2015 and 2017 were recorded. In the group of variants of unclassified significance (VUS, Class 3, uncertain), only changes of classification towards neutral genetic variants were noted. In BRCA1, 25% of the Class 3 variants (n = 2/8) changed to Class 2 (likely benign) and Class 1 (benign). In BRCA2, in 50% of the Class 3 variants (n = 16/32), a change to Class 2 (n = 10/16) or Class 1 (n = 6/16) was observed. No change in classification was noted in Class 4 (likely pathogenic) and Class 5 (pathogenic) genetic variants in both genes. No up-staging from Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3 to more clinical significance was observed. All variants with a change in classification in our cohort were down-staged towards no clinical significance by a panel of experts of the German Consortium for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (GC-HBOC). Prevention in families with Class 3 variants should be based on pedigree based risks and should not be guided by the presence of a VUS.

m6ASNP: a tool for annotating genetic variants by m6A function.

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Jiang, Shuai; Xie, Yubin; He, Zhihao; Zhang, Ya; Zhao, Yuli; Chen, Li; Zheng, Yueyuan; Miao, Yanyan; Zuo, Zhixiang; Ren, Jian

2018-04-02

Large-scale genome sequencing projects have identified many genetic variants for diverse diseases. A major goal of these projects is to characterize these genetic variants to provide insight into their function and roles in diseases. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most abundant RNA modifications in eukaryotes. Recent studies have revealed that aberrant m6A modifications are involved in many diseases. In this study, we present a user-friendly web server called "m6ASNP" that is dedicated to the identification of genetic variants targeting m6A modification sites. A random forest model was implemented in m6ASNP to predict whether the methylation status of a m6A site is altered by the variants surrounding the site. In m6ASNP, genetic variants in a standard VCF format are accepted as the input data, and the output includes an interactive table containing the genetic variants annotated by m6A function. In addition, statistical diagrams and a genome browser are provided to visualize the characteristics and annotate the genetic variants. We believe that m6ASNP is a highly convenient tool that can be used to boost further functional studies investigating genetic variants. The web server "m6ASNP" is implemented in JAVA and PHP and is freely available at http://m6asnp.renlab.org.

Targeted Genetic Screen in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Reveals Novel Genetic Variants with Synergistic Effect on Clinical Phenotype

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Johnathan Cooper-Knock

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is underpinned by an oligogenic rare variant architecture. Identified genetic variants of ALS include RNA-binding proteins containing prion-like domains (PrLDs. We hypothesized that screening genes encoding additional similar proteins will yield novel genetic causes of ALS. The most common genetic variant of ALS patients is a G4C2-repeat expansion within C9ORF72. We have shown that G4C2-repeat RNA sequesters RNA-binding proteins. A logical consequence of this is that loss-of-function mutations in G4C2-binding partners might contribute to ALS pathogenesis independently of and/or synergistically with C9ORF72 expansions. Targeted sequencing of genomic DNA encoding either RNA-binding proteins or known ALS genes (n = 274 genes was performed in ALS patients to identify rare deleterious genetic variants and explore genotype-phenotype relationships. Genomic DNA was extracted from 103 ALS patients including 42 familial ALS patients and 61 young-onset (average age of onset 41 years sporadic ALS patients; patients were chosen to maximize the probability of identifying genetic causes of ALS. Thirteen patients carried a G4C2-repeat expansion of C9ORF72. We identified 42 patients with rare deleterious variants; 6 patients carried more than one variant. Twelve mutations were discovered in known ALS genes which served as a validation of our strategy. Rare deleterious variants in RNA-binding proteins were significantly enriched in ALS patients compared to control frequencies (p = 5.31E-18. Nineteen patients featured at least one variant in a RNA-binding protein containing a PrLD. The number of variants per patient correlated with rate of disease progression (t-test, p = 0.033. We identified eighteen patients with a single variant in a G4C2-repeat binding protein. Patients with a G4C2-binding protein variant in combination with a C9ORF72 expansion had a significantly faster disease course (t-test, p = 0.025. Our data are

Genetic variants in CHI3L1 influencing YKL-40 levels

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Kjaergaard, Alisa D; Johansen, Julia S; Nordestgaard, Børge G

2013-01-01

Despite its important role in many serious diseases, the genetic background for plasma YKL-40 has still not been systematically catalogued. Therefore, we aimed at identifying genetic variants in CHI3L1 influencing plasma YKL-40 levels in the general population.......Despite its important role in many serious diseases, the genetic background for plasma YKL-40 has still not been systematically catalogued. Therefore, we aimed at identifying genetic variants in CHI3L1 influencing plasma YKL-40 levels in the general population....

Genetic variants associated with lung function

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Thyagarajan, Bharat; Wojczynski, Mary; Minster, Ryan L

2014-01-01

with exceptional longevity have not been identified. METHOD: We conducted a genome wide association study (GWAS) to identify novel genetic variants associated with lung function in the Long Life Family Study (LLFS) (n = 3,899). Replication was performed using data from the CHARGE/SpiroMeta consortia...

Genetic characterization of blaNDM-harboring plasmids in carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli from Myanmar.

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Yo Sugawara

Full Text Available The bacterial enzyme New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase hydrolyzes almost all β-lactam antibiotics, including carbapenems, which are drugs of last resort for severe bacterial infections. The spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae that carry the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase gene, blaNDM, poses a serious threat to public health. In this study, we genetically characterized eight carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli isolates from a tertiary care hospital in Yangon, Myanmar. The eight isolates belonged to five multilocus-sequence types and harbored multiple antimicrobial-resistance genes, resulting in resistance against nearly all of the antimicrobial agents tested, except colistin and fosfomycin. Nine plasmids harboring blaNDM genes were identified from these isolates. Multiple blaNDM genes were found in the distinct Inc-replicon types of the following plasmids: an IncA/C2 plasmid harboring blaNDM-1 (n = 1, IncX3 plasmids harboring blaNDM-4 (n = 2 or blaNDM-7 (n = 1, IncFII plasmids harboring blaNDM-4 (n = 1 or blaNDM-5 (n = 3, and a multireplicon F plasmid harboring blaNDM-5 (n = 1. Comparative analysis highlighted the diversity of the blaNDM-harboring plasmids and their distinct characteristics, which depended on plasmid replicon types. The results indicate circulation of phylogenetically distinct strains of carbapenem-resistant E. coli with various plasmids harboring blaNDM genes in the hospital.

Genome-wide characterization of genetic variants and putative regions under selection in meat and egg-type chicken lines.

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Boschiero, Clarissa; Moreira, Gabriel Costa Monteiro; Gheyas, Almas Ara; Godoy, Thaís Fernanda; Gasparin, Gustavo; Mariani, Pilar Drummond Sampaio Corrêa; Paduan, Marcela; Cesar, Aline Silva Mello; Ledur, Mônica Corrêa; Coutinho, Luiz Lehmann

2018-01-25

Meat and egg-type chickens have been selected for several generations for different traits. Artificial and natural selection for different phenotypes can change frequency of genetic variants, leaving particular genomic footprints throghtout the genome. Thus, the aims of this study were to sequence 28 chickens from two Brazilian lines (meat and white egg-type) and use this information to characterize genome-wide genetic variations, identify putative regions under selection using Fst method, and find putative pathways under selection. A total of 13.93 million SNPs and 1.36 million INDELs were identified, with more variants detected from the broiler (meat-type) line. Although most were located in non-coding regions, we identified 7255 intolerant non-synonymous SNPs, 512 stopgain/loss SNPs, 1381 frameshift and 1094 non-frameshift INDELs that may alter protein functions. Genes harboring intolerant non-synonymous SNPs affected metabolic pathways related mainly to reproduction and endocrine systems in the white-egg layer line, and lipid metabolism and metabolic diseases in the broiler line. Fst analysis in sliding windows, using SNPs and INDELs separately, identified over 300 putative regions of selection overlapping with more than 250 genes. For the first time in chicken, INDEL variants were considered for selection signature analysis, showing high level of correlation in results between SNP and INDEL data. The putative regions of selection signatures revealed interesting candidate genes and pathways related to important phenotypic traits in chicken, such as lipid metabolism, growth, reproduction, and cardiac development. In this study, Fst method was applied to identify high confidence putative regions under selection, providing novel insights into selection footprints that can help elucidate the functional mechanisms underlying different phenotypic traits relevant to meat and egg-type chicken lines. In addition, we generated a large catalog of line-specific and common

Genetic mechanisms and age-related macular degeneration: common variants, rare variants, copy number variations, epigenetics, and mitochondrial genetics

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Liu Melissa M

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Age-related macular degeneration (AMD is a complex and multifaceted disease involving contributions from both genetic and environmental influences. Previous work exploring the genetic contributions of AMD has implicated numerous genomic regions and a variety of candidate genes as modulators of AMD susceptibility. Nevertheless, much of this work has revolved around single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, and it is apparent that a significant portion of the heritability of AMD cannot be explained through these mechanisms. In this review, we consider the role of common variants, rare variants, copy number variations, epigenetics, microRNAs, and mitochondrial genetics in AMD. Copy number variations in regulators of complement activation genes (CFHR1 and CFHR3 and glutathione S transferase genes (GSTM1 and GSTT1 have been associated with AMD, and several additional loci have been identified as regions of potential interest but require further evaluation. MicroRNA dysregulation has been linked to the retinal pigment epithelium degeneration in geographic atrophy, ocular neovascularization, and oxidative stress, all of which are hallmarks in the pathogenesis of AMD. Certain mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and SNPs in mitochondrially encoded NADH dehydrogenase genes have also been associated with AMD. The role of these additional mechanisms remains only partly understood, but the importance of their further investigation is clear to elucidate more completely the genetic basis of AMD.

Novel compound heterozygous NMNAT1 variants associated with Leber congenital amaurosis

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Siemiatkowska, Anna M; van den Born, L Ingeborgh; van Genderen, Maria M

2014-01-01

, were screened in 532 additional patients with retinal dystrophies. This cohort encompassed 108 persons with isolated or autosomal recessive cone-rod dystrophy (CRD), 271 with isolated or autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and 49 with autosomal dominant RP, as well as 104 persons with LCA...... and associated phenotypes in different types of inherited retinal dystrophies. METHODS: DNA samples of 161 patients with LCA without genetic diagnosis were analyzed for variants in NMNAT1 using Sanger sequencing. Variants in exon 5 of NMNAT1, which harbors the majority of the previously identified mutations...

Genetics in psychiatry: common variant association studies

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Buxbaum Joseph D

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Many psychiatric conditions and traits are associated with significant heritability. Genetic risk for psychiatric conditions encompass rare variants, identified due to major effect, as well as common variants, the latter analyzed by association analyses. We review guidelines for common variant association analyses, undertaking after assessing evidence of heritability. We highlight the importance of: suitably large sample sizes; an experimental design that controls for ancestry; careful data cleaning; correction for multiple testing; small P values for positive findings; assessment of effect size for positive findings; and, inclusion of an independent replication sample. We also note the importance of a critical discussion of any prior findings, biological follow-up where possible, and a means of accessing the raw data.

The role of common genetic variants in atrial fibrillation

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Paludan-Muller, Christian; Svendsen, Jesper H.; Olesen, Morten S.

2016-01-01

lone AF, has a substantial genetic component. A number of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have indicated that common genetic variants, more precisely the so called single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with AF. Presently more than 10 genomic regions have been identified using...

Lack of Association of CD55 Receptor Genetic Variants and Severe Malaria in Ghanaian Children

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Kathrin Schuldt

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In a recent report, the cellular receptor CD55 was identified as a molecule essential for the invasion of human erythrocytes by Plasmodium falciparum, the causal agent of the most severe form of malaria. As this invasion process represents a critical step during infection with the parasite, it was hypothesized that genetic variants in the gene could affect severe malaria (SM susceptibility. We performed high-resolution variant discovery of rare and common genetic variants in the human CD55 gene. Association testing of these variants in over 1700 SM cases and unaffected control individuals from the malaria-endemic Ashanti Region in Ghana, West Africa, were performed on the basis of single variants, combined rare variant analyses, and reconstructed haplotypes. A total of 26 genetic variants were detected in coding and regulatory regions of CD55. Five variants were previously unknown. None of the single variants, rare variants, or haplotypes showed evidence for association with SM or P. falciparum density. Here, we present the first comprehensive analysis of variation in the CD55 gene in the context of SM and show that genetic variants present in a Ghanaian study group appear not to influence susceptibility to the disease.

[Genetic variants in miRNAs and its association with breast cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Méndez-Gómez, Susana; Ruiz Esparza-Garrido, Ruth; Velázquez-Flores, Miguel; Dolores-Vergara, Maria; Salamanca-Gómez, Fabio; Arenas-Aranda, Diego Julio

2014-01-01

In Mexico, breast cancer represents the first cause of cancer death in females. At the molecular level, non-coding RNAs and especially microRNAs have played an important role in the origin and development of this neoplasm In the Anglo-Saxon population, diverse genetic variants in microRNA genes and in their targets are associated with the development of this disease. In the Mexican population it is not known if these or other variants exist. Identification of these or new variants in our population is fundamental in order to have a better understanding of cancer development and to help establish a better diagnostic strategy. DNA was isolated from mammary tumors, adjacent tissue and peripheral blood of Mexican females with or without cancer. From DNA, five microRNA genes and three of their targets were amplified and sequenced. Genetic variants associated with breast cancer in an Anglo- Saxon population have been previously identified in these sequences. In the samples studied we identified seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Two had not been previously described and were identified only in women with cancer. The new variants may be genetic predisposition factors for the development of breast cancer in our population. Further experiments are needed to determine the involvement of these variants in the development, establishment and progression of breast cancer.

Fine-Mapping of Common Genetic Variants Associated with Colorectal Tumor Risk Identified Potential Functional Variants.

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Mengmeng Du

Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies (GWAS have identified many common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs associated with colorectal cancer risk. These SNPs may tag correlated variants with biological importance. Fine-mapping around GWAS loci can facilitate detection of functional candidates and additional independent risk variants. We analyzed 11,900 cases and 14,311 controls in the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium and the Colon Cancer Family Registry. To fine-map genomic regions containing all known common risk variants, we imputed high-density genetic data from the 1000 Genomes Project. We tested single-variant associations with colorectal tumor risk for all variants spanning genomic regions 250-kb upstream or downstream of 31 GWAS-identified SNPs (index SNPs. We queried the University of California, Santa Cruz Genome Browser to examine evidence for biological function. Index SNPs did not show the strongest association signals with colorectal tumor risk in their respective genomic regions. Bioinformatics analysis of SNPs showing smaller P-values in each region revealed 21 functional candidates in 12 loci (5q31.1, 8q24, 11q13.4, 11q23, 12p13.32, 12q24.21, 14q22.2, 15q13, 18q21, 19q13.1, 20p12.3, and 20q13.33. We did not observe evidence of additional independent association signals in GWAS-identified regions. Our results support the utility of integrating data from comprehensive fine-mapping with expanding publicly available genomic databases to help clarify GWAS associations and identify functional candidates that warrant more onerous laboratory follow-up. Such efforts may aid the eventual discovery of disease-causing variant(s.

Genetic Variants in Transcription Factors Are Associated With the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Metformin

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Goswami, S; Yee, SW; Stocker, S; Mosley, JD; Kubo, M; Castro, R; Mefford, JA; Wen, C; Liang, X; Witte, J; Brett, C; Maeda, S; Simpson, MD; Hedderson, MM; Davis, RL; Roden, DM; Giacomini, KM; Savic, RM

2014-01-01

One-third of type 2 diabetes patients do not respond to metformin. Genetic variants in metformin transporters have been extensively studied as a likely contributor to this high failure rate. Here, we investigate, for the first time, the effect of genetic variants in transcription factors on metformin pharmacokinetics (PK) and response. Overall, 546 patients and healthy volunteers contributed their genome-wide, pharmacokinetic (235 subjects), and HbA1c data (440 patients) for this analysis. Five variants in specificity protein 1 (SP1), a transcription factor that modulates the expression of metformin transporters, were associated with changes in treatment HbA1c (P < 0.01) and metformin secretory clearance (P < 0.05). Population pharmacokinetic modeling further confirmed a 24% reduction in apparent clearance in homozygous carriers of one such variant, rs784888. Genetic variants in other transcription factors, peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-α and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-α, were significantly associated with HbA1c change only. Overall, our study highlights the importance of genetic variants in transcription factors as modulators of metformin PK and response. PMID:24853734

A systematic approach to assessing the clinical significance of genetic variants.

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Duzkale, H; Shen, J; McLaughlin, H; Alfares, A; Kelly, M A; Pugh, T J; Funke, B H; Rehm, H L; Lebo, M S

2013-11-01

Molecular genetic testing informs diagnosis, prognosis, and risk assessment for patients and their family members. Recent advances in low-cost, high-throughput DNA sequencing and computing technologies have enabled the rapid expansion of genetic test content, resulting in dramatically increased numbers of DNA variants identified per test. To address this challenge, our laboratory has developed a systematic approach to thorough and efficient assessments of variants for pathogenicity determination. We first search for existing data in publications and databases including internal, collaborative and public resources. We then perform full evidence-based assessments through statistical analyses of observations in the general population and disease cohorts, evaluation of experimental data from in vivo or in vitro studies, and computational predictions of potential impacts of each variant. Finally, we weigh all evidence to reach an overall conclusion on the potential for each variant to be disease causing. In this report, we highlight the principles of variant assessment, address the caveats and pitfalls, and provide examples to illustrate the process. By sharing our experience and providing a framework for variant assessment, including access to a freely available customizable tool, we hope to help move towards standardized and consistent approaches to variant assessment. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Common Genetic Variants Found in HLA and KIR Immune Genes in Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Anthony R Torres

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The common variant - common disease hypothesis was proposed to explain diseases with strong inheritance. This model suggests that a genetic disease is the result of the combination of several common genetic variants. Common genetic variants are described as a 5% frequency differential between diseased versus matched control populations. This theory was recently supported by an epidemiology paper stating that about 50% of genetic risk for autism resides in common variants. However, rare variants, rather than common variants, have been found in numerous genome wide genetic studies and many have concluded that the common variant—common disease hypothesis is incorrect. One interpretation is that rare variants are major contributors to genetic diseases and autism involves the interaction of many rare variants, especially in the brain. It is obvious there is much yet to be learned about autism genetics.Evidence has been mounting over the years indicating immune involvement in autism, particularly the HLA genes on chromosome 6 and KIR genes on chromosome 19. These two large multigene complexes have important immune functions and have been shown to interact to eliminate unwanted virally infected and malignant cells. HLA proteins have important functions in antigen presentation in adaptive immunity and specific epitopes on HLA class I proteins act as cognate ligands for KIR receptors in innate immunity. Data suggests that HLA alleles and KIR activating genes/haplotypes are common variants in different autism populations. For example, class I allele (HLA-A2 and HLA-G 14bp-indel frequencies are significantly increased by more than 5% over control populations (Table2. The HLA-DR4 Class II and shared epitope frequencies are significantly above the control populations (Table 2. Three activating KIR genes: 3DS1, 2DS1 and 2DS2 have increased frequencies of 15%, 22% and 14% in autism populations, respectively. There is a 6% increase in total activating KIR

Association Between Coronary Artery Disease Genetic Variants and Subclinical Atherosclerosis: An Association Study and Meta-analysis.

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Zabalza, Michel; Subirana, Isaac; Lluis-Ganella, Carla; Sayols-Baixeras, Sergi; de Groot, Eric; Arnold, Roman; Cenarro, Ana; Ramos, Rafel; Marrugat, Jaume; Elosua, Roberto

2015-10-01

Recent studies have identified several genetic variants associated with coronary artery disease. Some of these genetic variants are not associated with classical cardiovascular risk factors and the mechanism of such associations is unclear. The aim of the study was to determine whether these genetic variants are related to subclinical atherosclerosis measured by carotid intima media thickness, carotid stiffness, and ankle brachial index. A cross-sectional study nested in the follow-up of the REGICOR cohort was undertaken. The study included 2667 individuals. Subclinical atherosclerosis measurements were performed with standardized methods. Nine genetic variants were genotyped to assess associations with subclinical atherosclerosis, individually and in a weighted genetic risk score. A systematic review and meta-analysis of previous studies that analyzed these associations was undertaken. Neither the selected genetic variants nor the genetic risk score were significantly associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. In the meta-analysis, the rs1746048 (CXCL12; n = 10581) risk allele was directly associated with carotid intima-media thickness (β = 0.008; 95% confidence interval, 0.001-0.015), whereas the rs6725887 (WDR12; n = 7801) risk allele was inversely associated with this thickness (β = -0.013; 95% confidence interval, -0.024 to -0.003). The analyzed genetic variants seem to mediate their association with coronary artery disease through different mechanisms. Our results generate the hypothesis that the CXCL12 variant appears to influence coronary artery disease risk through arterial remodeling and thickening, whereas the WDR12 risk variant could be related to higher plaque vulnerability. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Genetic variants in periodontal health and disease

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Dumitrescu, Alexandrina L [Tromsoe Univ. (Norway). Inst. of Clinical Dentistry; Kobayashi, Junya [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Genome Repair Dynamics

2010-07-01

Periodontitis is a complex, multifactorial disease and its susceptibility is genetically determined. The present book systematically reviews the evidence of the association between the genetic variants and periodontitis progression and/or treatment outcomes. Genetic syndromes known to be associated with periodontal disease, the candidate gene polymorphisms investigated in relation to periodontitis, the heritability of chronic and aggressive periodontitis, as well as common guidelines for association studies are described. This growing understanding of the role of genetic variation in inflammation and periodontal chronic disease presents opportunities to identify healthy persons who are at increased risk of disease and to potentially modify the trajectory of disease to prolong healthy aging. The book represents a new concept in periodontology with its pronounced focus on understanding through knowledge rather than presenting the presently valid answers. Connections between genetics and periodontology are systematically reviewed and covered in detail. (orig.)

An Efficient Stepwise Statistical Test to Identify Multiple Linked Human Genetic Variants Associated with Specific Phenotypic Traits.

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Iksoo Huh

Full Text Available Recent advances in genotyping methodologies have allowed genome-wide association studies (GWAS to accurately identify genetic variants that associate with common or pathological complex traits. Although most GWAS have focused on associations with single genetic variants, joint identification of multiple genetic variants, and how they interact, is essential for understanding the genetic architecture of complex phenotypic traits. Here, we propose an efficient stepwise method based on the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test (for stratified categorical data to identify causal joint multiple genetic variants in GWAS. This method combines the CMH statistic with a stepwise procedure to detect multiple genetic variants associated with specific categorical traits, using a series of associated I × J contingency tables and a null hypothesis of no phenotype association. Through a new stratification scheme based on the sum of minor allele count criteria, we make the method more feasible for GWAS data having sample sizes of several thousands. We also examine the properties of the proposed stepwise method via simulation studies, and show that the stepwise CMH test performs better than other existing methods (e.g., logistic regression and detection of associations by Markov blanket for identifying multiple genetic variants. Finally, we apply the proposed approach to two genomic sequencing datasets to detect linked genetic variants associated with bipolar disorder and obesity, respectively.

Heart failure and sudden cardiac death in heritable thoracic aortic disease caused by pathogenic variants in the SMAD3 gene.

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Backer, Julie De; Braverman, Alan C

2018-05-01

Predominant cardiovascular manifestations in the spectrum of Heritable Thoracic Aortic Disease include by default aortic root aneurysms- and dissections, which may be associated with aortic valve disease. Mitral- and tricuspid valve prolapse are other commonly recognized features. Myocardial disease, characterized by heart failure and/or malignant arrhythmias has been reported in humans and in animal models harboring pathogenic variants in the Fibrillin1 gene. Description of clinical history of three cases from one family in Ghent (Belgium) and one family in St. Louis (US). We report on three cases from two families presenting end-stage heart failure (in two) and lethal arrhythmias associated with moderate left ventricular dilatation (in one). All three cases harbor a pathogenic variant in the SMAD3 gene, known to cause aneurysm osteoarthritis syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome type 3 or isolated Heritable Thoracic Aortic Disease. These unusual presentations warrant awareness for myocardial disease in patients harboring pathogenic variants in genes causing Heritable Thoracic Aortic Disease and indicate the need for prospective studies in larger cohorts. © 2018 The Authors. Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PCSK9 genetic variants and risk of type 2 diabetes

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Schmidt, Amand F; Swerdlow, Daniel I; Holmes, Michael V

2017-01-01

used data from cohort studies, randomised controlled trials, case control studies, and genetic consortia to estimate associations of PCSK9 genetic variants with LDL cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, fasting insulin, bodyweight, waist-to-hip ratio, BMI, and risk of type 2 diabetes, using...... diabetes, which in no way offsets their substantial benefits. We sought to investigate the associations of LDL cholesterol-lowering PCSK9 variants with type 2 diabetes and related biomarkers to gauge the likely effects of PCSK9 inhibitors on diabetes risk. METHODS: In this mendelian randomisation study, we...... a standardised analysis plan, meta-analyses, and weighted gene-centric scores. FINDINGS: Data were available for more than 550 000 individuals and 51 623 cases of type 2 diabetes. Combined analyses of four independent PCSK9 variants (rs11583680, rs11591147, rs2479409, and rs11206510) scaled to 1 mmol/L lower LDL...

wANNOVAR: annotating genetic variants for personal genomes via the web.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Xiao; Wang, Kai

2012-07-01

High-throughput DNA sequencing platforms have become widely available. As a result, personal genomes are increasingly being sequenced in research and clinical settings. However, the resulting massive amounts of variants data pose significant challenges to the average biologists and clinicians without bioinformatics skills. We developed a web server called wANNOVAR to address the critical needs for functional annotation of genetic variants from personal genomes. The server provides simple and intuitive interface to help users determine the functional significance of variants. These include annotating single nucleotide variants and insertions/deletions for their effects on genes, reporting their conservation levels (such as PhyloP and GERP++ scores), calculating their predicted functional importance scores (such as SIFT and PolyPhen scores), retrieving allele frequencies in public databases (such as the 1000 Genomes Project and NHLBI-ESP 5400 exomes), and implementing a 'variants reduction' protocol to identify a subset of potentially deleterious variants/genes. We illustrated how wANNOVAR can help draw biological insights from sequencing data, by analysing genetic variants generated on two Mendelian diseases. We conclude that wANNOVAR will help biologists and clinicians take advantage of the personal genome information to expedite scientific discoveries. The wANNOVAR server is available at http://wannovar.usc.edu, and will be continuously updated to reflect the latest annotation information.

Involvement of genetic variants associated with primary open-angle glaucoma in pathogenic mechanisms and family history of glaucoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Mabuchi, Fumihiko; Sakurada, Yoichi; Kashiwagi, Kenji; Yamagata, Zentaro; Iijima, Hiroyuki; Tsukahara, Shigeo

2015-03-01

To investigate the associations between the non-intraocular pressure (IOP)-related genetic variants (genetic variants associated with vulnerability of the optic nerve independent of IOP) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), including normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and high-tension glaucoma (HTG), and between the non-IOP-related genetic variants and a family history of glaucoma. Case-control study. Japanese patients with NTG (n = 213) and HTG (n = 212) and 191 control subjects were genotyped for 5 non-IOP-related genetic variants predisposing to POAG near the SRBD1, ELOVL5, CDKN2B/CDKN2B-AS1, SIX1/SIX6, and ATOH7 genes. The load of these genetic variants was compared between the control subjects and patients with NTG or HTG and between the POAG patients with and without a family history of glaucoma. The total number of POAG risk alleles and the product of the odds ratios (POAG risk) of these genetic variants were significantly larger (P product of the odds ratios increased (P = .012 and P = .047, respectively). Non-IOP-related genetic variants contribute to the pathogenesis of HTG as well as NTG. A positive family history of glaucoma in cases of POAG is thought to reflect the influence of genetic variants predisposing to POAG. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combinations of Genetic Variants Occurring Exclusively in Patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mellerup, Erling Thyge; Møller, Gert Lykke

2017-01-01

The main objective of the study was to find genetic variants that in combination are significantly associated with bipolar disorder. In previous studies of bipolar disorder, combinations of three and four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) genotypes taken from 803 SNPs were analyzed, and five ...

Autosomal recessive Noonan syndrome associated with biallelic LZTR1 variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Jennifer J; van der Smagt, Jasper J; Rosenfeld, Jill A; Pagnamenta, Alistair T; Alswaid, Abdulrahman; Baker, Eva H; Blair, Edward; Borck, Guntram; Brinkmann, Julia; Craigen, William; Dung, Vu Chi; Emrick, Lisa; Everman, David B; van Gassen, Koen L; Gulsuner, Suleyman; Harr, Margaret H; Jain, Mahim; Kuechler, Alma; Leppig, Kathleen A; McDonald-McGinn, Donna M; Can, Ngoc Thi Bich; Peleg, Amir; Roeder, Elizabeth R; Rogers, R Curtis; Sagi-Dain, Lena; Sapp, Julie C; Schäffer, Alejandro A; Schanze, Denny; Stewart, Helen; Taylor, Jenny C; Verbeek, Nienke E; Walkiewicz, Magdalena A; Zackai, Elaine H; Zweier, Christiane; Zenker, Martin; Lee, Brendan; Biesecker, Leslie G

2018-02-22

PurposeTo characterize the molecular genetics of autosomal recessive Noonan syndrome.MethodsFamilies underwent phenotyping for features of Noonan syndrome in children and their parents. Two multiplex families underwent linkage analysis. Exome, genome, or multigene panel sequencing was used to identify variants. The molecular consequences of observed splice variants were evaluated by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.ResultsTwelve families with a total of 23 affected children with features of Noonan syndrome were evaluated. The phenotypic range included mildly affected patients, but it was lethal in some, with cardiac disease and leukemia. All of the parents were unaffected. Linkage analysis using a recessive model supported a candidate region in chromosome 22q11, which includes LZTR1, previously shown to harbor mutations in patients with Noonan syndrome inherited in a dominant pattern. Sequencing analyses of 21 live-born patients and a stillbirth identified biallelic pathogenic variants in LZTR1, including putative loss-of-function, missense, and canonical and noncanonical splicing variants in the affected children, with heterozygous, clinically unaffected parents and heterozygous or normal genotypes in unaffected siblings.ConclusionThese clinical and genetic data confirm the existence of a form of Noonan syndrome that is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern and identify biallelic mutations in LZTR1.Genet Med advance online publication, 22 February 2018; doi:10.1038/gim.2017.249.

Genome-wide meta-analysis of observational studies shows common genetic variants associated with macronutrient intake

NARCIS (Netherlands)

T. Tanaka (Toshiko); J.S. Ngwa; F.J.A. van Rooij (Frank); M.C. Zillikens (Carola); M.K. Wojczynski (Mary ); A.C. Frazier-Wood (Alexis); D.K. Houston (Denise); S. Kanoni (Stavroula); R.N. Lemaitre (Rozenn ); J. Luan; V. Mikkilä (Vera); F. Renström (Frida); E. Sonestedt (Emily); J.H. Zhao (Jing Hua); A.Y. Chu (Audrey); L. Qi (Lu); D.I. Chasman (Daniel); M.C. De Oliveira Otto (Marcia); E.J. Dhurandhar (Emily); M.F. Feitosa (Mary Furlan); I. Johansson (Ingegerd); K-T. Khaw (Kay-Tee); K. Lohman (Kurt); A. Manichaikul (Ani); N.M. McKeown (Nicola ); D. Mozaffarian (Dariush); A.B. Singleton (Andrew); K. Stirrups (Kathy); J. Viikari (Jorma); Z. Ye (Zheng); S. Bandinelli (Stefania); I.E. Barroso (Inês); P. Deloukas (Panagiotis); N.G. Forouhi (Nita); A. Hofman (Albert); Y. Liu (YongMei); L.-P. Lyytikäinen (Leo-Pekka); K.E. North (Kari); M. Dimitriou (Maria); G. Hallmans (Göran); M. Kähönen (Mika); C. Langenberg (Claudia); J.M. Ordovas (Jose); A.G. Uitterlinden (André); F.B. Hu (Frank); I.-P. Kalafati (Ioanna-Panagiota); O. Raitakari (Olli); O.H. Franco (Oscar); A. Johnson (Anthony); V. Emilsson (Valur); J.A. Schrack (Jennifer); R.D. Semba; D.S. Siscovick (David); D.K. Arnett (Donna); I.B. Borecki (Ingrid); P.W. Franks (Paul); S.B. Kritchevsky (Stephen); R.J.F. Loos (Ruth); M. Orho-Melander (Marju); J.I. Rotter (Jerome); N.J. Wareham (Nick); J.C.M. Witteman (Jacqueline); L. Ferrucci (Luigi); G.V. Dedoussis (George); L.A. Cupples (Adrienne); J.A. Nettleton (Jennifer )

2013-01-01

textabstractBackground: Macronutrient intake varies substantially between individuals, and there is evidence that this variation is partly accounted for by genetic variants. Objective: The objective of the study was to identify common genetic variants that are associated with macronutrient intake.

Invited commentary: genetic variants and individual- and societal-level risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Coughlin, Steven S

2010-01-01

Over the past decade, leading epidemiologists have noted the importance of social factors in studying and understanding the distribution and determinants of disease in human populations; but to what extent are epidemiologic studies integrating genetic information and other biologic variables with information about individual-level risk factors and group-level or societal factors related to the broader residential, behavioral, or cultural context? There remains a need to consider ways to integrate genetic information with social and contextual information in epidemiologic studies, partly to combat the overemphasis on the importance of genetic factors as determinants of disease in human populations. Even in genome-wide association studies of coronary heart disease and other common complex diseases, only a small proportion of heritability is explained by the genetic variants identified to date. It is possible that familial clustering due to genetic factors has been overestimated and that important environmental or social influences (acting alone or in combination with genetic variants) have been overlooked. The accompanying article by Bressler et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2010;171(1):14-23) highlights some of these important issues.

Identification of Variants of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV Entry Factors in Patients Highly Exposed to HCV but Remaining Uninfected: An ANRS Case-Control Study.

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Baptiste Fouquet

Full Text Available Hepatitis C virus (HCV causes persistent infection in 75% of cases and is a major public health problem worldwide. More than 92% of intravenous drug users (IDU infected by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 are seropositive for HCV, and it is conceivable that some HIV-1-infected IDU who remain uninfected by HCV may be genetically resistant.Here we conducted a case-control study to identify mutations in HCV entry coreceptors in HIV-infected IDU who remained uninfected by HCV. We recruited 138 patients, comprising 22 HIV+ HCV- case IDU and 116 HIV+ HCV+ control IDU. We focused on coreceptors in which point mutations are known to abolish HCV infectivity in vitro. Our previous study of the Claudin-1 gene revealed no specific variants in the same case population. Here we performed direct genomic sequencing of the Claudin-6, Claudin-9, Occludin and Scavenger receptor-B1 (SCARB1 gene coding regions. Most HIV+ HCV- IDU had no mutations in HCV coreceptors. However, two HIV+ HCV- patients harbored a total of four specific mutations/variants of HCV entry factors that were not found in the HIV+ HCV+ controls. One case patient harbored heterozygous variants of both Claudin-6 and Occludin, and the other case patient harbored two heterozygous variants of SCARB1. This suggests that HCV resistance might involve complex genetic events and factors other than coreceptors, a situation similar to that reported for HIV-1 resistance.

Relations of mitochondrial genetic variants to measures of vascular function.

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Fetterman, Jessica L; Liu, Chunyu; Mitchell, Gary F; Vasan, Ramachandran S; Benjamin, Emelia J; Vita, Joseph A; Hamburg, Naomi M; Levy, Daniel

2018-05-01

Mitochondrial genetic variation with resultant alterations in oxidative phosphorylation may influence vascular function and contribute to cardiovascular disease susceptibility. We assessed relations of peptide-encoding variants in the mitochondrial genome with measures of vascular function in Framingham Heart Study participants. Of 258 variants assessed, 40 were predicted to have functional consequences by bioinformatics programs. A maternal pattern of heritability was estimated to contribute to the variability of aortic stiffness. A putative association with a microvascular function measure was identified that requires replication. The methods we have developed can be applied to assess the relations of mitochondrial genetic variation to other phenotypes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and Mitochondria Research Society. All rights reserved.

Genetic variants in IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathway and the risk of CRC.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuwei; Zhang, Weidong

2016-05-01

Interleukin (IL)-6 and the downstream Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway have previously been reported to be important in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), and several studies have shown the relationship between the polymorphisms of related genes in this pathway with the risk of CRC. However, the findings of these related studies are inconsistent. Moreover, there has no systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between genetic variants in IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathway and CRC susceptibility. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the relationship between polymorphisms in IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathway genes and CRC risk. Eighteen eligible studies with a total of 13,795 CRC cases and 18,043 controls were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases for the period up to September 15, 2015. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used to calculate the strength of the association. Our results indicated that IL-6 genetic variants in allele additive model (OR = 1.05, 95 % CI = 1.00, 1.09) and JAK2 genetic variants (OR = 1.40, 95 % CI = 1.15, 1.65) in genotype recessive model were significantly associated with CRC risk. Moreover, the pooled data revealed that IL-6 rs1800795 polymorphism significantly increased the risk of CRC in allele additive model in Europe (OR = 1.07, 95 % CI = 1.01, 1.14). In conclusion, the present findings indicate that IL-6 and JAK2 genetic variants are associated with the increased risk of CRC while STAT3 genetic variants not. We need more well-designed clinical studies covering more countries and population to definitively establish the association between genetic variants in IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathway and CRC susceptibility.

Quantitative determination of casein genetic variants in goat milk: Application in Girgentana dairy goat breed.

Science.gov (United States)

Montalbano, Maria; Segreto, Roberta; Di Gerlando, Rosalia; Mastrangelo, Salvatore; Sardina, Maria Teresa

2016-02-01

The study was conducted to develop a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method to quantify casein genetic variants (αs2-, β-, and κ-casein) in milk of homozygous individuals of Girgentana goat breed. For calibration experiments, pure genetic variants were extracted from individual milk samples of animals with known genotypes. The described HPLC approach was precise, accurate and highly suitable for quantification of goat casein genetic variants of homozygous individuals. The amount of each casein per allele was: αs2-casein A = 2.9 ± 0.8 g/L and F = 1.8 ± 0.4 g/L; β-casein C = 3.0 ± 0.8 g/L and C1 = 2.0 ± 0.7 g/L and κ-casein A = 1.6 ± 0.3 g/L and B = 1.1 ± 0.2 g/L. A good correlation was found between the quantities of αs2-casein genetic variants A and F, and β-casein C and C1 with other previously described method. The main important result was obtained for κ-casein because, till now, no data were available on quantification of single genetic variants for this protein. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic variant as a marker for bladder cancer therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Patients who have inherited a specific common genetic variant develop bladder cancer tumors that strongly express a protein known as prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), which is also expressed in many pancreatic and prostate tumors, according to research a

Effect of Two Lipoprotein (a-Associated Genetic Variants on Plasminogen Levels and Fibrinolysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Wang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Two genetic variants (rs3798220 and rs10455872 in the apolipoprotein (a gene (LPA have been implicated in cardiovascular disease (CVD, presumably through their association with lipoprotein (a [Lp(a] levels. While Lp(a is recognized as a lipoprotein with atherogenic and thrombogenic characteristics, it is unclear whether or not the two Lp(a-associated genetic variants are also associated with markers of thrombosis (i.e., plasminogen levels and fibrinolysis. In the present study, we genotyped the two genetic variants in 2919 subjects of the Old Order Amish (OOA and recruited 146 subjects according to the carrier and noncarrier status for rs3798220 and rs10455872, and also matched for gender and age. We measured plasma Lp(a and plasminogen levels in these subjects, and found that the concentrations of plasma Lp(a were 2.62- and 1.73-fold higher in minor allele carriers of rs3798220 and rs10455872, respectively, compared with noncarriers (P = 2.04 × 10−17 and P = 1.64 × 10−6, respectively. By contrast, there was no difference in plasminogen concentrations between carriers and noncarriers of rs3798220 and rs10455872. Furthermore, we observed no association between carrier status of rs3798220 or rs10455872 with clot lysis time. Finally, plasminogen mRNA expression in liver samples derived from 76 Caucasian subjects was not significantly different between carriers and noncarriers of these two genetic variants. Our results provide further insight into the mechanism of action behind two genetic variants previously implicated in CVD risk and show that these polymorphisms are not major modulating factors for plasma plasminogen levels and fibrinolysis.

Complex Landscape of Germline Variants in Brazilian Patients With Hereditary and Early Onset Breast Cancer

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Giovana T. Torrezan

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Pathogenic variants in known breast cancer (BC predisposing genes explain only about 30% of Hereditary Breast Cancer (HBC cases, whereas the underlying genetic factors for most families remain unknown. Here, we used whole-exome sequencing (WES to identify genetic variants associated to HBC in 17 patients of Brazil with familial BC and negative for causal variants in major BC risk genes (BRCA1/2, TP53, and CHEK2 c.1100delC. First, we searched for rare variants in 27 known HBC genes and identified two patients harboring truncating pathogenic variants in ATM and BARD1. For the remaining 15 negative patients, we found a substantial vast number of rare genetic variants. Thus, for selecting the most promising variants we used functional-based variant prioritization, followed by NGS validation, analysis in a control group, cosegregation analysis in one family and comparison with previous WES studies, shrinking our list to 23 novel BC candidate genes, which were evaluated in an independent cohort of 42 high-risk BC patients. Rare and possibly damaging variants were identified in 12 candidate genes in this cohort, including variants in DNA repair genes (ERCC1 and SXL4 and other cancer-related genes (NOTCH2, ERBB2, MST1R, and RAF1. Overall, this is the first WES study applied for identifying novel genes associated to HBC in Brazilian patients, in which we provide a set of putative BC predisposing genes. We also underpin the value of using WES for assessing the complex landscape of HBC susceptibility, especially in less characterized populations.

Korean Variant Archive (KOVA): a reference database of genetic variations in the Korean population.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sangmoon; Seo, Jihae; Park, Jinman; Nam, Jae-Yong; Choi, Ahyoung; Ignatius, Jason S; Bjornson, Robert D; Chae, Jong-Hee; Jang, In-Jin; Lee, Sanghyuk; Park, Woong-Yang; Baek, Daehyun; Choi, Murim

2017-06-27

Despite efforts to interrogate human genome variation through large-scale databases, systematic preference toward populations of Caucasian descendants has resulted in unintended reduction of power in studying non-Caucasians. Here we report a compilation of coding variants from 1,055 healthy Korean individuals (KOVA; Korean Variant Archive). The samples were sequenced to a mean depth of 75x, yielding 101 singleton variants per individual. Population genetics analysis demonstrates that the Korean population is a distinct ethnic group comparable to other discrete ethnic groups in Africa and Europe, providing a rationale for such independent genomic datasets. Indeed, KOVA conferred 22.8% increased variant filtering power in addition to Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC) when used on Korean exomes. Functional assessment of nonsynonymous variant supported the presence of purifying selection in Koreans. Analysis of copy number variants detected 5.2 deletions and 10.3 amplifications per individual with an increased fraction of novel variants among smaller and rarer copy number variable segments. We also report a list of germline variants that are associated with increased tumor susceptibility. This catalog can function as a critical addition to the pre-existing variant databases in pursuing genetic studies of Korean individuals.

New population-based exome data are questioning the pathogenicity of previously cardiomyopathy-associated genetic variants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Charlotte Hartig; Nielsen, Jonas B; Refsgaard, Lena

2013-01-01

Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases with various etiologies. We focused on three genetically determined cardiomyopathies: hypertrophic (HCM), dilated (DCM), and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Eighty-four genes have so far been associated with these card......Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases with various etiologies. We focused on three genetically determined cardiomyopathies: hypertrophic (HCM), dilated (DCM), and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Eighty-four genes have so far been associated...... with these cardiomyopathies, but the disease-causing effect of reported variants is often dubious. In order to identify possible false-positive variants, we investigated the prevalence of previously reported cardiomyopathy-associated variants in recently published exome data. We searched for reported missense and nonsense...... variants in the NHLBI-Go Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) containing exome data from 6500 individuals. In ESP, we identified 94 variants out of 687 (14%) variants previously associated with HCM, 58 out of 337 (17%) variants associated with DCM, and 38 variants out of 209 (18%) associated with ARVC...

Homozygous sequence variants in the WNT10B gene underlie split hand/foot malformation

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Asmat Ullah

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Split-hand/split-foot malformation (SHFM, also known as ectrodactyly is a rare genetic disorder. It is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of limb malformations characterized by absence/hypoplasia and/or median cleft of hands and/or feet. To date, seven genes underlying SHFM have been identified. This study described four consanguineous families (A-D segregating SHFM in an autosomal recessive manner. Linkage in the families was established to chromosome 12p11.1–q13.13 harboring WNT10B gene. Sequence analysis identified a novel homozygous nonsense variant (p.Gln154* in exon 4 of the WNT10B gene in two families (A and B. In the other two families (C and D, a previously reported variant (c.300_306dupAGGGCGG; p.Leu103Argfs*53 was detected. This study further expands the spectrum of the sequence variants reported in the WNT10B gene, which result in the split hand/foot malformation.

Genetic variants of the unsaturated fatty acid receptor GPR120 relating to obesity in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyabe, Masahiro; Gin, Azusa; Onozawa, Eri; Daimon, Mana; Yamada, Hana; Oda, Hitomi; Mori, Akihiro; Momota, Yutaka; Azakami, Daigo; Yamamoto, Ichiro; Mochizuki, Mariko; Sako, Toshinori; Tamura, Katsutoshi; Ishioka, Katsumi

2015-10-01

G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 120 is an unsaturated fatty acid receptor, which is associated with various physiological functions. It is reported that the genetic variant of GPR120, p.Arg270His, is detected more in obese people, and this genetic variation functionally relates to obesity in humans. Obesity is a common nutritional disorder also in dogs, but the genetic factors have not ever been identified in dogs. In this study, we investigated the molecular structure of canine GPR120 and searched for candidate genetic variants which may relate to obesity in dogs. Canine GPR120 was highly homologous to those of other species, and seven transmembrane domains and two N-glycosylation sites were conserved. GPR120 mRNA was expressed in lung, jejunum, ileum, colon, hypothalamus, hippocampus, spinal cord, bone marrow, dermis and white adipose tissues in dogs, as those in mice and humans. Genetic variants of GPR120 were explored in client-owned 141 dogs, resulting in that 5 synonymous and 4 non-synonymous variants were found. The variant c.595C>A (p.Pro199Thr) was found in 40 dogs, and the gene frequency was significantly higher in dogs with higher body condition scores, i.e. 0.320 in BCS4-5 dogs, 0.175 in BCS3 dogs and 0.000 in BCS2 dogs. We conclude that c.595C>A (p.Pro199Thr) is a candidate variant relating to obesity, which may be helpful for nutritional management of dogs.

Genetic variants influencing lipid levels and risk of dyslipidemia in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

HUAICHAO LUO

2017-12-18

Dec 18, 2017 ... total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides. (TG) in 1900 ... in Chinese population, especially relationship between these genetic variants ...

Genetic epidemiology of motor neuron disease-associated variants in the Scottish population.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Holly A; Leighton, Danielle J; Cleary, Elaine M; Rose, Elaine; Stephenson, Laura; Colville, Shuna; Ross, David; Warner, Jon; Porteous, Mary; Gorrie, George H; Swingler, Robert; Goldstein, David; Harms, Matthew B; Connick, Peter; Pal, Suvankar; Aitman, Timothy J; Chandran, Siddharthan

2017-03-01

Genetic understanding of motor neuron disease (MND) has evolved greatly in the past 10 years, including the recent identification of association between MND and variants in TBK1 and NEK1. Our aim was to determine the frequency of pathogenic variants in known MND genes and to assess whether variants in TBK1 and NEK1 contribute to the burden of MND in the Scottish population. SOD1, TARDBP, OPTN, TBK1, and NEK1 were sequenced in 441 cases and 400 controls. In addition to 44 cases known to carry a C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion, we identified 31 cases and 2 controls that carried a loss-of-function or pathogenic variant. Loss-of-function variants were found in TBK1 in 3 cases and no controls and, separately, in NEK1 in 3 cases and no controls. This study provides an accurate description of the genetic epidemiology of MND in Scotland and provides support for the contribution of both TBK1 and NEK1 to MND susceptibility in the Scottish population. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The pathogenicity of genetic variants previously associated with left ventricular non-compaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abbasi, Yeganeh; Jabbari, Javad; Jabbari, Reza

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is a rare cardiomyopathy. Many genetic variants have been associated with LVNC. However, the number of the previous LVNC-associated variants that are common in the background population remains unknown. The aim of this study was to provide...... an updated list of previously reported LVNC-associated variants with biologic description and investigate the prevalence of LVNC variants in healthy general population to find false-positive LVNC-associated variants. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Human Gene Mutation Database and PubMed were systematically...... searched to identify all previously reported LVNC-associated variants. Thereafter, the Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) and the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC), that both represent the background population, was searched for all variants. Four in silico prediction tools were assessed to determine...

FTO genetic variants, dietary intake and body mass index

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qi, Qibin; Kilpeläinen, Tuomas O; Downer, Mary K

2014-01-01

FTO is the strongest known genetic susceptibility locus for obesity. Experimental studies in animals suggest the potential roles of FTO in regulating food intake. The interactive relation among FTO variants, dietary intake and body mass index (BMI) is complex and results from previous often small...

Psoriasis Patients Are Enriched for Genetic Variants That Protect against HIV-1 Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Haoyan; Hayashi, Genki; Lai, Olivia Y.; Dilthey, Alexander; Kuebler, Peter J.; Wong, Tami V.; Martin, Maureen P.; Fernandez Vina, Marcelo A.; McVean, Gil; Wabl, Matthias; Leslie, Kieron S.; Maurer, Toby; Martin, Jeffrey N.; Deeks, Steven G.; Carrington, Mary; Bowcock, Anne M.; Nixon, Douglas F.; Liao, Wilson

2012-01-01

An important paradigm in evolutionary genetics is that of a delicate balance between genetic variants that favorably boost host control of infection but which may unfavorably increase susceptibility to autoimmune disease. Here, we investigated whether patients with psoriasis, a common immune-mediated disease of the skin, are enriched for genetic variants that limit the ability of HIV-1 virus to replicate after infection. We analyzed the HLA class I and class II alleles of 1,727 Caucasian psoriasis cases and 3,581 controls and found that psoriasis patients are significantly more likely than controls to have gene variants that are protective against HIV-1 disease. This includes several HLA class I alleles associated with HIV-1 control; amino acid residues at HLA-B positions 67, 70, and 97 that mediate HIV-1 peptide binding; and the deletion polymorphism rs67384697 associated with high surface expression of HLA-C. We also found that the compound genotype KIR3DS1 plus HLA-B Bw4-80I, which respectively encode a natural killer cell activating receptor and its putative ligand, significantly increased psoriasis susceptibility. This compound genotype has also been associated with delay of progression to AIDS. Together, our results suggest that genetic variants that contribute to anti-viral immunity may predispose to the development of psoriasis. PMID:22577363

A systems genetics approach provides a bridge from discovered genetic variants to biological pathways in rheumatoid arthritis.

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Hirofumi Nakaoka

Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies (GWAS have yielded novel genetic loci underlying common diseases. We propose a systems genetics approach to utilize these discoveries for better understanding of the genetic architecture of rheumatoid arthritis (RA. Current evidence of genetic associations with RA was sought through PubMed and the NHGRI GWAS catalog. The associations of 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms and HLA-DRB1 alleles were confirmed in 1,287 cases and 1,500 controls of Japanese subjects. Among these, HLA-DRB1 alleles and eight SNPs showed significant associations and all but one of the variants had the same direction of effect as identified in the previous studies, indicating that the genetic risk factors underlying RA are shared across populations. By receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC for the genetic risk score based on the selected variants was 68.4%. For seropositive RA patients only, the AUC improved to 70.9%, indicating good but suboptimal predictive ability. A simulation study shows that more than 200 additional loci with similar effect size as recent GWAS findings or 20 rare variants with intermediate effects are needed to achieve AUC = 80.0%. We performed the random walk with restart (RWR algorithm to prioritize genes for future mapping studies. The performance of the algorithm was confirmed by leave-one-out cross-validation. The RWR algorithm pointed to ZAP70 in the first rank, in which mutation causes RA-like autoimmune arthritis in mice. By applying the hierarchical clustering method to a subnetwork comprising RA-associated genes and top-ranked genes by the RWR, we found three functional modules relevant to RA etiology: "leukocyte activation and differentiation", "pattern-recognition receptor signaling pathway", and "chemokines and their receptors".These results suggest that the systems genetics approach is useful to find directions of future mapping strategies to illuminate

Common Gene Variants Account for Most Genetic Risk for Autism

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... gene variants account for most genetic risk for autism Roles of heritability, mutations, environment estimated – NIH-funded study. The bulk of risk, or liability, for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) was traced to inherited variations ...

Coronary artery disease-associated genetic variants and biomarkers of inflammation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Morten Krogh; Larsen, Sanne Bøjet; Nyegaard, Mette

2017-01-01

score was calculated to assess the combined risk associated with all the genetic variants. A multiple linear regression model was used to assess associations between the genetic risk score, single SNPs, and the five inflammatory biomarkers. RESULTS:The minor allele (G) (CAD risk allele) of rs2075650......INTRODUCTION:Genetic constitution and inflammation both contribute to development of coronary artery disease (CAD). Several CAD-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have recently been identified, but their functions are largely unknown. We investigated the associations between CAD...

Comparing genetic variants detected in the 1000 genomes project ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) determined based on SNP arrays from the international HapMap consortium (HapMap) and the genetic variants detected in the 1000 genomes project (1KGP) can serve as two references for genomewide association studies (GWAS). We conducted comparative analyses to provide ...

The association of XRCC3 Thr241Met genetic variant with risk of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

genetic variant could be potentially associated with the risk of prostate cancer. However ... Results: Overall, significant associations were detected in the heterozygote comparison genetic model. (CT versus (vs.) ..... Quantifying hetero- geneity in ...

Combined analysis of six lipoprotein lipase genetic variants on triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, and ischemic heart disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wittrup, Hans H; Andersen, Rolf V; Tybjaerg-Hansen, Anne

2006-01-01

Genetic variants in lipoprotein lipase may affect triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD).......Genetic variants in lipoprotein lipase may affect triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD)....

Late onset Pompe disease- new genetic variant: Case report ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The patient was not given enzyme replacement therapy due to cost but received high protein therapy and Oxygen supplementation using Oxygen extractor machine. She is worsening due to respiratory failure. Conclusion: This is a new genetic variant isolated of late-onset Pompe disease which presents with almost pure ...

Rapid screening for targeted genetic variants via high-resolution melting curve analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chambliss, Allison B; Resnick, Molly; Petrides, Athena K; Clarke, William A; Marzinke, Mark A

2017-03-01

Current methods for the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with aberrant drug-metabolizing enzyme function are hindered by long turnaround times and specialized techniques and instrumentation. In this study, we describe the development and validation of a high-resolution melting (HRM) curve assay for the rapid screening of variant genotypes for targeted genetic polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A5. Sequence-specific primers were custom-designed to flank nine SNPs within the genetic regions of aforementioned drug metabolizing enzymes. PCR amplification was performed followed by amplicon denaturation by precise temperature ramping in order to distinguish genotypes by melting temperature (Tm). A standardized software algorithm was used to assign amplicons as 'reference' or 'variant' as compared to duplicate reference sequence DNA controls for each SNP. Intra-assay (n=5) precision of Tms for all SNPs was ≤0.19%, while inter-assay (n=20) precision ranged from 0.04% to 0.21%. When compared to a reference method of Sanger sequencing, the HRM assay produced no false negative results, and overcall frequency ranged from 0% to 26%, depending on the SNP. Furthermore, HRM genotyping displayed accuracy over input DNA concentrations ranging from 10 to 200 ng/μL. The presented assay provides a rapid method for the screening for genetic variants in targeted CYP450 regions with a result of 'reference' or 'variant' available within 2 h from receipt of extracted DNA. The method can serve as a screening approach to rapidly identify individuals with variant sequences who should be further investigated by reflexed confirmatory testing for aberrant cytochrome P450 enzymatic activity. Rapid knowledge of variant status may aid in the avoidance of adverse clinical events by allowing for dosing of normal metabolizer patients immediately while identifying the need to wait for confirmatory testing in those patients who are

Frequency and distribution of 152 genetic disease variants in over 100,000 mixed breed and purebred dogs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonas Donner

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Knowledge on the genetic epidemiology of disorders in the dog population has implications for both veterinary medicine and sustainable breeding. Limited data on frequencies of genetic disease variants across breeds exists, and the disease heritage of mixed breed dogs remains poorly explored to date. Advances in genetic screening technologies now enable comprehensive investigations of the canine disease heritage, and generate health-related big data that can be turned into action. We pursued population screening of genetic variants implicated in Mendelian disorders in the largest canine study sample examined to date by examining over 83,000 mixed breed and 18,000 purebred dogs representing 330 breeds for 152 known variants using a custom-designed beadchip microarray. We further announce the creation of MyBreedData (www.mybreeddata.com, an online updated inherited disorder prevalence resource with its foundation in the generated data. We identified the most prevalent, and rare, disease susceptibility variants across the general dog population while providing the first extensive snapshot of the mixed breed disease heritage. Approximately two in five dogs carried at least one copy of a tested disease variant. Most disease variants are shared by both mixed breeds and purebreds, while breed- or line-specificity of others is strongly suggested. Mixed breed dogs were more likely to carry a common recessive disease, whereas purebreds were more likely to be genetically affected with one, providing DNA-based evidence for hybrid vigor. We discovered genetic presence of 22 disease variants in at least one additional breed in which they were previously undescribed. Some mutations likely manifest similarly independently of breed background; however, we emphasize the need for follow up investigations in each case and provide a suggested validation protocol for broader consideration. In conclusion, our study provides unique insight into genetic epidemiology of

Genetic Variants Associated with Circulating Parathyroid Hormone.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson-Cohen, Cassianne; Lutsey, Pamela L; Kleber, Marcus E; Nielson, Carrie M; Mitchell, Braxton D; Bis, Joshua C; Eny, Karen M; Portas, Laura; Eriksson, Joel; Lorentzon, Mattias; Koller, Daniel L; Milaneschi, Yuri; Teumer, Alexander; Pilz, Stefan; Nethander, Maria; Selvin, Elizabeth; Tang, Weihong; Weng, Lu-Chen; Wong, Hoi Suen; Lai, Dongbing; Peacock, Munro; Hannemann, Anke; Völker, Uwe; Homuth, Georg; Nauk, Matthias; Murgia, Federico; Pattee, Jack W; Orwoll, Eric; Zmuda, Joseph M; Riancho, Jose Antonio; Wolf, Myles; Williams, Frances; Penninx, Brenda; Econs, Michael J; Ryan, Kathleen A; Ohlsson, Claes; Paterson, Andrew D; Psaty, Bruce M; Siscovick, David S; Rotter, Jerome I; Pirastu, Mario; Streeten, Elizabeth; März, Winfried; Fox, Caroline; Coresh, Josef; Wallaschofski, Henri; Pankow, James S; de Boer, Ian H; Kestenbaum, Bryan

2017-05-01

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a primary calcium regulatory hormone. Elevated serum PTH concentrations in primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism have been associated with bone disease, hypertension, and in some studies, cardiovascular mortality. Genetic causes of variation in circulating PTH concentrations are incompletely understood. We performed a genome-wide association study of serum PTH concentrations among 29,155 participants of European ancestry from 13 cohort studies ( n =22,653 and n =6502 in discovery and replication analyses, respectively). We evaluated the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with natural log-transformed PTH concentration adjusted for age, sex, season, study site, and principal components of ancestry. We discovered associations of SNPs from five independent regions with serum PTH concentration, including the strongest association with rs6127099 upstream of CYP24A1 ( P =4.2 × 10 -53 ), a gene that encodes the primary catabolic enzyme for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and 25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Each additional copy of the minor allele at this SNP associated with 7% higher serum PTH concentration. The other SNPs associated with serum PTH concentration included rs4074995 within RGS14 ( P =6.6 × 10 -17 ), rs219779 adjacent to CLDN14 ( P =3.5 × 10 -16 ), rs4443100 near RTDR1 ( P =8.7 × 10 -9 ), and rs73186030 near CASR ( P =4.8 × 10 -8 ). Of these five SNPs, rs6127099, rs4074995, and rs219779 replicated. Thus, common genetic variants located near genes involved in vitamin D metabolism and calcium and renal phosphate transport associated with differences in circulating PTH concentrations. Future studies could identify the causal variants at these loci, and the clinical and functional relevance of these variants should be pursued. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Gain-of-function HCN2 variants in genetic epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Melody; Maljevic, Snezana; Phillips, A Marie; Petrovski, Slave; Hildebrand, Michael S; Burgess, Rosemary; Mount, Therese; Zara, Federico; Striano, Pasquale; Schubert, Julian; Thiele, Holger; Nürnberg, Peter; Wong, Michael; Weisenberg, Judith L; Thio, Liu Lin; Lerche, Holger; Scheffer, Ingrid E; Berkovic, Samuel F; Petrou, Steven; Reid, Christopher A

2018-02-01

Genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) is a common epilepsy syndrome that encompasses seizure disorders characterized by spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs). Pacemaker hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (HCN) are considered integral to SWD genesis, making them an ideal gene candidate for GGE. We identified HCN2 missense variants from a large cohort of 585 GGE patients, recruited by the Epilepsy Phenome-Genome Project (EPGP), and performed functional analysis using two-electrode voltage clamp recordings from Xenopus oocytes. The p.S632W variant was identified in a patient with idiopathic photosensitive occipital epilepsy and segregated in the family. This variant was also independently identified in an unrelated patient with childhood absence seizures from a European cohort of 238 familial GGE cases. The p.V246M variant was identified in a patient with photo-sensitive GGE and his father diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Functional studies revealed that both p.S632W and p.V246M had an identical functional impact including a depolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of activation that is consistent with a gain-of-function. In contrast, no biophysical changes resulted from the introduction of common population variants, p.E280K and p.A705T, and the p.R756C variant from EPGP that did not segregate with disease. Our data suggest that HCN2 variants can confer susceptibility to GGE via a gain-of-function mechanism. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

VaRank: a simple and powerful tool for ranking genetic variants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Véronique Geoffroy

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background. Most genetic disorders are caused by single nucleotide variations (SNVs or small insertion/deletions (indels. High throughput sequencing has broadened the catalogue of human variation, including common polymorphisms, rare variations or disease causing mutations. However, identifying one variation among hundreds or thousands of others is still a complex task for biologists, geneticists and clinicians.Results. We have developed VaRank, a command-line tool for the ranking of genetic variants detected by high-throughput sequencing. VaRank scores and prioritizes variants annotated either by Alamut Batch or SnpEff. A barcode allows users to quickly view the presence/absence of variants (with homozygote/heterozygote status in analyzed samples. VaRank supports the commonly used VCF input format for variants analysis thus allowing it to be easily integrated into NGS bioinformatics analysis pipelines. VaRank has been successfully applied to disease-gene identification as well as to molecular diagnostics setup for several hundred patients.Conclusions. VaRank is implemented in Tcl/Tk, a scripting language which is platform-independent but has been tested only on Unix environment. The source code is available under the GNU GPL, and together with sample data and detailed documentation can be downloaded from http://www.lbgi.fr/VaRank/.

Myopathy With SQSTM1 and TIA1 Variants: Clinical and Pathological Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiyv Niu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to identify the molecular defect of three unrelated individuals with late-onset predominant distal myopathy; to describe the spectrum of phenotype resulting from the contributing role of two variants in genes located on two different chromosomes; and to highlight the underappreciated complex forms of genetic myopathies.Patients and methodsClinical and laboratory data of three unrelated probands with predominantly distal weakness manifesting in the sixth-seventh decade of life, and available affected and unaffected family members were reviewed. Next-generation sequencing panel, whole exome sequencing, and targeted analyses of family members were performed to elucidate the genetic etiology of the myopathy.ResultsGenetic analyses detected two contributing variants located on different chromosomes in three unrelated probands: a heterozygous pathogenic mutation in SQSTM1 (c.1175C>T, p.Pro392Leu and a heterozygous variant in TIA1 (c.1070A>G, p.Asn357Ser. The affected fraternal twin of one proband also carries both variants, while the unaffected family members harbor one or none. Two unrelated probands (family 1, II.3, and family 3, II.1 have a distal myopathy with rimmed vacuoles that manifested with index extensor weakness; the other proband (family 2, I.1 has myofibrillar myopathy manifesting with hypercapnic respiratory insufficiency and distal weakness.ConclusionThe findings indicate that all the affected individuals have a myopathy associated with both variants in SQSTM1 and TIA1, respectively, suggesting that the two variants determine the phenotype and likely functionally interact. We speculate that the TIA1 variant is a modifier of the SQSTM1 mutation. We identify the combination of SQSTM1 and TIA1 variants as a novel genetic defect associated with myofibrillar myopathy and suggest to consider sequencing both genes in the molecular investigation of myopathy with rimmed vacuoles and myofibrillar myopathy

Myopathy With SQSTM1 and TIA1 Variants: Clinical and Pathological Features.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Zhiyv; Pontifex, Carly Sabine; Berini, Sarah; Hamilton, Leslie E; Naddaf, Elie; Wieben, Eric; Aleff, Ross A; Martens, Kristina; Gruber, Angela; Engel, Andrew G; Pfeffer, Gerald; Milone, Margherita

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to identify the molecular defect of three unrelated individuals with late-onset predominant distal myopathy; to describe the spectrum of phenotype resulting from the contributing role of two variants in genes located on two different chromosomes; and to highlight the underappreciated complex forms of genetic myopathies. Clinical and laboratory data of three unrelated probands with predominantly distal weakness manifesting in the sixth-seventh decade of life, and available affected and unaffected family members were reviewed. Next-generation sequencing panel, whole exome sequencing, and targeted analyses of family members were performed to elucidate the genetic etiology of the myopathy. Genetic analyses detected two contributing variants located on different chromosomes in three unrelated probands: a heterozygous pathogenic mutation in SQSTM1 (c.1175C>T, p.Pro392Leu) and a heterozygous variant in TIA1 (c.1070A>G, p.Asn357Ser). The affected fraternal twin of one proband also carries both variants, while the unaffected family members harbor one or none. Two unrelated probands (family 1, II.3, and family 3, II.1) have a distal myopathy with rimmed vacuoles that manifested with index extensor weakness; the other proband (family 2, I.1) has myofibrillar myopathy manifesting with hypercapnic respiratory insufficiency and distal weakness. The findings indicate that all the affected individuals have a myopathy associated with both variants in SQSTM1 and TIA1 , respectively, suggesting that the two variants determine the phenotype and likely functionally interact. We speculate that the TIA1 variant is a modifier of the SQSTM1 mutation. We identify the combination of SQSTM1 and TIA1 variants as a novel genetic defect associated with myofibrillar myopathy and suggest to consider sequencing both genes in the molecular investigation of myopathy with rimmed vacuoles and myofibrillar myopathy although additional studies are needed to investigate the

Genetic variants of retinol-binding protein 4 in adolescents are ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2015-09-03

Sep 3, 2015 ... associated with T2D and serum triglyceride levels in another study of a Chinese ... Japan). Serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol .... a positive correlation between RBP genetic variants and obe- sity, IR or MetS ...

Mnemiopsis leidyi Gut Harbors Seasonally Variant and Commensal Microbial Assemblages

Science.gov (United States)

Mariita, R. M.; Hossain, M. J.; Liles, M. R.; Moss, A.

2016-02-01

Studies have shown that with widespread use of antibiotics in human and domestic animal populations, antibiotic resistance becomes increasingly common in the environment. Estuaries provide ideal conditions for acquisition and dissemination of drug resistance genes because they serve as sinks for pollution. This study aimed to identify M. leidyi microbial diversity and richness and their potential to act as vectors for antibiotic resistance determinants (ARDs). M. leidyi, although native to study area are highly invasive. Metagenomic analyses indicate that there are temporal variations of bacterioplankton assemblages in M. leidyi gut. Overall, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria are the most abundant phyla. Despite the temporal dynamics in the microbial assemblages in M. leidyi gut, they seem to retain Propionibacterium acnes (gut microbiota in some insects) and select proteobacteria across all seasons. The results contradict previous studies that suggest that M. leidyi does not have constant a microbiota, but only seasonally variant microbial assemblages. Here we reveal the presence of M. leidyi gut ARDs in winter and summer, probably because of the ctenophores' positive geotaxis during rough surface conditions. Genes responsible for resistance to fluoroquinolones, multidrug resistance efflux pumps, mercuric reductase, copper homeostasis and blaR1 genes were observed. This is the first study to demonstrate that M. leidyi harbors constant microbiota and provides a baseline for understanding M. leidyi gut microbial and ARDs ecology. It also suggests that M. leidyi bacterial taxonomic and functional dynamics is influenced by season. Funding: Alabama EPSCoR GRSP fellowship, AU-CMB fellowship, NSF EPS-1158862, USDA-Hatch 370225-310100 (AGM, ML).

Mapping genetic variations to three-dimensional protein structures to enhance variant interpretation: a proposed framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Glusman, Gustavo; Rose, Peter W; Prlić, Andreas; Dougherty, Jennifer; Duarte, José M; Hoffman, Andrew S; Barton, Geoffrey J; Bendixen, Emøke; Bergquist, Timothy; Bock, Christian; Brunk, Elizabeth; Buljan, Marija; Burley, Stephen K; Cai, Binghuang; Carter, Hannah; Gao, JianJiong; Godzik, Adam; Heuer, Michael; Hicks, Michael; Hrabe, Thomas; Karchin, Rachel; Leman, Julia Koehler; Lane, Lydie; Masica, David L; Mooney, Sean D; Moult, John; Omenn, Gilbert S; Pearl, Frances; Pejaver, Vikas; Reynolds, Sheila M; Rokem, Ariel; Schwede, Torsten; Song, Sicheng; Tilgner, Hagen; Valasatava, Yana; Zhang, Yang; Deutsch, Eric W

2017-12-18

The translation of personal genomics to precision medicine depends on the accurate interpretation of the multitude of genetic variants observed for each individual. However, even when genetic variants are predicted to modify a protein, their functional implications may be unclear. Many diseases are caused by genetic variants affecting important protein features, such as enzyme active sites or interaction interfaces. The scientific community has catalogued millions of genetic variants in genomic databases and thousands of protein structures in the Protein Data Bank. Mapping mutations onto three-dimensional (3D) structures enables atomic-level analyses of protein positions that may be important for the stability or formation of interactions; these may explain the effect of mutations and in some cases even open a path for targeted drug development. To accelerate progress in the integration of these data types, we held a two-day Gene Variation to 3D (GVto3D) workshop to report on the latest advances and to discuss unmet needs. The overarching goal of the workshop was to address the question: what can be done together as a community to advance the integration of genetic variants and 3D protein structures that could not be done by a single investigator or laboratory? Here we describe the workshop outcomes, review the state of the field, and propose the development of a framework with which to promote progress in this arena. The framework will include a set of standard formats, common ontologies, a common application programming interface to enable interoperation of the resources, and a Tool Registry to make it easy to find and apply the tools to specific analysis problems. Interoperability will enable integration of diverse data sources and tools and collaborative development of variant effect prediction methods.

Evaluation of type 2 diabetes genetic risk variants in Chinese adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gan, Wei; Walters, Robin G; Holmes, Michael V

2016-01-01

: Association signals were directionally consistent between CKB and the original discovery GWAS: of 56 variants passing quality control, 48 showed the same direction of effect (binomial test, p = 2.3 × 10(-8)). We observed a consistent overall trend towards lower risk variant effect sizes in CKB than in case......-control samples of GWAS meta-analyses (mean 19-22% decrease in log odds, p ≤ 0.0048), likely to reflect correction of both 'winner's curse' and spectrum bias effects. The association with risk of diabetes of a genetic risk score, based on lead variants at 25 loci considered to act through beta cell function...

Incidental and clinically actionable genetic variants in 1005 whole exomes and genomes from Qatar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abhinav Jain

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Next generation sequencing (NGS technologies such as whole genome and whole exome sequencing has enabled accurate diagnosis of genetic diseases through identification of variations at the genome wide level. While many large populations have been adequately covered in global sequencing efforts little is known on the genomic architecture of populations from Middle East, and South Asia and Africa. Incidental findings and their prevalence in populations have been extensively studied in populations of Caucasian descent. The recent emphasis on genomics and availability of genome-scale datasets in public domain for ethnic population in the Middle East prompted us to estimate the prevalence of incidental findings for this population. In this study, we used whole genome and exome data for a total 1005 non-related healthy individuals from Qatar population dataset which contained 20,930,177 variants. Systematic analysis of the variants in 59 genes recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics for reporting of incidental findings revealed a total of 2 pathogenic and 2 likely pathogenic variants. Our analysis suggests the prevalence of incidental variants in population-scale datasets is approx. 0.6%, much lower than those reported for global populations. Our study underlines the essentiality to study population-scale genomes from ethnic groups to understand systematic differences in genetic variants associated with disease predisposition.

Genetics Home Reference: Floating-Harbor syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

... Patton MA, Hurst J, Donnai D, McKeown CM, Cole T, Goodship J. Floating-Harbor syndrome. J Med ... medicine? What is newborn screening? New Pages Lyme disease Fibromyalgia White-Sutton syndrome All New & Updated Pages ...

Combinations of genetic variants associated with bipolar disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mellerup, Erling; Andreassen, Ole A; Bennike, Bente

2017-01-01

The main objective of the study was to find genetic variants that in combination are significantly associated with bipolar disorder. In previous studies of bipolar disorder, combinations of three and four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) genotypes taken from 803 SNPs were analyzed, and five...... clusters of combinations were found to be significantly associated with bipolar disorder. In the present study, combinations of ten SNP genotypes taken from the same 803 SNPs were analyzed, and one cluster of combinations was found to be significantly associated with bipolar disorder. Combinations from......, heterozygote or variant homozygote. In the combinations containing 10 SNP genotypes almost all the genotypes were the normal homozygote. Such a finding may indicate that accumulation in the genome of combinations containing few SNP genotypes may be a risk factor for bipolar disorder when those combinations...

Genetic polymorphisms of pharmacogenomic VIP variants in the Yi population from China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Mengdan; Li, Dianzhen; Zhao, Guige; Li, Jing; Niu, Fanglin; Li, Bin; Chen, Peng; Jin, Tianbo

2018-03-30

Drug response and target therapeutic dosage are different among individuals. The variability is largely genetically determined. With the development of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics, widespread research have provided us a wealth of information on drug-related genetic polymorphisms, and the very important pharmacogenetic (VIP) variants have been identified for the major populations around the world whereas less is known regarding minorities in China, including the Yi ethnic group. Our research aims to screen the potential genetic variants in Yi population on pharmacogenomics and provide a theoretical basis for future medication guidance. In the present study, 80 VIP variants (selected from the PharmGKB database) were genotyped in 100 unrelated and healthy Yi adults recruited for our research. Through statistical analysis, we made a comparison between the Yi and other 11 populations listed in the HapMap database for significant SNPs detection. Two specific SNPs were subsequently enrolled in an observation on global allele distribution with the frequencies downloaded from ALlele FREquency Database. Moreover, F-statistics (Fst), genetic structure and phylogenetic tree analyses were conducted for determination of genetic similarity between the 12 ethnic groups. Using the χ2 tests, rs1128503 (ABCB1), rs7294 (VKORC1), rs9934438 (VKORC1), rs1540339 (VDR) and rs689466 (PTGS2) were identified as the significantly different loci for further analysis. The global allele distribution revealed that the allele "A" of rs1540339 and rs9934438 were more frequent in Yi people, which was consistent with the most populations in East Asia. F-statistics (Fst), genetic structure and phylogenetic tree analyses demonstrated that the Yi and CHD shared a closest relationship on their genetic backgrounds. Additionally, Yi was considered similar to the Han people from Shaanxi province among the domestic ethnic populations in China. Our results demonstrated significant differences on

Genetic evidence and integration of various data sources for classifying uncertain variants into a single model.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goldgar, D.E.; Easton, D.F.; Byrnes, G.B.; Spurdle, A.B.; Iversen, E.S.; Greenblatt, M.S.; Boffetta, P.; Couch, F.J.; Wind, N. de; Eccles, D.; Foulkes, W.D.; Genuardi, M.; Hofstra, R.M.; Hogervorst, F.; Hoogerbrugge-van der Linden, N.; Plon, S.E.; Radice, P.; Rasmussen, L.; Sinilnikova, O.M.; Tavtigian, S.V.

2008-01-01

Genetic testing often results in the finding of a variant whose clinical significance is unknown. A number of different approaches have been employed in the attempt to classify such variants. For some variants, case-control, segregation, family history, or other statistical studies can provide

Genetic Variants Contribute to Gene Expression Variability in Humans

Science.gov (United States)

Hulse, Amanda M.; Cai, James J.

2013-01-01

Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) studies have established convincing relationships between genetic variants and gene expression. Most of these studies focused on the mean of gene expression level, but not the variance of gene expression level (i.e., gene expression variability). In the present study, we systematically explore genome-wide association between genetic variants and gene expression variability in humans. We adapt the double generalized linear model (dglm) to simultaneously fit the means and the variances of gene expression among the three possible genotypes of a biallelic SNP. The genomic loci showing significant association between the variances of gene expression and the genotypes are termed expression variability QTL (evQTL). Using a data set of gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from 210 HapMap individuals, we identify cis-acting evQTL involving 218 distinct genes, among which 8 genes, ADCY1, CTNNA2, DAAM2, FERMT2, IL6, PLOD2, SNX7, and TNFRSF11B, are cross-validated using an extra expression data set of the same LCLs. We also identify ∼300 trans-acting evQTL between >13,000 common SNPs and 500 randomly selected representative genes. We employ two distinct scenarios, emphasizing single-SNP and multiple-SNP effects on expression variability, to explain the formation of evQTL. We argue that detecting evQTL may represent a novel method for effectively screening for genetic interactions, especially when the multiple-SNP influence on expression variability is implied. The implication of our results for revealing genetic mechanisms of gene expression variability is discussed. PMID:23150607

Genetic association of marbling score with intragenic nucleotide variants at selection signals of the bovine genome.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryu, J; Lee, C

2016-04-01

Selection signals of Korean cattle might be attributed largely to artificial selection for meat quality. Rapidly increased intragenic markers of newly annotated genes in the bovine genome would help overcome limited findings of genetic markers associated with meat quality at the selection signals in a previous study. The present study examined genetic associations of marbling score (MS) with intragenic nucleotide variants at selection signals of Korean cattle. A total of 39 092 nucleotide variants of 407 Korean cattle were utilized in the association analysis. A total of 129 variants were selected within newly annotated genes in the bovine genome. Their genetic associations were analyzed using the mixed model with random polygenic effects based on identical-by-state genetic relationships among animals in order to control for spurious associations produced by population structure. Genetic associations of MS were found (Pdirectional selection for greater MS and remain selection signals in the bovine genome. Further studies of fine mapping would be useful to incorporate favorable alleles in marker-assisted selection for MS of Korean cattle.

Cross-Ethnic meta-Analysis of genetic variants for polycystic ovary syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Y.V. Louwers (Yvonne); L. Stolk (Lisette); A.G. Uitterlinden (André); J.S.E. Laven (Joop)

2013-01-01

textabstractContext: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed new susceptibility loci for Chinese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Because ethnic background adds to phenotypic diversities in PCOS, it seems plausible that genetic variants associated with PCOS act

Statistical methods to detect novel genetic variants using publicly available GWAS summary data.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Bin; Wu, Baolin

2018-03-01

We propose statistical methods to detect novel genetic variants using only genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary data without access to raw genotype and phenotype data. With more and more summary data being posted for public access in the post GWAS era, the proposed methods are practically very useful to identify additional interesting genetic variants and shed lights on the underlying disease mechanism. We illustrate the utility of our proposed methods with application to GWAS meta-analysis results of fasting glucose from the international MAGIC consortium. We found several novel genome-wide significant loci that are worth further study. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Imaging-Genetics in Dyslexia: Connecting risk genetic variants to brain neuroimaging and ultimately to reading impairments

Science.gov (United States)

Eicher, John D.; Gruen, Jeffrey R.

2013-01-01

Dyslexia is a common pediatric disorder that affects 5-17% of schoolchildren in the United States. It is marked by unexpected difficulties in fluent reading despite adequate intelligence, opportunity, and instruction. Classically, neuropsychologists have studied dyslexia using a variety of neurocognitive batteries to gain insight into the specific deficits and impairments in affected children. Since dyslexia is a complex genetic trait with high heritability, analyses conditioned on performance on these neurocognitive batteries have been used to try to identify associated genes. This has led to some successes in identifying contributing genes, although much of the heritability remains unexplained. Additionally, the lack of relevant human brain tissue for analysis and the challenges of modeling a uniquely human trait in animals are barriers to advancing our knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology. In vivo imaging technologies, however, present new opportunities to examine dyslexia and reading skills in a clearly relevant context in human subjects. Recent investigations have started to integrate these imaging data with genetic data in attempts to gain a more complete and complex understanding of reading processes. In addition to bridging the gap from genetic risk variant to a discernible neuroimaging phenotype and ultimately to the clinical impairments in reading performance, the use of neuroimaging phenotypes will reveal novel risk genes and variants. In this article, we briefly discuss the genetic and imaging investigations and take an in-depth look at the recent imaging-genetics investigations of dyslexia. PMID:23916419

Direct Correlation of Cell Toxicity to Conformational Ensembles of Genetic Aβ Variants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Somavarapu, Arun Kumar; Kepp, Kasper Planeta

2015-01-01

We report a systematic analysis of conformational ensembles generated from multiseed molecular dynamics simulations of all 15 known genetic variants of Aβ42. We show that experimentally determined variant toxicities are largely explained by random coil content of the amyloid ensembles (correlatio...

Genetic Candidate Variants in Two Multigenerational Families with Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beate Peter

Full Text Available Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS is a severe and socially debilitating form of speech sound disorder with suspected genetic involvement, but the genetic etiology is not yet well understood. Very few known or putative causal genes have been identified to date, e.g., FOXP2 and BCL11A. Building a knowledge base of the genetic etiology of CAS will make it possible to identify infants at genetic risk and motivate the development of effective very early intervention programs. We investigated the genetic etiology of CAS in two large multigenerational families with familial CAS. Complementary genomic methods included Markov chain Monte Carlo linkage analysis, copy-number analysis, identity-by-descent sharing, and exome sequencing with variant filtering. No overlaps in regions with positive evidence of linkage between the two families were found. In one family, linkage analysis detected two chromosomal regions of interest, 5p15.1-p14.1, and 17p13.1-q11.1, inherited separately from the two founders. Single-point linkage analysis of selected variants identified CDH18 as a primary gene of interest and additionally, MYO10, NIPBL, GLP2R, NCOR1, FLCN, SMCR8, NEK8, and ANKRD12, possibly with additive effects. Linkage analysis in the second family detected five regions with LOD scores approaching the highest values possible in the family. A gene of interest was C4orf21 (ZGRF1 on 4q25-q28.2. Evidence for previously described causal copy-number variations and validated or suspected genes was not found. Results are consistent with a heterogeneous CAS etiology, as is expected in many neurogenic disorders. Future studies will investigate genome variants in these and other families with CAS.

Genetic Candidate Variants in Two Multigenerational Families with Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

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Peter, Beate; Wijsman, Ellen M; Nato, Alejandro Q; Matsushita, Mark M; Chapman, Kathy L; Stanaway, Ian B; Wolff, John; Oda, Kaori; Gabo, Virginia B; Raskind, Wendy H

2016-01-01

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a severe and socially debilitating form of speech sound disorder with suspected genetic involvement, but the genetic etiology is not yet well understood. Very few known or putative causal genes have been identified to date, e.g., FOXP2 and BCL11A. Building a knowledge base of the genetic etiology of CAS will make it possible to identify infants at genetic risk and motivate the development of effective very early intervention programs. We investigated the genetic etiology of CAS in two large multigenerational families with familial CAS. Complementary genomic methods included Markov chain Monte Carlo linkage analysis, copy-number analysis, identity-by-descent sharing, and exome sequencing with variant filtering. No overlaps in regions with positive evidence of linkage between the two families were found. In one family, linkage analysis detected two chromosomal regions of interest, 5p15.1-p14.1, and 17p13.1-q11.1, inherited separately from the two founders. Single-point linkage analysis of selected variants identified CDH18 as a primary gene of interest and additionally, MYO10, NIPBL, GLP2R, NCOR1, FLCN, SMCR8, NEK8, and ANKRD12, possibly with additive effects. Linkage analysis in the second family detected five regions with LOD scores approaching the highest values possible in the family. A gene of interest was C4orf21 (ZGRF1) on 4q25-q28.2. Evidence for previously described causal copy-number variations and validated or suspected genes was not found. Results are consistent with a heterogeneous CAS etiology, as is expected in many neurogenic disorders. Future studies will investigate genome variants in these and other families with CAS.

CFTR-France, a national relational patient database for sharing genetic and phenotypic data associated with rare CFTR variants.

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Claustres, Mireille; Thèze, Corinne; des Georges, Marie; Baux, David; Girodon, Emmanuelle; Bienvenu, Thierry; Audrezet, Marie-Pierre; Dugueperoux, Ingrid; Férec, Claude; Lalau, Guy; Pagin, Adrien; Kitzis, Alain; Thoreau, Vincent; Gaston, Véronique; Bieth, Eric; Malinge, Marie-Claire; Reboul, Marie-Pierre; Fergelot, Patricia; Lemonnier, Lydie; Mekki, Chadia; Fanen, Pascale; Bergougnoux, Anne; Sasorith, Souphatta; Raynal, Caroline; Bareil, Corinne

2017-10-01

Most of the 2,000 variants identified in the CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator) gene are rare or private. Their interpretation is hampered by the lack of available data and resources, making patient care and genetic counseling challenging. We developed a patient-based database dedicated to the annotations of rare CFTR variants in the context of their cis- and trans-allelic combinations. Based on almost 30 years of experience of CFTR testing, CFTR-France (https://cftr.iurc.montp.inserm.fr/cftr) currently compiles 16,819 variant records from 4,615 individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) or CFTR-RD (related disorders), fetuses with ultrasound bowel anomalies, newborns awaiting clinical diagnosis, and asymptomatic compound heterozygotes. For each of the 736 different variants reported in the database, patient characteristics and genetic information (other variations in cis or in trans) have been thoroughly checked by a dedicated curator. Combining updated clinical, epidemiological, in silico, or in vitro functional data helps to the interpretation of unclassified and the reassessment of misclassified variants. This comprehensive CFTR database is now an invaluable tool for diagnostic laboratories gathering information on rare variants, especially in the context of genetic counseling, prenatal and preimplantation genetic diagnosis. CFTR-France is thus highly complementary to the international database CFTR2 focused so far on the most common CF-causing alleles. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genetic variants associated with subjective well-being, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism identified through genome-wide analyses

OpenAIRE

Okbay, Aysu; Baselmans, B.M.L. (Bart M.L.); Neve, Jan-Emmanuel; Turley, Patrick; Nivard, Michel; Fontana, M.A. (Mark Alan); Meddens, S.F.W. (S. Fleur W.); Linnér, R.K. (Richard Karlsson); Rietveld, C.A. (Cornelius A); Derringer, J.; Gratten, Jacob; Lee, James J.; Liu, J.Z. (Jimmy Z); Vlaming, Ronald; SAhluwalia, T. (Tarunveer)

2016-01-01

textabstractVery few genetic variants have been associated with depression and neuroticism, likely because of limitations on sample size in previous studies. Subjective well-being, a phenotype that is genetically correlated with both of these traits, has not yet been studied with genome-wide data. We conducted genome-wide association studies of three phenotypes: subjective well-being (n = 298,420), depressive symptoms (n = 161,460), and neuroticism (n = 170,911). We identify 3 variants associ...

Exceptions to the rule: case studies in the prediction of pathogenicity for genetic variants in hereditary cancer genes.

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Rosenthal, E T; Bowles, K R; Pruss, D; van Kan, A; Vail, P J; McElroy, H; Wenstrup, R J

2015-12-01

Based on current consensus guidelines and standard practice, many genetic variants detected in clinical testing are classified as disease causing based on their predicted impact on the normal expression or function of the gene in the absence of additional data. However, our laboratory has identified a subset of such variants in hereditary cancer genes for which compelling contradictory evidence emerged after the initial evaluation following the first observation of the variant. Three representative examples of variants in BRCA1, BRCA2 and MSH2 that are predicted to disrupt splicing, prematurely truncate the protein, or remove the start codon were evaluated for pathogenicity by analyzing clinical data with multiple classification algorithms. Available clinical data for all three variants contradicts the expected pathogenic classification. These variants illustrate potential pitfalls associated with standard approaches to variant classification as well as the challenges associated with monitoring data, updating classifications, and reporting potentially contradictory interpretations to the clinicians responsible for translating test outcomes to appropriate clinical action. It is important to address these challenges now as the model for clinical testing moves toward the use of large multi-gene panels and whole exome/genome analysis, which will dramatically increase the number of genetic variants identified. © 2015 The Authors. Clinical Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genome-Wide Interaction Analyses between Genetic Variants and Alcohol Consumption and Smoking for Risk of Colorectal Cancer.

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Jian Gong

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies (GWAS have identified many genetic susceptibility loci for colorectal cancer (CRC. However, variants in these loci explain only a small proportion of familial aggregation, and there are likely additional variants that are associated with CRC susceptibility. Genome-wide studies of gene-environment interactions may identify variants that are not detected in GWAS of marginal gene effects. To study this, we conducted a genome-wide analysis for interaction between genetic variants and alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking using data from the Colon Cancer Family Registry (CCFR and the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium (GECCO. Interactions were tested using logistic regression. We identified interaction between CRC risk and alcohol consumption and variants in the 9q22.32/HIATL1 (Pinteraction = 1.76×10-8; permuted p-value 3.51x10-8 region. Compared to non-/occasional drinking light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer among individuals with rs9409565 CT genotype (OR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.74-0.91]; P = 2.1×10-4 and TT genotypes (OR,0.62 [95% CI, 0.51-0.75]; P = 1.3×10-6 but not associated among those with the CC genotype (p = 0.059. No genome-wide statistically significant interactions were observed for smoking. If replicated our suggestive finding of a genome-wide significant interaction between genetic variants and alcohol consumption might contribute to understanding colorectal cancer etiology and identifying subpopulations with differential susceptibility to the effect of alcohol on CRC risk.

An Evaluation of Factors Associated With Pathogenic PRSS1, SPINK1, CTFR, and/or CTRC Genetic Variants in Patients With Idiopathic Pancreatitis.

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Jalaly, Niloofar Y; Moran, Robert A; Fargahi, Farshid; Khashab, Mouen A; Kamal, Ayesha; Lennon, Anne Marie; Walsh, Christi; Makary, Martin A; Whitcomb, David C; Yadav, Dhiraj; Cebotaru, Liudmila; Singh, Vikesh K

2017-08-01

We evaluated factors associated with pathogenic genetic variants in patients with idiopathic pancreatitis. Genetic testing (PRSS1, CFTR, SPINK1, and CTRC) was performed in all eligible patients with idiopathic pancreatitis between 2010 to 2015. Patients were classified into the following groups based on a review of medical records: (1) acute recurrent idiopathic pancreatitis (ARIP) with or without underlying chronic pancreatitis; (2) idiopathic chronic pancreatitis (ICP) without a history of ARP; (3) an unexplained first episode of acute pancreatitis (AP)pancreatitis. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with pathogenic genetic variants. Among 197 ARIP and/or ICP patients evaluated from 2010 to 2015, 134 underwent genetic testing. A total of 88 pathogenic genetic variants were found in 64 (47.8%) patients. Pathogenic genetic variants were identified in 58, 63, and 27% of patients with ARIP, an unexplained first episode of AP <35 years of age, and ICP without ARP, respectively. ARIP (OR: 18.12; 95% CI: 2.16-151.87; P=0.008) and an unexplained first episode of AP<35 years of age (OR: 2.46; 95% CI: 1.18-5.15; P=0.017), but not ICP, were independently associated with pathogenic genetic variants in the adjusted analysis. Pathogenic genetic variants are most likely to be identified in patients with ARIP and an unexplained first episode of AP<35 years of age. Genetic testing in these patient populations may delineate an etiology and prevent unnecessary diagnostic testing and procedures.

Genetic analysis of somaclonal variants and induced mutants of potato ( solanum tuberosum l.) cv. diamant using RAPD markers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afrasiab, H.; Iqbal, J.

2011-01-01

The objective of this work was to genetically analyze somaclonal variants and gamma induced mutants of potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) cv. Diamant using RAPD-PCR technique. In the present work, callus was induced from nodes, inter nodes and leaf explants in MS medium supplemented with NAA (1.0 mg/l) and BAP (0.5 mg/l) and plants were regenerated from 14-20 weeks old calli. For gamma irradiation, ten-week old well proliferating calli were exposed to doses ranging from 5-50 Gy. All the four selected somaclonal variants and five gamma induced mutants were differentiated by banding patterns obtained from 22 primers that generated 140 polymorphic bands. The presence of polymorphic bands in variants and mutants suggest that genetic variation occurred in all the treatments as compared to control. Similarity and clustered analysis were conducted using Jaccard's coefficients and the un-weighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages. The results summarized in a dendrogram, show genetic diversity among the variants and mutants. The study shows that RAPD markers were efficient in discriminating somaclonal variants and induced mutants of potato. (author)

Joint Identification of Genetic Variants for Physical Activity in Korean Population

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Jayoun Kim

2014-07-01

Full Text Available There has been limited research on genome-wide association with physical activity (PA. This study ascertained genetic associations between PA and 344,893 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP markers in 8842 Korean samples. PA data were obtained from a validated questionnaire that included information on PA intensity and duration. Metabolic equivalent of tasks were calculated to estimate the total daily PA level for each individual. In addition to single- and multiple-SNP association tests, a pathway enrichment analysis was performed to identify the biological significance of SNP markers. Although no significant SNP was found at genome-wide significance level via single-SNP association tests, 59 genetic variants mapped to 76 genes were identified via a multiple SNP approach using a bootstrap selection stability measure. Pathway analysis for these 59 variants showed that maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY was enriched. Joint identification of SNPs could enable the identification of multiple SNPs with good predictive power for PA and a pathway enriched for PA.

al mena: a comprehensive resource of human genetic variants integrating genomes and exomes from Arab, Middle Eastern and North African populations.

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Koshy, Remya; Ranawat, Anop; Scaria, Vinod

2017-10-01

Middle East and North Africa (MENA) encompass very unique populations, with a rich history and encompasses characteristic ethnic, linguistic and genetic diversity. The genetic diversity of MENA region has been largely unknown. The recent availability of whole-exome and whole-genome sequences from the region has made it possible to collect population-specific allele frequencies. The integration of data sets from this region would provide insights into the landscape of genetic variants in this region. We integrated genetic variants from multiple data sets systematically, available from this region to create a compendium of over 26 million genetic variations. The variants were systematically annotated and their allele frequencies in the data sets were computed and available as a web interface which enables quick query. As a proof of principle for application of the compendium for genetic epidemiology, we analyzed the allele frequencies for variants in transglutaminase 1 (TGM1) gene, associated with autosomal recessive lamellar ichthyosis. Our analysis revealed that the carrier frequency of selected variants differed widely with significant interethnic differences. To the best of our knowledge, al mena is the first and most comprehensive repertoire of genetic variations from the Arab, Middle Eastern and North African region. We hope al mena would accelerate Precision Medicine in the region.

Schizophrenia genetic variants are not associated with intelligence

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Van Scheltinga, A.F.T.; Bakker, S.C.; Van Haren, N.E.M.

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is associated with lower pre-morbid intelligence (IQ) in addition to (pre-morbid) cognitive decline. Both schizophrenia and IQ are highly heritable traits. Therefore, we hypothesized that genetic variants associated with schizophrenia, including copy number variants (CNVs......) and a polygenic schizophrenia (risk) score (PSS), may influence intelligence. Method IQ was estimated with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). CNVs were determined from single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data using the QuantiSNP and PennCNV algorithms. For the PSS, odds ratios for genome-wide SNP data...... significantly more genes were disrupted by deletions in schizophrenia patients compared to controls (p = 0.009), there was no effect of CNV measures on IQ. The PSS was associated with disease status (R 2 = 0.055, p = 2.1 × 10-7) and with IQ in the entire sample (R 2 = 0.018, p = 0.0008) but the effect on IQ...

Influence of genetic variants on toxicity to anti-tubercular agents: a systematic review and meta-analysis (protocol).

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Richardson, Marty; Kirkham, Jamie; Dwan, Kerry; Sloan, Derek; Davies, Geraint; Jorgensen, Andrea

2017-07-13

Tuberculosis patients receiving anti-tuberculosis treatment may experience serious adverse drug reactions, such as hepatotoxicity. Genetic risk factors, such as polymorphisms of the NAT2, CYP2E1 and GSTM1 genes, may increase the risk of experiencing such toxicity events. Many pharmacogenetic studies have investigated the association between genetic variants and anti-tuberculosis drug-related toxicity events, and several meta-analyses have synthesised data from these studies, although conclusions from these meta-analyses are conflicting. Many meta-analyses also have serious methodological limitations, such as applying restrictive inclusion criteria, or not assessing the quality of included studies. Most also only consider hepatotoxicity outcomes and specific genetic variants. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to give a comprehensive evaluation of the evidence base for associations between any genetic variant and anti-tuberculosis drug-related toxicity. We will search for studies in MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS and Web of Science. We will also hand search reference lists from relevant studies and contact experts in the field. We will include cohort studies, case-control studies and randomised controlled trials that recruited patients with tuberculosis who were either already established on anti-tuberculosis treatment or were commencing treatment and who were genotyped to investigate the effect of genetic variants on any anti-tuberculosis drug-related toxicity outcome. One author will screen abstracts to identify potentially relevant studies and will then obtain the full text for each potentially relevant study in order to assess eligibility. At each of these stages, a second author will independently screen/assess 10% of studies. Two authors will independently extract data and assess the quality of studies using a pre-piloted data extraction form. If appropriate, we will pool estimates of effect for each genotype on each outcome using meta

Computer-aided identification of polymorphism sets diagnostic for groups of bacterial and viral genetic variants

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Huygens Flavia

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and genes that exhibit presence/absence variation have provided informative marker sets for bacterial and viral genotyping. Identification of marker sets optimised for these purposes has been based on maximal generalized discriminatory power as measured by Simpson's Index of Diversity, or on the ability to identify specific variants. Here we describe the Not-N algorithm, which is designed to identify small sets of genetic markers diagnostic for user-specified subsets of known genetic variants. The algorithm does not treat the user-specified subset and the remaining genetic variants equally. Rather Not-N analysis is designed to underpin assays that provide 0% false negatives, which is very important for e.g. diagnostic procedures for clinically significant subgroups within microbial species. Results The Not-N algorithm has been incorporated into the "Minimum SNPs" computer program and used to derive genetic markers diagnostic for multilocus sequence typing-defined clonal complexes, hepatitis C virus (HCV subtypes, and phylogenetic clades defined by comparative genome hybridization (CGH data for Campylobacter jejuni, Yersinia enterocolitica and Clostridium difficile. Conclusion Not-N analysis is effective for identifying small sets of genetic markers diagnostic for microbial sub-groups. The best results to date have been obtained with CGH data from several bacterial species, and HCV sequence data.

THE INFLUENCE OF GENETIC VARIANTS OF κ-CASEIN ON MILK COMPONENTS

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Juraj Čuboň

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Milk production of 22 cows of Slovak Pied breed with Holstein-Friesian was analyzed according to the genetic variants of the polymorphic proteins determined by starch gel electrophoresis. The effect of genetic variants of the proteins was analyzed by selected properties of milk (milk yield, proteins, fats and lactose. Differences between the productive characters in testing groups were evaluated according to statistic method of t-test. Evaluation was carried out during throughout lactation. Based on the analyses we have obtained results frequency of genotypes: κ-CN AA in 9 cows (41%, AB in 12 cows (54.5% and BB in one cow, which is 4.5%. The average daily milk production of κ-CN AA was 13.5 l/day and in κ-CN AB 14.2 l/day. Contents of protein of genetic variation κ-CN AA was 3.1% in milk genotype κ-CN AB was found not significant lower protein proportion 3.0%. Based on the analyses, we can assume that cow’s nutrition higher influence the increase in the proportion of protein than polymorphism of κ-CN. In our research was found out the average fat content 4.0% in genetic variation of κ-CN AA and not significant lower in genetic variation κ-CN AB 3.8%. The average lactose content in the cow’s milk with κ-CN AA genotype was 4.9% and κ-CN AB was 5.0%. The difference between fat content wasn’t statistically significant.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is not associated with genetic variants that mark risk of type 2 diabetes.

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Saxena, R; Welt, C K

2013-06-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder of irregular menses, hyperandrogenism and/or polycystic ovary morphology. A large proportion of women with PCOS also exhibit insulin resistance, β-cell dysfunction, impaired glucose tolerance and/or type 2 diabetes (T2D). We therefore hypothesized that genetic variants that predispose to risk of T2D also result in risk of PCOS. Variants robustly associated with T2D in candidate gene or genome-wide association studies (GWAS; n = 56 SNPs from 33 loci) were genotyped in women of European ancestry with PCOS (n = 525) and controls (n = 472), aged 18-45 years. Metabolic, reproductive and anthropomorphic data were examined as a function of the T2D variants. All genetic association analyses were adjusted for age, BMI and ancestry and were reported after correction for multiple testing. There was a nominal association between variants in KCNJ11 and risk of PCOS. However, a risk score of 33 independent T2D-associated variants from GWAS was not significantly associated with PCOS. T2D variants were associated with PCOS phenotype parameters including those in THADA and WFS1 with testosterone levels, ENPP/PC1 with triglyceride levels, FTO with glucose levels and KCNJ11 with FSH levels. Diabetes risk variants are not important risk variants for PCOS.

Genome-Wide Interaction Analyses between Genetic Variants and Alcohol Consumption and Smoking for Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Newcomb, Polly A.; Campbell, Peter T.; Baron, John A.; Berndt, Sonja I.; Bezieau, Stephane; Brenner, Hermann; Casey, Graham; Chan, Andrew T.; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Du, Mengmeng; Figueiredo, Jane C.; Gallinger, Steven; Giovannucci, Edward L.; Haile, Robert W.; Harrison, Tabitha A.; Hayes, Richard B.; Hoffmeister, Michael; Hopper, John L.; Hudson, Thomas J.; Jeon, Jihyoun; Jenkins, Mark A.; Küry, Sébastien; Le Marchand, Loic; Lin, Yi; Lindor, Noralane M.; Nishihara, Reiko; Ogino, Shuji; Potter, John D.; Rudolph, Anja; Schoen, Robert E.; Seminara, Daniela; Slattery, Martha L.; Thibodeau, Stephen N.; Thornquist, Mark; Toth, Reka; Wallace, Robert; White, Emily; Jiao, Shuo; Lemire, Mathieu; Hsu, Li; Peters, Ulrike

2016-01-01

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many genetic susceptibility loci for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, variants in these loci explain only a small proportion of familial aggregation, and there are likely additional variants that are associated with CRC susceptibility. Genome-wide studies of gene-environment interactions may identify variants that are not detected in GWAS of marginal gene effects. To study this, we conducted a genome-wide analysis for interaction between genetic variants and alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking using data from the Colon Cancer Family Registry (CCFR) and the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium (GECCO). Interactions were tested using logistic regression. We identified interaction between CRC risk and alcohol consumption and variants in the 9q22.32/HIATL1 (Pinteraction = 1.76×10−8; permuted p-value 3.51x10-8) region. Compared to non-/occasional drinking light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer among individuals with rs9409565 CT genotype (OR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.74–0.91]; P = 2.1×10−4) and TT genotypes (OR,0.62 [95% CI, 0.51–0.75]; P = 1.3×10−6) but not associated among those with the CC genotype (p = 0.059). No genome-wide statistically significant interactions were observed for smoking. If replicated our suggestive finding of a genome-wide significant interaction between genetic variants and alcohol consumption might contribute to understanding colorectal cancer etiology and identifying subpopulations with differential susceptibility to the effect of alcohol on CRC risk. PMID:27723779

A genetic electrophoretic variant of high-sulfur hair proteins for forensic hair comparisons. I. Characterization of variant high-sulfur proteins of human hair.

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Miyake, B

1989-02-01

In a survey of the proteins from human hair, a genetic electrophoretic variant has been observed in the high-sulfur protein region. S-carboxymethylated proteins were examined by 15% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 8.9. Out of 150 unrelated samples of Japanese head hairs analyzed, 107 showed 6 major high-sulfur protein bands (normal) and the remaining 43 samples showed an additional high-sulfur protein band (variant). Of 21 Caucasian samples analyzed only one variant sample was found. Characterization of the proteins by two-dimensional electrophoresis evidenced a variant protein spot which showed an apparent molecular weight of 30 k Da. Isoelectric points of the high-sulfur proteins ranged from 3.25-3.55 and that of variant protein band from 3.3-3.4. Family studies of 21 matings resulting in 49 children indicated that this variant was inherited in an autosomal fashion.

Whole-exome sequencing identified a variant in EFTUD2 gene in establishing a genetic diagnosis.

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Rengasamy Venugopalan, S; Farrow, E G; Lypka, M

2017-06-01

Craniofacial anomalies are complex and have an overlapping phenotype. Mandibulofacial Dysostosis and Oculo-Auriculo-Vertebral Spectrum are conditions that share common craniofacial phenotype and present a challenge in arriving at a diagnosis. In this report, we present a case of female proband who was given a differential diagnosis of Treacher Collins syndrome or Hemifacial Microsomia without certainty. Prior genetic testing reported negative for 22q deletion and FGFR screenings. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the critical role of whole-exome sequencing in establishing a genetic diagnosis of the proband. The participants were 14½-year-old affected female proband/parent trio. Proband/parent trio were enrolled in the study. Surgical tissue sample from the proband and parental blood samples were collected and prepared for whole-exome sequencing. Illumina HiSeq 2500 instrument was used for sequencing (125 nucleotide reads/84X coverage). Analyses of variants were performed using custom-developed software, RUNES and VIKING. Variant analyses following whole-exome sequencing identified a heterozygous de novo pathogenic variant, c.259C>T (p.Gln87*), in EFTUD2 (NM_004247.3) gene in the proband. Previous studies have reported that the variants in EFTUD2 gene were associated with Mandibulofacial Dysostosis with Microcephaly. Patients with facial asymmetry, micrognathia, choanal atresia and microcephaly should be analyzed for variants in EFTUD2 gene. Next-generation sequencing techniques, such as whole-exome sequencing offer great promise to improve the understanding of etiologies of sporadic genetic diseases. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Personalized medicine and human genetic diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yi-Fan; Goldstein, David B; Angrist, Misha; Cavalleri, Gianpiero

2014-07-24

Human genetic diversity has long been studied both to understand how genetic variation influences risk of disease and infer aspects of human evolutionary history. In this article, we review historical and contemporary views of human genetic diversity, the rare and common mutations implicated in human disease susceptibility, and the relevance of genetic diversity to personalized medicine. First, we describe the development of thought about diversity through the 20th century and through more modern studies including genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and next-generation sequencing. We introduce several examples, such as sickle cell anemia and Tay-Sachs disease that are caused by rare mutations and are more frequent in certain geographical populations, and common treatment responses that are caused by common variants, such as hepatitis C infection. We conclude with comments about the continued relevance of human genetic diversity in medical genetics and personalized medicine more generally. Copyright © 2014 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Phenome Wide Association Studies demonstrating pleiotropy of genetic variants within FTO with and without adjustment for body mass index

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Robert Michael Cronin

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS have demonstrated utility in validating genetic associations derived from traditional genetic studies as well as identifying novel genetic associations. Here we used an electronic health record (EHR-based PheWAS to explore pleiotropy of genetic variants in the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO, some of which have been previously associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D. We used a population of 10,487 individuals of European ancestry with genome-wide genotyping from the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE Network and another population of 13,711 individuals of European ancestry from the BioVU DNA biobank at Vanderbilt genotyped using Illumina HumanExome BeadChip. A meta-analysis of the two study populations replicated the well-described associations between FTO variants and obesity (odds ratio [OR]=1.25, 95% Confidence Interval=1.11-1.24, p=2.10 x 10 9 and FTO variants and T2D (OR=1.14, 95% CI=1.08-1.21, p=2.34 x 10 6. The meta-analysis also demonstrated that FTO variant rs8050136 was significantly associated with sleep apnea (OR=1.14, 95% CI=1.07-1.22, p=3.33 x 10 5; however, the association was attenuated after adjustment for body mass index (BMI. Novel phenotype associations with obesity-associated FTO variants included fibrocystic breast disease (rs9941349, OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.74-0.91, p=5.41x10 5 and trends toward associations with nonalcoholic liver disease and gram-positive bacterial infections. FTO variants not associated with obesity demonstrated other potential disease associations including noninflammatory disorders of the cervix and chronic periodontitis. These results suggest that genetic variants in FTO may have pleiotropic associations, some of which are not mediated by obesity.

Penetrance of NOD2/CARD15 genetic variants in the general population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yazdanyar, Shiva; Kamstrup, Pia R; Tybjaerg-Hansen, Anne

2010-01-01

In case-control studies of Europeans, heterozygosity for Arg702Trp(rs2066844), Gly908Arg(rs2066845) and Leu1007fsinsC(rs5743293) on the NOD2/CARD15 gene is associated with a 2-fold greater risk of Crohn disease, whereas homozygosity or compound heterozygosity is associated with a 17-fold greater ...... risk. However, the importance of these genetic variants if identified in particular individuals within the general population is unknown. We undertook this study to estimate the penetrance of these variants in the general population....

Linking genetic variants of the mineralocorticoid receptor and negative memory bias: Interaction with prior life adversity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vogel, S.; Gerritsen, L.; Oostrom, I.I.H. van; Arias Vasquez, A.; Rijpkema, M.J.P.; Joels, M.; Franke, B.; Tendolkar, I.; Fernandez, G.S.E.

2014-01-01

Substantial research has been conducted investigating the association between life adversity and genetic vulnerability for depression, but clear mechanistic links are rarely identified and investigation often focused on single genetic variants. Complex phenotypes like depression, however, are likely

Impact of Genetic Variants on the Individual Potential for Body Fat Loss

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Soyeon Cha

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The past decade has witnessed the discovery of obesity-related genetic variants and their functions through genome-wide association studies. Combinations of risk alleles can influence obesity phenotypes with different degrees of effectiveness across various individuals by interacting with environmental factors. We examined the interaction between genetic variation and changes in dietary habits or exercise that influences body fat loss from a large Korean cohort (n = 8840. Out of 673 obesity-related SNPs, a total of 100 SNPs (37 for carbohydrate intake; 19 for fat intake; 44 for total calories intake; 25 for exercise onset identified to have gene-environment interaction effect in generalized linear model were used to calculate genetic risk scores (GRS. Based on the GRS distribution, we divided the population into four levels, namely, “very insensitive”, “insensitive”, “sensitive”, and “very sensitive” for each of the four categories, “carbohydrate intake”, “fat intake”, “total calories intake”, and “exercise”. Overall, the mean body fat loss became larger when the sensitivity level was increased. In conclusion, genetic variants influence the effectiveness of dietary regimes for body fat loss. Based on our findings, we suggest a platform for personalized body fat management by providing the most suitable and effective nutrition or activity plan specific to an individual.

Genetic Variants Associated with Gestational Hypertriglyceridemia and Pancreatitis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sai-Li Xie

Full Text Available Severe hypertriglyceridemia is a well-known cause of pancreatitis. Usually, there is a moderate increase in plasma triglyceride level during pregnancy. Additionally, certain pre-existing genetic traits may render a pregnant woman susceptible to development of severe hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis, especially in the third trimester. To elucidate the underlying mechanism of gestational hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis, we undertook DNA mutation analysis of the lipoprotein lipase (LPL, apolipoprotein C2 (APOC2, apolipoprotein A5 (APOA5, lipase maturation factor 1 (LMF1, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored high-density lipoprotein-binding protein 1 (GPIHBP1 genes in five unrelated pregnant Chinese women with severe hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis. DNA sequencing showed that three out of five patients had the same homozygous variation, p.G185C, in APOA5 gene. One patient had a compound heterozygous mutation, p.A98T and p.L279V, in LPL gene. Another patient had a compound heterozygous mutation, p.A98T & p.C14F in LPL and GPIHBP1 gene, respectively. No mutations were seen in APOC2 or LMF1 genes. All patients were diagnosed with partial LPL deficiency in non-pregnant state. As revealed in our study, genetic variants appear to play an important role in the development of severe gestational hypertriglyceridemia, and, p.G185C mutation in APOA5 gene appears to be the most common variant implicated in the Chinese population. Antenatal screening for mutations in susceptible women, combined with subsequent interventions may be invaluable in the prevention of potentially life threatening gestational hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis.

Genetic Variants Associated with Gestational Hypertriglyceridemia and Pancreatitis

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xie-Lin; Chen, Chao; Jin, Rong; Huang, Zhi-Ming; Zhou, Meng-Tao

2015-01-01

Severe hypertriglyceridemia is a well-known cause of pancreatitis. Usually, there is a moderate increase in plasma triglyceride level during pregnancy. Additionally, certain pre-existing genetic traits may render a pregnant woman susceptible to development of severe hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis, especially in the third trimester. To elucidate the underlying mechanism of gestational hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis, we undertook DNA mutation analysis of the lipoprotein lipase (LPL), apolipoprotein C2 (APOC2), apolipoprotein A5 (APOA5), lipase maturation factor 1 (LMF1), and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored high-density lipoprotein-binding protein 1 (GPIHBP1) genes in five unrelated pregnant Chinese women with severe hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis. DNA sequencing showed that three out of five patients had the same homozygous variation, p.G185C, in APOA5 gene. One patient had a compound heterozygous mutation, p.A98T and p.L279V, in LPL gene. Another patient had a compound heterozygous mutation, p.A98T & p.C14F in LPL and GPIHBP1 gene, respectively. No mutations were seen in APOC2 or LMF1 genes. All patients were diagnosed with partial LPL deficiency in non-pregnant state. As revealed in our study, genetic variants appear to play an important role in the development of severe gestational hypertriglyceridemia, and, p.G185C mutation in APOA5 gene appears to be the most common variant implicated in the Chinese population. Antenatal screening for mutations in susceptible women, combined with subsequent interventions may be invaluable in the prevention of potentially life threatening gestational hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis. PMID:26079787

Novel Genetic Variants of Sporadic Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) in a Chinese Population Identified by Whole-Exome Sequencing (WES).

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yong; Cao, Yu; Li, Yaxiong; Lei, Dongyun; Li, Lin; Hou, Zong Liu; Han, Shen; Meng, Mingyao; Shi, Jianlin; Zhang, Yayong; Wang, Yi; Niu, Zhaoyi; Xie, Yanhua; Xiao, Benshan; Wang, Yuanfei; Li, Xiao; Yang, Lirong; Wang, Wenju; Jiang, Lihong

2018-03-05

BACKGROUND Recently, mutations in several genes have been described to be associated with sporadic ASD, but some genetic variants remain to be identified. The aim of this study was to use whole-exome sequencing (WES) combined with bioinformatics analysis to identify novel genetic variants in cases of sporadic congenital ASD, followed by validation by Sanger sequencing. MATERIAL AND METHODS Five Han patients with secundum ASD were recruited, and their tissue samples were analyzed by WES, followed by verification by Sanger sequencing of tissue and blood samples. Further evaluation using blood samples included 452 additional patients with sporadic secundum ASD (212 male and 240 female patients) and 519 healthy subjects (252 male and 267 female subjects) for further verification by a multiplexed MassARRAY system. Bioinformatic analyses were performed to identify novel genetic variants associated with sporadic ASD. RESULTS From five patients with sporadic ASD, a total of 181,762 genomic variants in 33 exon loci, validated by Sanger sequencing, were selected and underwent MassARRAY analysis in 452 patients with ASD and 519 healthy subjects. Three loci with high mutation frequencies, the 138665410 FOXL2 gene variant, the 23862952 MYH6 gene variant, and the 71098693 HYDIN gene variant were found to be significantly associated with sporadic ASD (PASD (PASD, and supported the use of WES and bioinformatics analysis to identify disease-associated mutations.

Tools for analyzing genetic variants from sequencing data Case study: short tandem repeats

OpenAIRE

Gymrek, Melissa

2016-01-01

This was presented as a BitesizeBio Webinar entitled "Tools for analyzing genetic variants from sequencing data Case study: short tandem repeats"Accompanying scripts can be accessed on github:https://github.com/mgymrek/mgymrek-bitesizebio-webinar 

Heritability estimates of the Big Five personality traits based on common genetic variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Power, R A; Pluess, M

2015-07-14

According to twin studies, the Big Five personality traits have substantial heritable components explaining 40-60% of the variance, but identification of associated genetic variants has remained elusive. Consequently, knowledge regarding the molecular genetic architecture of personality and to what extent it is shared across the different personality traits is limited. Using genomic-relatedness-matrix residual maximum likelihood analysis (GREML), we here estimated the heritability of the Big Five personality factors (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness for experience) in a sample of 5011 European adults from 527,469 single-nucleotide polymorphisms across the genome. We tested for the heritability of each personality trait, as well as for the genetic overlap between the personality factors. We found significant and substantial heritability estimates for neuroticism (15%, s.e. = 0.08, P = 0.04) and openness (21%, s.e. = 0.08, P Big Five personality traits using the GREML approach. Findings should be considered exploratory and suggest that detectable heritability estimates based on common variants is shared between neuroticism and openness to experiences.

ClinGen Pathogenicity Calculator: a configurable system for assessing pathogenicity of genetic variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Ronak Y; Shah, Neethu; Jackson, Andrew R; Ghosh, Rajarshi; Pawliczek, Piotr; Paithankar, Sameer; Baker, Aaron; Riehle, Kevin; Chen, Hailin; Milosavljevic, Sofia; Bizon, Chris; Rynearson, Shawn; Nelson, Tristan; Jarvik, Gail P; Rehm, Heidi L; Harrison, Steven M; Azzariti, Danielle; Powell, Bradford; Babb, Larry; Plon, Sharon E; Milosavljevic, Aleksandar

2017-01-12

The success of the clinical use of sequencing based tests (from single gene to genomes) depends on the accuracy and consistency of variant interpretation. Aiming to improve the interpretation process through practice guidelines, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) have published standards and guidelines for the interpretation of sequence variants. However, manual application of the guidelines is tedious and prone to human error. Web-based tools and software systems may not only address this problem but also document reasoning and supporting evidence, thus enabling transparency of evidence-based reasoning and resolution of discordant interpretations. In this report, we describe the design, implementation, and initial testing of the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen) Pathogenicity Calculator, a configurable system and web service for the assessment of pathogenicity of Mendelian germline sequence variants. The system allows users to enter the applicable ACMG/AMP-style evidence tags for a specific allele with links to supporting data for each tag and generate guideline-based pathogenicity assessment for the allele. Through automation and comprehensive documentation of evidence codes, the system facilitates more accurate application of the ACMG/AMP guidelines, improves standardization in variant classification, and facilitates collaborative resolution of discordances. The rules of reasoning are configurable with gene-specific or disease-specific guideline variations (e.g. cardiomyopathy-specific frequency thresholds and functional assays). The software is modular, equipped with robust application program interfaces (APIs), and available under a free open source license and as a cloud-hosted web service, thus facilitating both stand-alone use and integration with existing variant curation and interpretation systems. The Pathogenicity Calculator is accessible at http

New exome data question the pathogenicity of genetic variants previously associated with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jabbari, Javad; Jabbari, Reza; Nielsen, Morten Wagner

2013-01-01

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a lethal, rare hereditary disease with an estimated prevalence of 1:10 000. The genetic variants that cause CPVT are usually highly penetrant. To date, about 189 variants in 5 genes (RYR2, CASQ2, CALM1, TRND, and KCNJ2) have been...

Genetic variants and cognitive aging: destiny or a nudge?

Science.gov (United States)

Raz, Naftali; Lustig, Cindy

2014-06-01

One would be hard-pressed to find a human trait that is not heritable at least to some extent, and genetics have played an important role in behavioral science for more than half a century. With the advent of high-throughput molecular methods and the increasing availability of genomic analyses, genetics have acquired a firm foothold in public discourse. However, although the proliferation of genetic association studies and ever-expanding library of single-nucleotide polymorphisms have generated some fascinating results, they have thus far fallen short of delivering the anticipated dramatic breakthroughs. In this collection of eight articles, we present a spectrum of efforts aimed at finding more nuanced and meaningful ways of integrating genomic findings into the study of cognitive aging. The articles present examples of Mendelian randomization in the service of investigating difficult-to-manipulate biochemical properties of human participants. Furthermore, in an important step forward, they acknowledge the interactive effects of genes and physiological risk factors on age-related difference and change in cognitive performance, as well as the possibility of modifying the negative effect of genetic variants by lifestyle changes. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Genetic variants in FGFR2 and FGFR4 genes and skin cancer risk in the Nurses' Health Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nan, Hongmei; Qureshi, Abrar A; Hunter, David J; Han, Jiali

2009-01-01

The human fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and its receptor (FGFR) play an important role in tumorigenesis. Deregulation of the FGFR2 gene has been identified in a number of cancer sites. Overexpression of the FGFR4 protein has been linked to cutaneous melanoma progression. Previous studies reported associations between genetic variants in the FGFR2 and FGFR4 genes and development of various cancers. We evaluated the associations of four genetic variants in the FGFR2 gene highly related to breast cancer risk and the three common tag-SNPs in the FGFR4 gene with skin cancer risk in a nested case-control study of Caucasians within the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) among 218 melanoma cases, 285 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cases, 300 basal cell carcinoma (BCC) cases, and 870 controls. We found no evidence for associations between these seven genetic variants and the risks of melanoma and nonmelanocytic skin cancer. Given the power of this study, we did not detect any contribution of genetic variants in the FGFR2 or FGFR4 genes to inherited predisposition to skin cancer among Caucasian women

Common genetic variants are significant risk factors for early menopause: results from the Breakthrough Generations Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Anna; Bennett, Claire E; Perry, John R B; Weedon, Michael N; Jacobs, Patricia A; Morris, Danielle H; Orr, Nicholas; Schoemaker, Minouk J; Jones, Michael; Ashworth, Alan; Swerdlow, Anthony J

2011-01-01

Women become infertile approximately 10 years before menopause, and as more women delay childbirth into their 30s, the number of women who experience infertility is likely to increase. Tests that predict the timing of menopause would allow women to make informed reproductive decisions. Current predictors are only effective just prior to menopause, and there are no long-range indicators. Age at menopause and early menopause (EM) are highly heritable, suggesting a genetic aetiology. Recent genome-wide scans have identified four loci associated with variation in the age of normal menopause (40-60 years). We aimed to determine whether theses loci are also risk factors for EM. We tested the four menopause-associated genetic variants in a cohort of approximately 2000 women with menopause≤45 years from the Breakthrough Generations Study (BGS). All four variants significantly increased the odds of having EM. Comparing the 4.5% of individuals with the lowest number of risk alleles (two or three) with the 3.0% with the highest number (eight risk alleles), the odds ratio was 4.1 (95% CI 2.4-7.1, P=4.0×10(-7)). In combination, the four variants discriminated EM cases with a receiver operator characteristic area under the curve of 0.6. Four common genetic variants identified by genome-wide association studies, had a significant impact on the odds of having EM in an independent cohort from the BGS. The discriminative power is still limited, but as more variants are discovered they may be useful for predicting reproductive lifespan.

Identification of Inherited Retinal Disease-Associated Genetic Variants in 11 Candidate Genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Astuti, Galuh D N; van den Born, L Ingeborgh; Khan, M Imran; Hamel, Christian P; Bocquet, Béatrice; Manes, Gaël; Quinodoz, Mathieu; Ali, Manir; Toomes, Carmel; McKibbin, Martin; El-Asrag, Mohammed E; Haer-Wigman, Lonneke; Inglehearn, Chris F; Black, Graeme C M; Hoyng, Carel B; Cremers, Frans P M; Roosing, Susanne

2018-01-10

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) display an enormous genetic heterogeneity. Whole exome sequencing (WES) recently identified genes that were mutated in a small proportion of IRD cases. Consequently, finding a second case or family carrying pathogenic variants in the same candidate gene often is challenging. In this study, we searched for novel candidate IRD gene-associated variants in isolated IRD families, assessed their causality, and searched for novel genotype-phenotype correlations. Whole exome sequencing was performed in 11 probands affected with IRDs. Homozygosity mapping data was available for five cases. Variants with minor allele frequencies ≤ 0.5% in public databases were selected as candidate disease-causing variants. These variants were ranked based on their: (a) presence in a gene that was previously implicated in IRD; (b) minor allele frequency in the Exome Aggregation Consortium database (ExAC); (c) in silico pathogenicity assessment using the combined annotation dependent depletion (CADD) score; and (d) interaction of the corresponding protein with known IRD-associated proteins. Twelve unique variants were found in 11 different genes in 11 IRD probands. Novel autosomal recessive and dominant inheritance patterns were found for variants in Small Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein U5 Subunit 200 ( SNRNP200 ) and Zinc Finger Protein 513 ( ZNF513 ), respectively. Using our pathogenicity assessment, a variant in DEAH-Box Helicase 32 ( DHX32 ) was the top ranked novel candidate gene to be associated with IRDs, followed by eight medium and lower ranked candidate genes. The identification of candidate disease-associated sequence variants in 11 single families underscores the notion that the previously identified IRD-associated genes collectively carry > 90% of the defects implicated in IRDs. To identify multiple patients or families with variants in the same gene and thereby provide extra proof for pathogenicity, worldwide data sharing is needed.

High prevalence of genetic variants previously associated with LQT syndrome in new exome data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Refsgaard, Lena; Holst, Anders G; Sadjadieh, Golnaz

2012-01-01

To date, hundreds of variants in 13 genes have been associated with long QT syndrome (LQTS). The prevalence of LQTS is estimated to be between 1:2000 and 1:5000. The knowledge of genetic variation in the general population has until recently been limited, but newly published data from NHLBI GO...... variants KCNH2 P347S; SCN5A: S216L, V1951L; and CAV3 T78M in the control population (n=704) revealed prevalences comparable to those of ESP. Thus, we identified a much higher prevalence of previously LQTS-associated variants than expected in exome data from population studies. Great caution regarding...

Investigation and functional characterization of rare genetic variants in the adipose triglyceride lipase in a large healthy working population.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Coassin

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Recent studies demonstrated a strong influence of rare genetic variants on several lipid-related traits. However, their impact on free fatty acid (FFA plasma concentrations, as well as the role of rare variants in a general population, has not yet been thoroughly addressed. The adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL is encoded by the PNPLA2 gene and catalyzes the rate-limiting step of lipolysis. It represents a prominent candidate gene affecting FFA concentrations. We therefore screened the full genomic region of ATGL for mutations in 1,473 randomly selected individuals from the SAPHIR (Salzburg Atherosclerosis Prevention program in subjects at High Individual Risk Study using a combined Ecotilling and sequencing approach and functionally investigated all detected protein variants by in-vitro studies. We observed 55 novel mostly rare genetic variants in this general population sample. Biochemical evaluation of all non-synonymous variants demonstrated the presence of several mutated but mostly still functional ATGL alleles with largely varying residual lipolytic activity. About one-quarter (3 out of 13 of the investigated variants presented a marked decrease or total loss of catalytic function. Genetic association studies using both continuous and dichotomous approaches showed a shift towards lower plasma FFA concentrations for rare variant carriers and an accumulation of variants in the lower 10%-quantile of the FFA distribution. However, the generally rather small effects suggest either only a secondary role of rare ATGL variants on the FFA levels in the SAPHIR population or a recessive action of ATGL variants. In contrast to these rather small effects, we describe here also the first patient with "neutral lipid storage disease with myopathy" (NLSDM with a point mutation in the catalytic dyad, but otherwise intact protein.

Whole-exome sequencing reveals genetic variants associated with chronic kidney disease characterized by tubulointerstitial damages in North Central Region, Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Nanayakkara, Shanika; Senevirathna, S T M L D; Parahitiyawa, Nipuna B; Abeysekera, Tilak; Chandrajith, Rohana; Ratnatunga, Neelakanthi; Hitomi, Toshiaki; Kobayashi, Hatasu; Harada, Kouji H; Koizumi, Akio

2015-09-01

The familial clustering observed in chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) characterized by tubulointerstitial damages in the North Central Region of Sri Lanka strongly suggests the involvement of genetic factors in its pathogenesis. The objective of the present study is to use whole-exome sequencing to identify the genetic variants associated with CKDu. Whole-exome sequencing of eight CKDu cases and eight controls was performed, followed by direct sequencing of candidate loci in 301 CKDu cases and 276 controls. Association study revealed rs34970857 (c.658G > A/p.V220M) located in the KCNA10 gene encoding a voltage-gated K channel as the most promising SNP with the highest odds ratio of 1.74. Four rare variants were identified in gene encoding Laminin beta2 (LAMB2) which is known to cause congenital nephrotic syndrome. Three out of four variants in LAMB2 were novel variants found exclusively in cases. Genetic investigations provide strong evidence on the presence of genetic susceptibility for CKDu. Possibility of presence of several rare variants associated with CKDu in this population is also suggested.

SNCA 3'UTR genetic variants in patients with Parkinson's disease and REM sleep behavior disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Toffoli, M; Dreussi, E; Cecchin, E; Valente, M; Sanvilli, N; Montico, M; Gagno, S; Garziera, M; Polano, M; Savarese, M; Calandra-Buonaura, G; Placidi, F; Terzaghi, M; Toffoli, G; Gigli, G L

2017-07-01

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is an early marker of Parkinson's disease (PD); however, it is still unclear which patients with RBD will eventually develop PD. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) of alpha-synuclein (SNCA) have been associated with PD, but at present, no data is available about RBD. The 3'UTR hosts regulatory regions involved in gene expression control, such as microRNA binding sites. The aim of this study was to determine RBD specific genetic features associated to an increased risk of progression to PD, by sequencing of the SNCA-3'UTR in patients with "idiopathic" RBD (iRBD) and in patients with PD. We recruited 113 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of iRBD (56 patients) or PD (with or without RBD, 57 patients). Sequencing of SNCA-3'UTR was performed on genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood samples. Bioinformatic analyses were carried out to predict the potential effect of the identified genetic variants on microRNA binding. We found three SNCA-3'UTR SNPs (rs356165, rs3857053, rs1045722) to be more frequent in PD patients than in iRBD patients (p = 0.014, 0.008, and 0.008, respectively). Four new or previously reported but not annotated specific genetic variants (KP876057, KP876056, NM_000345.3:c*860T>A, NM_000345.3:c*2320A>T) have been observed in the RBD population. The in silico approach highlighted that these variants could affect microRNA-mediated gene expression control. Our data show specific SNPs in the SNCA-3'UTR that may bear a risk for RBD to be associated with PD. Moreover, new genetic variants were identified in patients with iRBD.

Genetic variants of FOXP1 and FOXF1 are associated with the ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

JIE ZHANG

2018-03-01

Mar 1, 2018 ... This study aimed to investigate whether the genetic variants of CRTC1, BARX1, FOXP1 and ... The student's t-test was used to compare FOXP1 expression in the tumour and the adjacent normal tissues. .... Quantitative PCR was carried out ..... Expression (GTEx) pilot analysis: multitissue gene regulation.

Genetic variants associated with subjective well-being, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism identified through genome-wide analyses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Okbay (Aysu); Baselmans, B.M.L. (Bart M.L.); J.E. de Neve (Jan-Emmanuel); P. Turley (Patrick); M. Nivard (Michel); Fontana, M.A. (Mark Alan); Meddens, S.F.W. (S. Fleur W.); Linnér, R.K. (Richard Karlsson); Rietveld, C.A. (Cornelius A); J. Derringer; J. Gratten (Jacob); J.J. Lee (James J.); Liu, J.Z. (Jimmy Z); R. de Vlaming (Ronald); SAhluwalia, T. (Tarunveer); Buchwald, J. (Jadwiga); A. Cavadino (Alana); A.C. Frazier-Wood (Alexis C.); Furlotte, N.A. (Nicholas A); Garfield, V. (Victoria); Geisel, M.H. (Marie Henrike); J.R. Gonzalez (Juan R.); Haitjema, S. (Saskia); R. Karlsson (Robert); Der Laan, S.W. (Sander Wvan); K.-H. Ladwig (Karl-Heinz); J. Lahti (Jari); S.J. van der Lee (Sven); P.A. Lind (Penelope); Liu, T. (Tian); Matteson, L. (Lindsay); E. Mihailov (Evelin); M. Miller (Mike); CMinica, C. (Camelia); MNolte, I. (Ilja); D.O. Mook-Kanamori (Dennis); P.J. van der Most (Peter); C. Oldmeadow (Christopher); Y. Qian (Yong); O. Raitakari (Olli); R. Rawal (R.); A. Realo; Rueedi, R. (Rico); Schmidt, B. (Börge); A.V. Smith (Albert Vernon); E. Stergiakouli (Evangelia); T. Tanaka (Toshiko); K.D. Taylor (Kent); Wedenoja, J. (Juho); Wellmann, J. (Juergen); H.J. Westra (Harm-Jan); MWillems, S. (Sara); Zhao, W. (Wei); L.C. Study (LifeLines Cohort); N. Amin (Najaf); Bakshi, A. (Andrew); P.A. Boyle (Patricia); Cherney, S. (Samantha); Cox, S.R. (Simon R); G. Davies (Gail); O.S.P. Davis (Oliver S.); J. Ding (Jun); N. Direk (Nese); Eibich, P. (Peter); R. Emeny (Rebecca); Fatemifar, G. (Ghazaleh); J.D. Faul; L. Ferrucci (Luigi); A.J. Forstner (Andreas); C. Gieger (Christian); Gupta, R. (Richa); T.B. Harris (Tamara); J.M. Harris (Juliette); E.G. Holliday (Elizabeth); J.J. Hottenga (Jouke Jan); P.L. de Jager (Philip); M. Kaakinen (Marika); E. Kajantie (Eero); Karhunen, V. (Ville); I. Kolcic (Ivana); M. Kumari (Meena); L.J. Launer (Lenore); L. Franke (Lude); Li-Gao, R. (Ruifang); Koini, M. (Marisa); A. Loukola (Anu); P. Marques-Vidal; G.W. Montgomery (Grant); M. Mosing (Miriam); L. Paternoster (Lavinia); A. Pattie (Alison); K. Petrovic (Katja); Pulkki-R'back, L. (Laura); L. Quaye (Lydia); R'ikkönen, K. (Katri); I. Rudan (Igor); R. Scott (Rodney); J.A. Smith (Jennifer A); A.R. Sutin; Trzaskowski, M. (Maciej); Vinkhuyze, A.E. (Anna E.); L. Yu (Lei); D. Zabaneh (Delilah); J. Attia (John); D.A. Bennett (David A.); Berger, K. (Klaus); L. Bertram (Lars); D.I. Boomsma (Dorret); H. Snieder (Harold); Chang, S.-C. (Shun-Chiao); F. Cucca (Francesco); I.J. Deary (Ian J.); C.M. van Duijn (Cornelia); K. Hagen (Knut); U. Bültmann (Ute); E.J.C. de Geus (Eco); P.J.F. Groenen (Patrick); V. Gudnason (Vilmundur); T. Hansen (T.); Hartman, C.A. (Catharine A); C.M.A. Haworth (Claire M.); C. Hayward (Caroline); A.C. Heath (Andrew C.); D.A. Hinds (David A.); E. Hypponen (Elina); W.G. Iacono (William); M.-R. Jarvelin (Marjo-Riitta); K.-H. JöCkel (Karl-Heinz); J. Kaprio (Jaakko); S.L.R. Kardia (Sharon); Keltikangas-J'rvinen, L. (Liisa); P. Kraft (Peter); Kubzansky, L.D. (Laura D.); Lehtim'ki, T. (Terho); P.K. Magnusson (Patrik); N.G. Martin (Nicholas); M. McGue (Matt); A. Metspalu (Andres); M. Mills (Melinda); R. de Mutsert (Reneé); A.J. Oldehinkel (Albertine); G. Pasterkamp (Gerard); N.L. Pedersen (Nancy); R. Plomin (Robert); O. Polasek (Ozren); C. Power (Christopher); S.S. Rich (Stephen); F.R. Rosendaal (Frits); H.M. den Ruijter (Hester ); Schlessinger, D. (David); R. Schmidt (Reinhold); R. Svento (Rauli); R. Schmidt (Reinhold); B.Z. Alizadeh (Behrooz); T.I.A. Sørensen (Thorkild); DSpector, T. (Tim); Steptoe, A. (Andrew); A. Terracciano; A.R. Thurik (Roy); N.J. Timpson (Nicholas); H.W. Tiemeier (Henning); A.G. Uitterlinden (André); P. Vollenweider (Peter); Wagner, G.G. (Gert G.); D.R. Weir (David); J. Yang (Joanna); Conley, D.C. (Dalton C.); G.D. Smith; Hofman, A. (Albert); M. Johannesson (Magnus); D. Laibson (David); S.E. Medland (Sarah Elizabeth); M.N. Meyer (Michelle N.); Pickrell, J.K. (Joseph K.); Esko, T. (T'nu); R.F. Krueger; J.P. Beauchamp (Jonathan); Ph.D. Koellinger (Philipp); D.J. Benjamin (Daniel J.); M. Bartels (Meike); D. Cesarini (David)

2016-01-01

textabstractVery few genetic variants have been associated with depression and neuroticism, likely because of limitations on sample size in previous studies. Subjective well-being, a phenotype that is genetically correlated with both of these traits, has not yet been studied with genome-wide data.

The Number of Candidate Variants in Exome Sequencing for Mendelian Disease under No Genetic Heterogeneity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jo Nishino

2013-01-01

Full Text Available There has been recent success in identifying disease-causing variants in Mendelian disorders by exome sequencing followed by simple filtering techniques. Studies generally assume complete or high penetrance. However, there are likely many failed and unpublished studies due in part to incomplete penetrance or phenocopy. In this study, the expected number of candidate single-nucleotide variants (SNVs in exome data for autosomal dominant or recessive Mendelian disorders was investigated under the assumption of “no genetic heterogeneity.” All variants were assumed to be under the “null model,” and sample allele frequencies were modeled using a standard population genetics theory. To investigate the properties of pedigree data, full-sibs were considered in addition to unrelated individuals. In both cases, particularly regarding full-sibs, the number of SNVs remained very high without controls. The high efficacy of controls was also confirmed. When controls were used with a relatively large total sample size (e.g., N=20, 50, filtering incorporating of incomplete penetrance and phenocopy efficiently reduced the number of candidate SNVs. This suggests that filtering is useful when an assumption of no “genetic heterogeneity” is appropriate and could provide general guidelines for sample size determination.

High prevalence of genetic variants previously associated with Brugada syndrome in new exome data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Risgaard, B; Jabbari, R; Refsgaard, L

2013-01-01

More than 300 variants in 12 genes have been associated with Brugada syndrome (BrS) which has a prevalence ranging between 1:2000 and 1:100,000. Until recently, there has been little knowledge regarding the distribution of genetic variations in the general population. This problem was partly solved......, when exome data from the NHLI GO Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) was published. In this study, we aimed to report the prevalence of previously BrS-associated variants in the ESP population. We performed a search in ESP for variants previously associated with BrS. In addition, four variants in ESP were...... to a surprisingly high genotype prevalence of 1:23 (274:6258). Genotyping the four common ESP-derived variants CACNA2D1 S709N, SCN5A F2004L, CACNB2 S143F, and CACNB2 T450I in the Danish controls, we found a genotype prevalence comparable with that found in ESP. We suggest that exome data are used in research...

CRY2 genetic variants associate with dysthymia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leena Kovanen

Full Text Available People with mood disorders often have disruptions in their circadian rhythms. Recent molecular genetics has linked circadian clock genes to mood disorders. Our objective was to study two core circadian clock genes, CRY1 and CRY2 as well as TTC1 that interacts with CRY2, in relation to depressive and anxiety disorders. Of these three genes, 48 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs whose selection was based on the linkage disequilibrium and potential functionality were genotyped in 5910 individuals from a nationwide population-based sample. The diagnoses of major depressive disorder, dysthymia and anxiety disorders were assessed with a structured interview (M-CIDI. In addition, the participants filled in self-report questionnaires on depressive and anxiety symptoms. Logistic and linear regression models were used to analyze the associations of the SNPs with the phenotypes. Four CRY2 genetic variants (rs10838524, rs7121611, rs7945565, rs1401419 associated significantly with dysthymia (false discovery rate q<0.05. This finding together with earlier CRY2 associations with winter depression and with bipolar type 1 disorder supports the view that CRY2 gene has a role in mood disorders.

Rare variants in the neurotrophin signaling pathway implicated in schizophrenia risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Kranz, Thorsten M; Goetz, Ray R; Walsh-Messinger, Julie; Goetz, Deborah; Antonius, Daniel; Dolgalev, Igor; Heguy, Adriana; Seandel, Marco; Malaspina, Dolores; Chao, Moses V

2015-10-01

Multiple lines of evidence corroborate impaired signaling pathways as relevant to the underpinnings of schizophrenia. There has been an interest in neurotrophins, since they are crucial mediators of neurodevelopment and in synaptic connectivity in the adult brain. Neurotrophins and their receptors demonstrate aberrant expression patterns in cortical areas for schizophrenia cases in comparison to control subjects. There is little known about the contribution of neurotrophin genes in psychiatric disorders. To begin to address this issue, we conducted high-coverage targeted exome capture in a subset of neurotrophin genes in 48 comprehensively characterized cases with schizophrenia-related psychosis. We herein report rare missense polymorphisms and novel missense mutations in neurotrophin receptor signaling pathway genes. Furthermore, we observed that several genes have a higher propensity to harbor missense coding variants than others. Based on this initial analysis we suggest that rare variants and missense mutations in neurotrophin genes might represent genetic contributions involved across psychiatric disorders. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic variants associated with subjective well-being, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism identified through genome-wide analyses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Okbay, Aysu; Baselmans, Bart M L; De Neve, Jan-Emmanuel; Turley, Patrick; Nivard, Michel G; Fontana, Mark Alan; Meddens, S Fleur W; Linnér, Richard Karlsson; Rietveld, Cornelius A; Derringer, Jaime; Gratten, Jacob; Lee, James J; Liu, Jimmy Z; de Vlaming, Ronald; Ahluwalia, Tarunveer S; Buchwald, Jadwiga; Cavadino, Alana; Frazier-Wood, Alexis C; Furlotte, Nicholas A; Garfield, Victoria; Geisel, Marie Henrike; Gonzalez, Juan R; Haitjema, Saskia; Karlsson, Robert; van der Laan, Sander W; Ladwig, Karl-Heinz; Lahti, Jari; van der Lee, Sven J; Lind, Penelope A; Liu, Tian; Matteson, Lindsay; Mihailov, Evelin; Miller, Michael B; Minica, Camelia C; Nolte, Ilja M; Mook-Kanamori, Dennis; van der Most, Peter J; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Qian, Yong; Raitakari, Olli; Rawal, Rajesh; Realo, Anu; Rueedi, Rico; Schmidt, Börge; Smith, Albert V; Stergiakouli, Evie; Tanaka, Toshiko; Taylor, Kent; Wedenoja, Juho; Wellmann, Juergen; Westra, Harm-Jan; Willems, Sara M; Zhao, Wei; Amin, Najaf; Bakshi, Andrew; Boyle, Patricia A; Cherney, Samantha; Cox, Simon R; Davies, Gail; Davis, Oliver S P; Ding, Jun; Direk, Nese; Eibich, Peter; Emeny, Rebecca T; Fatemifar, Ghazaleh; Faul, Jessica D; Ferrucci, Luigi; Forstner, Andreas; Gieger, Christian; Gupta, Richa; Harris, Tamara B; Harris, Juliette M; Holliday, Elizabeth G; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; De Jager, Philip L; Kaakinen, Marika A; Kajantie, Eero; Karhunen, Ville; Kolcic, Ivana; Kumari, Meena; Launer, Lenore J; Franke, Lude; Li-Gao, Ruifang; Koini, Marisa; Loukola, Anu; Marques-Vidal, Pedro; Montgomery, Grant W; Mosing, Miriam A; Paternoster, Lavinia; Pattie, Alison; Petrovic, Katja E; Pulkki-Råback, Laura; Quaye, Lydia; Räikkönen, Katri; Rudan, Igor; Scott, Rodney J; Smith, Jennifer A; Sutin, Angelina R; Trzaskowski, Maciej; Vinkhuyzen, Anna E; Yu, Lei; Zabaneh, Delilah; Attia, John R; Bennett, David A; Berger, Klaus; Bertram, Lars; Boomsma, Dorret I; Snieder, Harold; Chang, Shun-Chiao; Cucca, Francesco; Deary, Ian J; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Eriksson, Johan G; Bültmann, Ute; de Geus, Eco J C; Groenen, Patrick J F; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Hansen, Torben; Hartman, Catharine A; Haworth, Claire M A; Hayward, Caroline; Heath, Andrew C; Hinds, David A; Hyppönen, Elina; Iacono, William G; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Kaprio, Jaakko; Kardia, Sharon L R; Keltikangas-Järvinen, Liisa; Kraft, Peter; Kubzansky, Laura D; Lehtimäki, Terho; Magnusson, Patrik K E; Martin, Nicholas G; McGue, Matt; Metspalu, Andres; Mills, Melinda; de Mutsert, Renée; Oldehinkel, Albertine J; Pasterkamp, Gerard; Pedersen, Nancy L; Plomin, Robert; Polasek, Ozren; Power, Christine; Rich, Stephen S; Rosendaal, Frits R; den Ruijter, Hester M; Schlessinger, David; Schmidt, Helena; Svento, Rauli; Schmidt, Reinhold; Alizadeh, Behrooz Z; Sørensen, Thorkild I A; Spector, Tim D; Steptoe, Andrew; Terracciano, Antonio; Thurik, A Roy; Timpson, Nicholas J; Tiemeier, Henning; Uitterlinden, André G; Vollenweider, Peter; Wagner, Gert G; Weir, David R; Yang, Jian; Conley, Dalton C; Smith, George Davey; Hofman, Albert; Johannesson, Magnus; Laibson, David I; Medland, Sarah E; Meyer, Michelle N; Pickrell, Joseph K; Esko, Tõnu; Krueger, Robert F; Beauchamp, Jonathan P; Koellinger, Philipp D; Benjamin, Daniel J; Bartels, Meike; Cesarini, David

Very few genetic variants have been associated with depression and neuroticism, likely because of limitations on sample size in previous studies. Subjective well-being, a phenotype that is genetically correlated with both of these traits, has not yet been studied with genome-wide data. We conducted

Genetic variants associated with subjective well-being, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism identified through genome-wide analyses.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Okbay, A.; Baselmans, B.M.L.; de Neve, J.E.; Turley, P.; Nivard, M.G.; Fontana, M.A.; Meddens, S.F.W.; Karlsson Linnér, R.; Rietveld, C.A.; Derringer, J.; de Vlaming, R.; Minica, C.C.; Hottenga, J.J.; Vinkhuyzen, A.A.E.; Boomsma, D.I.; de Geus, E.J.C.; Medland, S.E.; Meyer, M.N.; Pickrell, J.K.; Esko, T.; Krueger, R.F.; Beauchamp, J.; Koellinger, P.D.; Benjamin, D.J.; Bartels, M.; Cesarini, D.

2016-01-01

Very few genetic variants have been associated with depression and neuroticism, likely because of limitations on sample size in previous studies. Subjective well-being, a phenotype that is genetically correlated with both of these traits, has not yet been studied with genome-wide data. We conducted

Genetic variants demonstrating flip-flop phenomenon and breast cancer risk prediction among women of African ancestry.

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Wang, Shengfeng; Qian, Frank; Zheng, Yonglan; Ogundiran, Temidayo; Ojengbede, Oladosu; Zheng, Wei; Blot, William; Nathanson, Katherine L; Hennis, Anselm; Nemesure, Barbara; Ambs, Stefan; Olopade, Olufunmilayo I; Huo, Dezheng

2018-04-01

Few studies have evaluated the performance of existing breast cancer risk prediction models among women of African ancestry. In replication studies of genetic variants, a change in direction of the risk association is a common phenomenon. Termed flip-flop, it means that a variant is risk factor in one population but protective in another, affecting the performance of risk prediction models. We used data from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) of breast cancer in the African diaspora (The Root consortium), which included 3686 participants of African ancestry from Nigeria, USA, and Barbados. Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were constructed from the published odds ratios (ORs) of four sets of susceptibility loci for breast cancer. Discrimination capacity was measured using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Flip-flop phenomenon was observed among 30~40% of variants across studies. Using the 34 variants with consistent directionality among previous studies, we constructed a PRS with AUC of 0.531 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.512-0.550), which is similar to the PRS using 93 variants and ORs from European ancestry populations (AUC = 0.525, 95% CI: 0.506-0.544). Additionally, we found the 34-variant PRS has good discriminative accuracy in women with family history of breast cancer (AUC = 0.586, 95% CI: 0.532-0.640). We found that PRS based on variants identified from prior GWASs conducted in women of European and Asian ancestries did not provide a comparable degree of risk stratification for women of African ancestry. Further large-scale fine-mapping studies in African ancestry populations are desirable to discover population-specific genetic risk variants.

Privacy preserving protocol for detecting genetic relatives using rare variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hormozdiari, Farhad; Joo, Jong Wha J; Wadia, Akshay; Guan, Feng; Ostrosky, Rafail; Sahai, Amit; Eskin, Eleazar

2014-06-15

High-throughput sequencing technologies have impacted many areas of genetic research. One such area is the identification of relatives from genetic data. The standard approach for the identification of genetic relatives collects the genomic data of all individuals and stores it in a database. Then, each pair of individuals is compared to detect the set of genetic relatives, and the matched individuals are informed. The main drawback of this approach is the requirement of sharing your genetic data with a trusted third party to perform the relatedness test. In this work, we propose a secure protocol to detect the genetic relatives from sequencing data while not exposing any information about their genomes. We assume that individuals have access to their genome sequences but do not want to share their genomes with anyone else. Unlike previous approaches, our approach uses both common and rare variants which provide the ability to detect much more distant relationships securely. We use a simulated data generated from the 1000 genomes data and illustrate that we can easily detect up to fifth degree cousins which was not possible using the existing methods. We also show in the 1000 genomes data with cryptic relationships that our method can detect these individuals. The software is freely available for download at http://genetics.cs.ucla.edu/crypto/. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

A genetic variant of NLRP1 gene is associated with asbestos body burden in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Science.gov (United States)

Crovella, S; Moura, R R; Cappellani, S; Celsi, F; Trevisan, E; Schneider, M; Brollo, A; Nicastro, E M; Vita, F; Finotto, L; Zabucchi, G; Borelli, V

2018-01-01

The presence of asbestos bodies (ABs) in lung parenchyma is considered a histopathologic hallmark of past exposure to asbestos fibers, of which there was a population of longer fibers. The mechanisms underlying AB formation are complex, involving inflammatory responses and iron (Fe) metabolism. Thus, the responsiveness to AB formation is variable, with some individuals appearing to be poor AB formers. The aim of this study was to disclose the possible role of genetic variants of genes encoding inflammasome and iron metabolism proteins in the ability to form ABs in a population of 81 individuals from North East Italy, who died after having developed malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). This study included 86 genetic variants distributed in 10 genes involved in Fe metabolism and 7 genetic variants in two genes encoding for inflammasome molecules. Genotypes/haplotypes were compared according to the number of lung ABs. Data showed that the NLRP1 rs12150220 missense variant (H155L) was significantly correlated with numbers of ABs in MPM patients. Specifically, a low number of ABs was detected in individuals carrying the NLRP1 rs12150220 A/T genotype. Our findings suggest that the NLRP1 inflammasome might contribute in the development of lung ABs. It is postulated that the NLRP1 missense variant may be considered as one of the possible host genetic factors contributing to individual variability in coating efficiency, which needs to be taken when assessing occupational exposure to asbestos.

A Recurrent De Novo PACS2 Heterozygous Missense Variant Causes Neonatal-Onset Developmental Epileptic Encephalopathy, Facial Dysmorphism, and Cerebellar Dysgenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Heather E; Jean-Marçais, Nolwenn; Yang, Edward; Heron, Delphine; Tatton-Brown, Katrina; van der Zwaag, Paul A; Bijlsma, Emilia K; Krock, Bryan L; Backer, E; Kamsteeg, Erik-Jan; Sinnema, Margje; Reijnders, Margot R F; Bearden, David; Begtrup, Amber; Telegrafi, Aida; Lunsing, Roelineke J; Burglen, Lydie; Lesca, Gaetan; Cho, Megan T; Smith, Lacey A; Sheidley, Beth R; Moufawad El Achkar, Christelle; Pearl, Phillip L; Poduri, Annapurna; Skraban, Cara M; Tarpinian, Jennifer; Nesbitt, Addie I; Fransen van de Putte, Dietje E; Ruivenkamp, Claudia A L; Rump, Patrick; Chatron, Nicolas; Sabatier, Isabelle; De Bellescize, Julitta; Guibaud, Laurent; Sweetser, David A; Waxler, Jessica L; Wierenga, Klaas J; Donadieu, Jean; Narayanan, Vinodh; Ramsey, Keri M; Nava, Caroline; Rivière, Jean-Baptiste; Vitobello, Antonio; Tran Mau-Them, Frédéric; Philippe, Christophe; Bruel, Ange-Line; Duffourd, Yannis; Thomas, Laurel; Lelieveld, Stefan H; Schuurs-Hoeijmakers, Janneke; Brunner, Han G; Keren, Boris; Thevenon, Julien; Faivre, Laurence; Thomas, Gary; Thauvin-Robinet, Christel

2018-05-03

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) represent a large clinical and genetic heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental diseases. The identification of pathogenic genetic variants in DEEs remains crucial for deciphering this complex group and for accurately caring for affected individuals (clinical diagnosis, genetic counseling, impacting medical, precision therapy, clinical trials, etc.). Whole-exome sequencing and intensive data sharing identified a recurrent de novo PACS2 heterozygous missense variant in 14 unrelated individuals. Their phenotype was characterized by epilepsy, global developmental delay with or without autism, common cerebellar dysgenesis, and facial dysmorphism. Mixed focal and generalized epilepsy occurred in the neonatal period, controlled with difficulty in the first year, but many improved in early childhood. PACS2 is an important PACS1 paralog and encodes a multifunctional sorting protein involved in nuclear gene expression and pathway traffic regulation. Both proteins harbor cargo(furin)-binding regions (FBRs) that bind cargo proteins, sorting adaptors, and cellular kinase. Compared to the defined PACS1 recurrent variant series, individuals with PACS2 variant have more consistently neonatal/early-infantile-onset epilepsy that can be challenging to control. Cerebellar abnormalities may be similar but PACS2 individuals exhibit a pattern of clear dysgenesis ranging from mild to severe. Functional studies demonstrated that the PACS2 recurrent variant reduces the ability of the predicted autoregulatory domain to modulate the interaction between the PACS2 FBR and client proteins, which may disturb cellular function. These findings support the causality of this recurrent de novo PACS2 heterozygous missense in DEEs with facial dysmorphim and cerebellar dysgenesis. Copyright © 2018 American Society of Human Genetics. All rights reserved.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors, somatic mutations and candidate genetic risk variants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katie M O'Brien

Full Text Available Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs are rare but treatable soft tissue sarcomas. Nearly all GISTs have somatic mutations in either the KIT or PDGFRA gene, but there are no known inherited genetic risk factors. We assessed the relationship between KIT/PDGFRA mutations and select deletions or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in 279 participants from a clinical trial of adjuvant imatinib mesylate. Given previous evidence that certain susceptibility loci and carcinogens are associated with characteristic mutations, or "signatures" in other cancers, we hypothesized that the characteristic somatic mutations in the KIT and PDGFRA genes in GIST tumors may similarly be mutational signatures that are causally linked to specific mutagens or susceptibility loci. As previous epidemiologic studies suggest environmental risk factors such as dioxin and radiation exposure may be linked to sarcomas, we chose 208 variants in 39 candidate genes related to DNA repair and dioxin metabolism or response. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs for the association between each variant and 7 categories of tumor mutation using logistic regression. We also evaluated gene-level effects using the sequence kernel association test (SKAT. Although none of the association p-values were statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons, SNPs in CYP1B1 were strongly associated with KIT exon 11 codon 557-8 deletions (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3-2.9 for rs2855658 and OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2-2.7 for rs1056836 and wild type GISTs (OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.5-4.8 for rs1800440 and OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.9 for rs1056836. CYP1B1 was also associated with these mutations categories in the SKAT analysis (p = 0.002 and p = 0.003, respectively. Other potential risk variants included GSTM1, RAD23B and ERCC2. This preliminary analysis of inherited genetic risk factors for GIST offers some clues about the disease's genetic

Detection of new genetic variants of Betacoronaviruses in Endemic Frugivorous Bats of Madagascar.

Science.gov (United States)

Razanajatovo, Norosoa H; Nomenjanahary, Lalaina A; Wilkinson, David A; Razafimanahaka, Julie H; Goodman, Steven M; Jenkins, Richard K; Jones, Julia P G; Heraud, Jean-Michel

2015-03-12

Bats are amongst the natural reservoirs of many coronaviruses (CoVs) of which some can lead to severe infection in human. African bats are known to harbor a range of pathogens (e.g., Ebola and Marburg viruses) that can infect humans and cause disease outbreaks. A recent study in South Africa isolated a genetic variant closely related to MERS-CoV from an insectivorous bat. Though Madagascar is home to 44 bat species (41 insectivorous and 3 frugivorous) of which 34 are endemic, no data exists concerning the circulation of CoVs in the island's chiropteran fauna. Certain Malagasy bats can be frequently found in close contact with humans and frugivorous bats feed in the same trees where people collect and consume fruits and are hunted and consumed as bush meat. The purpose of our study is to detect and identify CoVs from frugivorous bats in Madagascar to evaluate the risk of human infection from infected bats. Frugivorous bats belonging to three species were captured in four different regions of Madagascar. We analyzed fecal and throat swabs to detect the presence of virus through amplification of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene, which is highly conserved in all known coronaviruses. Phylogenetic analyses were performed from positive specimens. From 351 frugivorous bats, we detected 14 coronaviruses from two endemic bats species, of which 13 viruses were identified from Pteropus rufus and one from Eidolon dupreanum, giving an overall prevalence of 4.5%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Malagasy strains belong to the genus Betacoronavirus but form three distinct clusters, which seem to represent previously undescribed genetic lineages. Our findings suggest that CoVs circulate in frugivorous bats of Madagascar, demonstrating the needs to evaluate spillover risk to human populations especially for individuals that hunt and consume infected bats. Possible dispersal mechanisms as to how coronaviruses arrived on Madagascar are discussed.

Common genetic variants and modification of penetrance of BRCA2-associated breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaudet, Mia M; Kirchhoff, Tomas; Green, Todd

2010-01-01

The considerable uncertainty regarding cancer risks associated with inherited mutations of BRCA2 is due to unknown factors. To investigate whether common genetic variants modify penetrance for BRCA2 mutation carriers, we undertook a two-staged genome-wide association study in BRCA2 mutation carri...

Common genetic variants and modification of penetrance of BRCA2-associated breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaudet, Mia M; Kirchhoff, Tomas; Green, Todd

2010-01-01

The considerable uncertainty regarding cancer risks associated with inherited mutations of BRCA2 is due to unknown factors. To investigate whether common genetic variants modify penetrance for BRCA2 mutation carriers, we undertook a two-staged genome-wide association study in BRCA2 mutation...

Common genetic variants associated with cognitive performance identified using the proxy-phenotype method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.A. Rietveld (Niels); T. Esko (Tõnu); G. Davies (Gail); T.H. Pers (Tune); P. Turley (Patrick); B. Benyamin (Beben); C.F. Chabris (Christopher F.); V. Emilsson (Valur); A.D. Johnson (Andrew); J.J. Lee (James J.); C. de Leeuw (Christiaan); R.E. Marioni (Riccardo); S.E. Medland (Sarah Elizabeth); M. Miller (Mike); O. Rostapshova (Olga); S.J. van der Lee (Sven); A.A.E. Vinkhuyzen (Anna A.); N. Amin (Najaf); D. Conley (Dalton); J. Derringer; C.M. van Duijn (Cornelia); R.S.N. Fehrmann (Rudolf); L. Franke (Lude); E.L. Glaeser (Edward L.); N.K. Hansell (Narelle); C. Hayward (Caroline); W.G. Iacono (William); C.A. Ibrahim-Verbaas (Carla); V.W.V. Jaddoe (Vincent); J. Karjalainen (Juha); D. Laibson (David); P. Lichtenstein (Paul); D.C. Liewald (David C.); P.K. Magnusson (Patrik); N.G. Martin (Nicholas); M. McGue (Matt); G. Mcmahon (George); N.L. Pedersen (Nancy); S. Pinker (Steven); D.J. Porteous (David J.); D. Posthuma (Danielle); F. Rivadeneira Ramirez (Fernando); B.H. Smithk (Blair H.); J.M. Starr (John); H.W. Tiemeier (Henning); N.J. Timpsonm (Nicholas J.); M. Trzaskowskin (Maciej); A.G. Uitterlinden (André); F.C. Verhulst (Frank); M.E. Ward (Mary); M.J. Wright (Margaret); G.D. Smith; I.J. Deary (Ian J.); M. Johannesson (Magnus); R. Plomin (Robert); P.M. Visscher (Peter); D.J. Benjamin (Daniel J.); D. Cesarini (David); Ph.D. Koellinger (Philipp)

2014-01-01

textabstractWe identify common genetic variants associated with cognitive performance using a two-stage approach, which we call the proxyphenotype method. First, we conduct a genome-wide association study of educational attainment in a large sample (n = 106,736), which produces a set of 69

Exploring genetic variants predisposing to diabetes mellitus and their association with indicators of socioeconomic status.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Börge; Dragano, Nico; Scherag, André; Pechlivanis, Sonali; Hoffmann, Per; Nöthen, Markus M; Erbel, Raimund; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Moebus, Susanne

2014-06-16

The relevance of disease-related genetic variants for the explanation of social inequalities in complex diseases is unclear and empirical analyses are largely missing. The aim of our study was to examine whether genetic variants predisposing to diabetes mellitus are associated with socioeconomic status in a population-based cohort. We genotyped 11 selected diabetes-related single nucleotide polymorphisms in 4655 participants (age 45-75 years) of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study. Diabetes status was self-reported or defined by blood glucose levels. Education, income and paternal occupation were assessed as indicators of socioeconomic status. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the association of socioeconomic status and diabetes by estimating sex-specific and age-adjusted prevalence ratios and their corresponding 95%-confidence intervals. To explore the relationship between individual single nucleotide polymorphisms and socioeconomic status sex- and age-adjusted odds ratios were computed. We adjusted the alpha-level for multiple testing of 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms using Bonferroni's method (α(BF) ~ 0.005). In addition, we explored the association of a genetic risk score with socioeconomic status. Social inequalities in diabetes were observed for all indicators of socioeconomic status. However, there were no significant associations between individual diabetes-related risk alleles and socioeconomic status with odds ratios ranging from 0.87 to 1.23. Similarly, the genetic risk score analysis revealed no evidence for an association. Our data provide no evidence for an association between 11 diabetes-related risk alleles and different indicators of socioeconomic status in a population-based cohort, suggesting that the explored genetic variants do not contribute to health inequalities in diabetes.

Blood type, ABO genetic variants, and ovarian cancer survival.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriella D Cozzi

Full Text Available Blood type A and the A1 allele have been associated with increased ovarian cancer risk. With only two small studies published to date, evidence for an association between ABO blood type and ovarian cancer survival is limited.We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Tumor Registry confirmed ovarian cancer cases from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center with blood type from linked laboratory reports and ABO variants from linked Illumina Exome BeadChip data. Associations with overall survival (OS were quantified by hazard ratios (HR and confidence intervals (CI from proportional hazards regression models; covariates included age, race, stage, grade, histologic subtype, and year of diagnosis.ABO phenotype (N = 694 and/or genotype (N = 154 data were available for 713 predominantly Caucasian (89.3% cases. In multivariable models, blood type A had significantly better OS compared to either O (HR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.60-0.93 or all non-A (HR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.63-0.94 cases. Similarly, missense rs1053878 minor allele carriers (A2 had better OS (HR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.25-0.99. Among Caucasians, this phenotype association was strengthened, but the genotype association was attenuated; instead, four variants sharing moderate linkage disequilibrium with the O variant were associated with better OS (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.39-0.99 in unadjusted models.Blood type A was significantly associated with longer ovarian cancer survival in the largest such study to date. This finding was supported by genetic analysis, which implicated the A2 allele, although O related variants also had suggestive associations. Further research on ABO and ovarian cancer survival is warranted.

Genetic mapping and exome sequencing identify variants associated with five novel diseases.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik G Puffenberger

Full Text Available The Clinic for Special Children (CSC has integrated biochemical and molecular methods into a rural pediatric practice serving Old Order Amish and Mennonite (Plain children. Among the Plain people, we have used single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP microarrays to genetically map recessive disorders to large autozygous haplotype blocks (mean = 4.4 Mb that contain many genes (mean = 79. For some, uninformative mapping or large gene lists preclude disease-gene identification by Sanger sequencing. Seven such conditions were selected for exome sequencing at the Broad Institute; all had been previously mapped at the CSC using low density SNP microarrays coupled with autozygosity and linkage analyses. Using between 1 and 5 patient samples per disorder, we identified sequence variants in the known disease-causing genes SLC6A3 and FLVCR1, and present evidence to strongly support the pathogenicity of variants identified in TUBGCP6, BRAT1, SNIP1, CRADD, and HARS. Our results reveal the power of coupling new genotyping technologies to population-specific genetic knowledge and robust clinical data.

Maternal obesity and tobacco use modify the impact of genetic variants on the occurrence of conotruncal heart defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xinyu; Nick, Todd G; Cleves, Mario A; Erickson, Stephen W; Li, Ming; Li, Jingyun; MacLeod, Stewart L; Hobbs, Charlotte A

2014-01-01

Conotruncal heart defects (CTDs) are among the most severe birth defects worldwide. Studies of CTDs indicate both lifestyle behaviors and genetic variation contribute to the risk of CTDs. Based on a hybrid design using data from 616 case-parental and 1645 control-parental triads recruited for the National Birth Defects Prevention Study between 1997 and 2008, we investigated whether the occurrence of CTDs is associated with interactions between 921 maternal and/or fetal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and maternal obesity and tobacco use. The maternal genotypes of the variants in the glutamate-cysteine ligase, catalytic subunit (GCLC) gene and the fetal genotypes of the variants in the glutathione S-transferase alpha 3 (GSTA3) gene were associated with an elevated risk of CTDs among obese mothers. The risk of delivering infants with CTDs among obese mothers carrying AC genotype for a variant in the GCLC gene (rs6458939) was 2.00 times the risk among those carrying CC genotype (95% confidence interval: 1.41, 2.38). The maternal genotypes of several variants in the glutathione-S-transferase (GST) family of genes and the fetal genotypes of the variants in the GCLC gene interacted with tobacco exposures to increase the risk of CTDs. Our study suggests that the genetic basis underlying susceptibility of the developing heart to the adverse effects of maternal obesity and tobacco use involve both maternal and embryonic genetic variants. These results may provide insights into the underlying pathophysiology of CTDs, and ultimately lead to novel prevention strategies.

Reconciling newborn screening and a novel splice variant in BTD associated with partial biotinidase deficiency: A BabySeq Project case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Murry, Jaclyn B; Machini, Kalotina; Ceyhan-Birsoy, Ozge; Kritzer, Amy; Krier, Joel B; Lebo, Matthew S; Fayer, Shawn; Genetti, Casie A; Vannoy, Grace E; Yu, Timothy W; Agrawal, Pankaj B; Parad, Richard B; Holm, Ingrid A; McGuire, Amy L; Green, Robert C; Beggs, Alan H; Rehm, Heidi L; Project, The BabySeq

2018-05-04

Here, we report a newborn female infant from the well-baby cohort of the BabySeq Project who was identified with compound heterozygous BTD gene variants. The two identified variants included a well-established pathogenic variant (c.1612C>T, p.Arg538Cys) that causes profound biotinidase deficiency (BTD) in homozygosity. In addition, a novel splice variant (c.44+1G>A, p.?) was identified in the invariant splice donor region of intron 1, potentially predictive of loss of function. The novel variant was predicted to impact splicing of exon 1; however, given the absence of any reported pathogenic variants in exon 1 and the presence of alternative splicing with exon 1 absent in most tissues in the GTEx database, we assigned an initial classification of uncertain significance. Follow-up medical record review of state mandated newborn screen (NBS) results revealed an initial out-of-range biotinidase activity level. Levels from a repeat NBS sample barely passed cut-off into the normal range. To determine whether the infant was biotinidase deficient, subsequent diagnostic enzyme activity testing was performed, confirming partial BTD, and resulted in a change of management for this patient. This led to reclassification of the novel splice variant based on these results. In conclusion, combining the genetic and NBS results together prompted clinical follow-up that confirmed partial biotinidase deficiency, and informed this novel splice site's reclassification emphasizing the importance of combining iterative genetic and phenotypic evaluations. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Association between genetic variants of the clock gene and obesity and sleep duration.

Science.gov (United States)

Valladares, Macarena; Obregón, Ana María; Chaput, Jean-Philippe

2015-12-01

Obesity is a multifactorial disease caused by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors related to lifestyle aspects. It has been shown that reduced sleep is associated with increased body mass index (BMI). Circadian Locomotor Output Cycles Kaput (CLOCK) gene variants have also been associated with obesity. The objective of this mini-review was to discuss the available literature related to CLOCK gene variants associated with adiposity and sleep duration in humans. In total, 16 articles complied with the terms of the search that reported CLOCK variants associated with sleep duration, energy intake, and BMI. Overall, six CLOCK single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with sleep duration, and three variants have been associated with energy intake variables. Overall, the most studied area has been the association of CLOCK gene with obesity; close to eight common variants have been associated with obesity. The most studied CLOCK SNP in different populations is rs1801260, and most of these populations correspond to European populations. Collectively, identifying at risk CLOCK genotypes is a new area of research that may help identify individuals who are more susceptible to overeating and gaining weight when exposed to short sleep durations.

Association study of functional genetic variants of innate immunity related genes in celiac disease

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Martín J

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent evidence suggest that the innate immune system is implicated in the early events of celiac disease (CD pathogenesis. In this work for the first time we have assessed the relevance of different proinflammatory mediators typically related to innate immunity in CD predisposition. Methods We performed a familial study in which 105 celiac families characterized by the presence of an affected child with CD were genotyped for functional polymorphisms located at regulatory regions of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1RN, IL-18, RANTES and MCP-1 genes. Familial data was analysed with a transmission disequilibrium test (TDT that revealed no statistically significant differences in the transmission pattern of the different genetic markers considered. Results The TDT analysis for IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1RN, IL-18, and MCP-1 genes genetic variants did not reveal biased transmission to the affected offspring. Only a borderline association of RANTES promoter genetic variants with CD predisposition was observed. Conclusion Our results suggest that the analysed polymorphisms of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1RN, IL-18, RANTES and MCP-1 genes do not seem to play a major role in CD genetic predisposition in our population.

Chymotrypsinogen C Genetic Variants, Including c.180TT, Are Strongly Associated With Chronic Pancreatitis in Pediatric Patients.

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Grabarczyk, Alicja Monika; Oracz, Grzegorz; Wertheim-Tysarowska, Katarzyna; Kujko, Aleksandra Anna; Wejnarska, Karolina; Kolodziejczyk, Elwira; Bal, Jerzy; Koziel, Dorota; Kowalik, Artur; Gluszek, Stanislaw; Rygiel, Agnieszka Magdalena

2017-12-01

Genetic studies in adults/adolescent patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) identified chymotrypsinogen C (CTRC) genetic variants but their association with CP risk has been difficult to replicate. To evaluate the risk of CP associated with CTRC variants in CP pediatric patients-control study. The distribution of CTRC variants in CP pediatric cohort (n = 136, median age at CP onset 8 years) with no history of alcohol/smoking abuse was compared with controls (n = 401, median age 45). We showed that p.Arg254Trp (4.6%) and p.Lys247_Arg254del (5.3%) heterozygous mutations are frequent and significantly associated with CP risk in pediatric patients (odds ratio [OR] = 19.1; 95% CI 2.8-160; P = 0.001 and OR = 5.5; 95% CI 1.6-19.4; P = 0.001, respectively). For the first time, we demonstrated that the c.180TT genotype of common p.Gly60Gly variant is strong, an independent CP risk factor (OR = 23; 95% CI 7.7-70; P A variant, both CA and AA genotype, is significantly underrepresented in CP compared with controls (15% vs 35%; OR = 0.33; 95% CI 0.19-0.59; P risk factors. The c.493+51C>A variant may play a protective role against CP development.

The association of XRCC3 Thr241Met genetic variant with risk of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Previous studies suggest that the X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 gene (XRCC3) Thr241Met genetic variant could be potentially associated with the risk of prostate cancer. However, results from these published studies were conflicting rather than conclusive. Objectives:This meta-analysis aimed to ...

Novel Variants in Individuals with RYR1-Related Congenital Myopathies: Genetic, Laboratory, and Clinical Findings

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Joshua J. Todd

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The ryanodine receptor 1-related congenital myopathies (RYR1-RM comprise a spectrum of slow, rare neuromuscular diseases. Affected individuals present with a mild-to-severe symptomatology ranging from proximal muscle weakness, hypotonia and joint contractures to scoliosis, ophthalmoplegia, and respiratory involvement. Although there is currently no FDA-approved treatment for RYR1-RM, our group recently conducted the first clinical trial in this patient population (NCT02362425. This study aimed to characterize novel RYR1 variants with regard to genetic, laboratory, muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, and clinical findings. Genetic and histopathology reports were obtained from participant’s medical records. Alamut Visual Software was used to determine if participant’s variants had been previously reported and to assess predicted pathogenicity. Physical exams, pulmonary function tests, T1-weighted muscle MRI scans, and blood measures were completed during the abovementioned clinical trial. Six novel variants (two de novo, three dominant, and one recessive were identified in individuals with RYR1-RM. Consistent with established RYR1-RM histopathology, cores were observed in all biopsies, except Case 6 who exhibited fiber-type disproportion. Muscle atrophy and impaired mobility with Trendelenburg gait were the most common clinical symptoms and were identified in all cases. Muscle MRI revealed substantial inter-individual variation in fatty infiltration corroborating the heterogeneity of the disease. Two individuals with dominant RYR1 variants exhibited respiratory insufficiency: a clinical symptom more commonly associated with recessive RYR1-RM cases. This study demonstrates that a genetics-led approach is suitable for the diagnosis of suspected RYR1-RM which can be corroborated through histopathology, muscle MRI and clinical examination.

DANN: a deep learning approach for annotating the pathogenicity of genetic variants.

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Quang, Daniel; Chen, Yifei; Xie, Xiaohui

2015-03-01

Annotating genetic variants, especially non-coding variants, for the purpose of identifying pathogenic variants remains a challenge. Combined annotation-dependent depletion (CADD) is an algorithm designed to annotate both coding and non-coding variants, and has been shown to outperform other annotation algorithms. CADD trains a linear kernel support vector machine (SVM) to differentiate evolutionarily derived, likely benign, alleles from simulated, likely deleterious, variants. However, SVMs cannot capture non-linear relationships among the features, which can limit performance. To address this issue, we have developed DANN. DANN uses the same feature set and training data as CADD to train a deep neural network (DNN). DNNs can capture non-linear relationships among features and are better suited than SVMs for problems with a large number of samples and features. We exploit Compute Unified Device Architecture-compatible graphics processing units and deep learning techniques such as dropout and momentum training to accelerate the DNN training. DANN achieves about a 19% relative reduction in the error rate and about a 14% relative increase in the area under the curve (AUC) metric over CADD's SVM methodology. All data and source code are available at https://cbcl.ics.uci.edu/public_data/DANN/. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Human papillomavirus type 6 and 11 genetic variants found in 71 oral and anogenital epithelial samples from Australia.

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Jennifer A Danielewski

Full Text Available Genetic variation of 49 human papillomavirus (HPV 6 and 22 HPV11 isolates from recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP (n = 17, genital warts (n = 43, anal cancer (n = 6 and cervical neoplasia cells (n = 5, was determined by sequencing the long control region (LCR and the E6 and E7 genes. Comparative analysis of genetic variability was examined to determine whether different disease states resulting from HPV6 or HPV11 infection cluster into distinct variant groups. Sequence variation analysis of HPV6 revealed that isolates cluster into variants within previously described HPV6 lineages, with the majority (65% clustering to HPV6 sublineage B1 across the three genomic regions examined. Overall 72 HPV6 and 25 HPV11 single nucleotide variations, insertions and deletions were observed within samples examined. In addition, missense alterations were observed in the E6/E7 genes for 6 HPV6 and 5 HPV11 variants. No nucleotide variations were identified in any isolates at the four E2 binding sites for HPV6 or HPV11, nor were any isolates found to be identical to the HPV6 lineage A or HPV11 sublineage A1 reference genomes. Overall, a high degree of sequence conservation was observed between isolates across each of the regions investigated for both HPV6 and HPV11. Genetic variants identified a slight association with HPV6 and anogenital lesions (p = 0.04. This study provides important information on the genetic diversity of circulating HPV 6 and HPV11 variants within the Australian population and supports the observation that the majority of HPV6 isolates cluster to the HPV6 sublineage B1 with anogenital lesions demonstrating an association with this sublineage (p = 0.02. Comparative analysis of Australian isolates for both HPV6 and HPV11 to those from other geographical regions based on the LCR revealed a high degree of sequence similarity throughout the world, confirming previous observations that there are no geographically specific variants for these

Clinical impact of genetic variants of drug transporters in different ethnic groups within and across regions.

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Ono, Chiho; Kikkawa, Hironori; Suzuki, Akiyuki; Suzuki, Misaki; Yamamoto, Yuichi; Ichikawa, Katsuomi; Fukae, Masato; Ieiri, Ichiro

2013-11-01

Drug transporters, together with drug metabolic enzymes, are major determinants of drug disposition and are known to alter the response to many commonly used drugs. Substantial frequency differences for known variants exist across geographic regions for certain drug transporters. To deliver efficacious medicine with the right dose for each patient, it is important to understand the contribution of genetic variants for drug transporters. Recently, mutual pharmacokinetic data usage among Asian regions, which are thought to be relatively similar in their own genetic background, is expected to accelerate new drug applications and reduce developmental costs. Polymorphisms of drug transporters could be key factors to be considered in implementing multiethnic global clinical trials. This review addresses the current knowledge on genetic variations of major drug transporters affecting drug disposition, efficacy and toxicity, focusing on the east Asian populations, and provides insights into future directions for precision medicine and drug development in east Asia.

Blood type, ABO genetic variants, and ovarian cancer survival

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Cozzi, Gabriella D.; Levinson, Rebecca T.; Toole, Hilary; Snyder, Malcolm-Robert; Deng, Angie; Crispens, Marta A.; Khabele, Dineo; Beeghly-Fadiel, Alicia

2017-01-01

Objective Blood type A and the A1 allele have been associated with increased ovarian cancer risk. With only two small studies published to date, evidence for an association between ABO blood type and ovarian cancer survival is limited. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Tumor Registry confirmed ovarian cancer cases from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center with blood type from linked laboratory reports and ABO variants from linked Illumina Exome BeadChip data. Associations with overall survival (OS) were quantified by hazard ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (CI) from proportional hazards regression models; covariates included age, race, stage, grade, histologic subtype, and year of diagnosis. Results ABO phenotype (N = 694) and/or genotype (N = 154) data were available for 713 predominantly Caucasian (89.3%) cases. In multivariable models, blood type A had significantly better OS compared to either O (HR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.60–0.93) or all non-A (HR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.63–0.94) cases. Similarly, missense rs1053878 minor allele carriers (A2) had better OS (HR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.25–0.99). Among Caucasians, this phenotype association was strengthened, but the genotype association was attenuated; instead, four variants sharing moderate linkage disequilibrium with the O variant were associated with better OS (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.39–0.99) in unadjusted models. Conclusions Blood type A was significantly associated with longer ovarian cancer survival in the largest such study to date. This finding was supported by genetic analysis, which implicated the A2 allele, although O related variants also had suggestive associations. Further research on ABO and ovarian cancer survival is warranted. PMID:28448592

Genetic purgatory and the cardiac channelopathies: Exposing the variants of uncertain/unknown significance issue.

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Ackerman, Michael J

2015-11-01

Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines purgatory as "an intermediate state after death for expiatory purification" or more specifically as "a place or state of punishment wherein according to Roman Catholic doctrine the souls of those who die in God׳s grace may make satisfaction for past sins and so become fit for heaven." Alternatively, it is defined as "a place or state of temporary suffering or misery." Either way, purgatory is a place where you are stuck, and you don't want to be stuck there. It is in this context that the term genetic purgatory is introduced. Genetic purgatory is a place where the genetic test-ordering physician and patients and their families are stuck when a variant of uncertain/unknown significance (VUS) has been elucidated. It is in this dark place where suffering and misery are occurring because of unenlightened handling of a VUS, which includes using the VUS for predictive genetic testing and making radical treatment recommendations based on the presence or absence of a so-called maybe mutation. Before one can escape from this miserable place, one must first recognize that one is stuck there. Hence, the purpose of this review article is to fully expose the VUS issue as it relates to the cardiac channelopathies and make the cardiologists/geneticists/genetic counselors who order such genetic tests believers in genetic purgatory. Only then can one meaningfully attempt to get out of that place and seek to promote a VUS to disease-causative mutation status or demote it to an utterly innocuous and irrelevant variant. Copyright © 2015 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic risk variants in the CDKN2A/B, RTEL1 and EGFR genes are associated with somatic biomarkers in glioma.

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Ghasimi, Soma; Wibom, Carl; Dahlin, Anna M; Brännström, Thomas; Golovleva, Irina; Andersson, Ulrika; Melin, Beatrice

2016-05-01

During the last years, genome wide association studies have discovered common germline genetic variants associated with specific glioma subtypes. We aimed to study the association between these germline risk variants and tumor phenotypes, including copy number aberrations and protein expression. A total of 91 glioma patients were included. Thirteen well known genetic risk variants in TERT, EGFR, CCDC26, CDKN2A, CDKN2B, PHLDB1, TP53, and RTEL1 were selected for investigation of possible correlations with the glioma somatic markers: EGFR amplification, 1p/19q codeletion and protein expression of p53, Ki-67, and mutated IDH1. The CDKN2A/B risk variant, rs4977756, and the CDKN2B risk variant, rs1412829 were inversely associated (p = 0.049 and p = 0.002, respectively) with absence of a mutated IDH1, i.e., the majority of patients homozygous for the risk allele showed no or low expression of mutated IDH1. The RTEL1 risk variant, rs6010620 was associated (p = 0.013) with not having 1p/19q codeletion, i.e., the majority of patients homozygous for the risk allele did not show 1p/19q codeletion. In addition, the EGFR risk variant rs17172430 and the CDKN2B risk variant rs1412829, both showed a trend for association (p = 0.055 and p = 0.051, respectively) with increased EGFR copy number, i.e., the majority of patients homozygote for the risk alleles showed chromosomal gain or amplification of EGFR. Our findings indicate that CDKN2A/B risk genotypes are associated with primary glioblastoma without IDH mutation, and that there is an inverse association between RTEL1 risk genotypes and 1p/19q codeletion, suggesting that these genetic variants have a molecular impact on the genesis of high graded brain tumors. Further experimental studies are needed to delineate the functional mechanism of the association between genotype and somatic genetic aberrations.

Genetic variants alter T-bet binding and gene expression in mucosal inflammatory disease.

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Katrina Soderquest

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The polarization of CD4+ T cells into distinct T helper cell lineages is essential for protective immunity against infection, but aberrant T cell polarization can cause autoimmunity. The transcription factor T-bet (TBX21 specifies the Th1 lineage and represses alternative T cell fates. Genome-wide association studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs that may be causative for autoimmune diseases. The majority of these polymorphisms are located within non-coding distal regulatory elements. It is considered that these genetic variants contribute to disease by altering the binding of regulatory proteins and thus gene expression, but whether these variants alter the binding of lineage-specifying transcription factors has not been determined. Here, we show that SNPs associated with the mucosal inflammatory diseases Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis (UC and celiac disease, but not rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis, are enriched at T-bet binding sites. Furthermore, we identify disease-associated variants that alter T-bet binding in vitro and in vivo. ChIP-seq for T-bet in individuals heterozygous for the celiac disease-associated SNPs rs1465321 and rs2058622 and the IBD-associated SNPs rs1551398 and rs1551399, reveals decreased binding to the minor disease-associated alleles. Furthermore, we show that rs1465321 is an expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL for the neighboring gene IL18RAP, with decreased T-bet binding associated with decreased expression of this gene. These results suggest that genetic polymorphisms may predispose individuals to mucosal autoimmune disease through alterations in T-bet binding. Other disease-associated variants may similarly act by modulating the binding of lineage-specifying transcription factors in a tissue-selective and disease-specific manner.

Amino acid substitutions in genetic variants of human serum albumin and in sequences inferred from molecular cloning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, N.; Takahashi, Y.; Blumberg, B.S.; Putnam, F.W.

1987-01-01

The structural changes in four genetic variants of human serum albumin were analyzed by tandem high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the tryptic peptides, HPLC mapping and isoelectric focusing of the CNBr fragments, and amino acid sequence analysis of the purified peptides. Lysine-372 of normal (common) albumin A was changed to glutamic acid both in albumin Naskapi, a widespread polymorphic variant of North American Indians, and in albumin Mersin found in Eti Turks. The two variants also exhibited anomalous migration in NaDodSO 4 /PAGE, which is attributed to a conformational change. The identity of albumins Naskapi and Mersin may have originated through descent from a common mid-Asiatic founder of the two migrating ethnic groups, or it may represent identical but independent mutations of the albumin gene. In albumin Adana, from Eti Turks, the substitution site was not identified but was localized to the region from positions 447 through 548. The substitution of aspartic acid-550 by glycine was found in albumin Mexico-2 from four individuals of the Pima tribe. Although only single-point substitutions have been found in these and in certain other genetic variants of human albumin, five differences exist in the amino acid sequences inferred from cDNA sequences by workers in three other laboratories. However, our results on albumin A and on 14 different genetic variants accord with the amino acid sequence of albumin deduced from the genomic sequence. The apparent amino acid substitutions inferred from comparison of individual cDNA sequences probably reflect artifacts in cloning or in cDNA sequence analysis rather than polymorphism of the coding sections of the albumin gene

Functional genetic variants in the vesicular monoamine transporter 1 (VMAT1) modulate emotion processing

Science.gov (United States)

Lohoff, Falk W.; Hodge, Rachel; Narasimhan, Sneha; Nall, Aleksandra; Ferraro, Thomas N.; Mickey, Brian J.; Heitzeg, Mary M.; Langenecker, Scott A.; Zubieta, Jon-Kar; Bogdan, Ryan; Nikolova, Yuliya S.; Drabant, Emily; Hariri, Ahmad R.; Bevilacqua, Laura; Goldman, David; Doyle, Glenn A.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY Emotional behavior is in part heritable and often disrupted in psychopathology. Identification of specific genetic variants that drive this heritability may provide important new insight into molecular and neurobiological mechanisms involved in emotionality. Our results demonstrate that the presynaptic vesicular monoamine transporter 1 (VMAT1) Thr136Ile (rs1390938) polymorphism is functional in vitro, with the Ile allele leading to increased monoamine transport into presynaptic vesicles. Moreover, we show that the Thr136Ile variant predicts differential responses in emotional brain circuits consistent with its effects in vitro. Lastly, deep sequencing of bipolar disorder (BPD) patients and controls identified several rare novel VMAT1 variants. The variant Phe84Ser was only present in individuals with BPD and leads to marked increase monoamine transport in vitro. Taken together, our data show that VMAT1 polymorphisms influence monoamine signaling, the functional response of emotional brain circuits, and risk for psychopathology. PMID:23337945

Myostatin: genetic variants, therapy and gene doping

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André Katayama Yamada

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Since its discovery, myostatin (MSTN has been at the forefront of muscle therapy research because intrinsic mutations or inhibition of this protein, by either pharmacological or genetic means, result in muscle hypertrophy and hyperplasia. In addition to muscle growth, MSTN inhibition potentially disturbs connective tissue, leads to strength modulation, facilitates myoblast transplantation, promotes tissue regeneration, induces adipose tissue thermogenesis and increases muscle oxidative phenotype. It is also known that current advances in gene therapy have an impact on sports because of the illicit use of such methods. However, the adverse effects of these methods, their impact on athletic performance in humans and the means of detecting gene doping are as yet unknown. The aim of the present review is to discuss biosynthesis, genetic variants, pharmacological/genetic manipulation, doping and athletic performance in relation to the MSTN pathway. As will be concluded from the manuscript, MSTN emerges as a promising molecule for combating muscle wasting diseases and for triggering wide-ranging discussion in view of its possible use in gene doping.Desde sua descoberta, a miostatina (MSTN entrou na linha de frente em pesquisas relacionadas às terapias musculares porque mutações intrínsecas ou inibição desta proteína tanto por abordagens farmacológicas como genéticas resultam em hipertrofia muscular e hiperplasia. Além do aumento da massa muscular, a inibição de MSTN potencialmente prejudica o tecido conectivo, modula a força muscular, facilita o transplante de mioblastos, promove regeneração tecidual, induz termogênese no tecido adiposo e aumenta a oxidação na musculatura esquelética. É também sabido que os atuais avanços em terapia gênica têm uma relação com o esporte devido ao uso ilícito de tal método. Os efeitos adversos de tal abordagem, seus efeitos no desempenho de atletas e métodos para detectar doping genético s

[Study of genetic variants in the BDNF, COMT, DAT1 and SERT genes in Colombian children with attention deficit disorder].

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega-Rojas, Jenny; Arboleda-Bustos, Carlos E; Morales, Luis; Benítez, Bruno A; Beltrán, Diana; Izquierdo, Álvaro; Arboleda, Humberto; Vásquez, Rafael

Attention deficit and hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is highly prevalent among children in Bogota City. Both genetic and environmental factors play a very important role in the etiology of ADHD. However, to date few studies have addressed the association of genetic variants and ADHD in the Colombian population. To test the genetic association between polymorphisms in the DAT1, HTTLPR, COMT and BDNF genes and ADHD in a sample from Bogota City. We genotyped the most common polymorphisms in DAT1, SERT, COMT and BDNF genes associated with ADHD using conventional PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in 97 trios recruited in a medical center in Bogota. The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) was used to determine the association between such genetic variants and ADHD. The TDT analysis showed that no individual allele of any variant studied has a preferential transmission. Our results suggest that the etiology of the ADHD may be complex and involves several genetic factors. Further studies in other candidate polymorphisms in a larger sample size will improve our knowledge of the ADHD in Colombian population. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Genetic Variant in Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase 3 Alters Lipid Metabolism in Laying Hens in a Diet-Specific Manner

OpenAIRE

Wang, Jing; Long, Cheng; Zhang, Haijun; Zhang, Yanan; Wang, Hao; Yue, Hongyuan; Wang, Xiaocui; Wu, Shugeng; Qi, Guanghai

2016-01-01

Genetic variant T329S in flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) impairs trimethylamine (TMA) metabolism in birds. The TMA metabolism that under complex genetic and dietary regulation, closely linked to cardiovascular disease risk. We determined whether the genetic defects in TMA metabolism may change other metabolic traits in birds, determined whether the genetic effects depend on diets, and to identify genes or gene pathways that underlie the metabolic alteration induced by genetic and die...

Genomic and Phenotypic Analyses Reveal the Emergence of an Atypical Salmonella enterica Serovar Senftenberg Variant in China

KAUST Repository

Abd El Ghany, Moataz

2016-05-25

Human infections with Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Senftenberg are often associated with exposure to poultry flocks, farm environments, or contaminated food. The recent emergence of multidrug-resistant isolates has raised public health concerns. In this study, comparative genomics and phenotypic analysis were used to characterize 14 Salmonella Senftenberg clinical isolates recovered from multiple outbreaks in Shenzhen and Shanghai, China, between 2002 and 2011. Single-nucleotide polymorphism analyses identified two phylogenetically distinct clades of S. Senftenberg, designated SC1 and SC2, harboring variations in Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) and SPI-2 and exhibiting distinct biochemical and phenotypic signatures. Although the two variants shared the same serotype, the SC2 isolates of sequence type 14 (ST14) harbored intact SPI-1 and -2 and hence were characterized by possessing efficient invasion capabilities. In contrast, the SC1 isolates had structural deletion patterns in both SPI-1 and -2 that correlated with an impaired capacity to invade cultured human cells and also the year of their isolation. These atypical SC1 isolates also lacked the capacity to produce hydrogen sulfide. These findings highlight the emergence of atypical Salmonella Senftenberg variants in China and provide genetic validation that variants lacking SPI-1 and regions of SPI-2, which leads to impaired invasion capacity, can still cause clinical disease. These data have identified an emerging public health concern and highlight the need to strengthen surveillance to detect the prevalence and transmission of nontyphoidal Salmonella species.

Association of genetic susceptibility variants for type 2 diabetes with breast cancer risk in women of European ancestry.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhiguo; Wen, Wanqing; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Bolla, Manjeet K; Wang, Qin; Zhang, Ben; Long, Jirong; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Schmidt, Marjanka K; Milne, Roger L; García-Closas, Montserrat; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Lindstrom, Sara; Bojesen, Stig E; Ahsan, Habibul; Aittomäki, Kristiina; Andrulis, Irene L; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Arndt, Volker; Beckmann, Matthias W; Beeghly-Fadiel, Alicia; Benitez, Javier; Blomqvist, Carl; Bogdanova, Natalia V; Børresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Brand, Judith; Brauch, Hiltrud; Brenner, Hermann; Burwinkel, Barbara; Cai, Qiuyin; Casey, Graham; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Couch, Fergus J; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S; Czene, Kamila; Dörk, Thilo; Dumont, Martine; Fasching, Peter A; Figueroa, Jonine; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Fletcher, Olivia; Flyger, Henrik; Fostira, Florentia; Gammon, Marilie; Giles, Graham G; Guénel, Pascal; Haiman, Christopher A; Hamann, Ute; Harrington, Patricia; Hartman, Mikael; Hooning, Maartje J; Hopper, John L; Jakubowska, Anna; Jasmine, Farzana; John, Esther M; Johnson, Nichola; Kabisch, Maria; Khan, Sofia; Kibriya, Muhammad; Knight, Julia A; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Kriege, Mieke; Kristensen, Vessela; Le Marchand, Loic; Lee, Eunjung; Li, Jingmei; Lindblom, Annika; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Luben, Robert; Lubinski, Jan; Malone, Kathleen E; Mannermaa, Arto; Manoukian, Siranoush; Margolin, Sara; Marme, Frederik; McLean, Catriona; Meijers-Heijboer, Hanne; Meindl, Alfons; Miao, Hui; Muir, Kenneth; Neuhausen, Susan L; Nevanlinna, Heli; Neven, Patrick; Olson, Janet E; Perkins, Barbara; Peterlongo, Paolo; Phillips, Kelly-Anne; Pylkäs, Katri; Rudolph, Anja; Santella, Regina; Sawyer, Elinor J; Schmutzler, Rita K; Schoemaker, Minouk; Shah, Mitul; Shrubsole, Martha; Southey, Melissa C; Swerdlow, Anthony J; Toland, Amanda E; Tomlinson, Ian; Torres, Diana; Truong, Thérèse; Ursin, Giske; Van Der Luijt, Rob B; Verhoef, Senno; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Whittemore, Alice S; Winqvist, Robert; Pilar Zamora, M; Zhao, Hui; Dunning, Alison M; Simard, Jacques; Hall, Per; Kraft, Peter; Pharoah, Paul; Hunter, David; Easton, Douglas F; Zheng, Wei

2016-05-01

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been reported to be associated with an elevated risk of breast cancer. It is unclear, however, whether this association is due to shared genetic factors. We constructed a genetic risk score (GRS) using risk variants from 33 known independent T2D susceptibility loci and evaluated its relation to breast cancer risk using the data from two consortia, including 62,328 breast cancer patients and 83,817 controls of European ancestry. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to derive adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) to measure the association of breast cancer risk with T2D GRS or T2D-associated genetic risk variants. Meta-analyses were conducted to obtain summary ORs across all studies. The T2D GRS was not found to be associated with breast cancer risk, overall, by menopausal status, or for estrogen receptor positive or negative breast cancer. Three T2D associated risk variants were individually associated with breast cancer risk after adjustment for multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni method (at p associated with the risk of both T2D and breast cancer. However, overall genetic susceptibility to T2D may not be related to breast cancer risk.

Association of Genetic Susceptibility Variants for Type 2 Diabetes with Breast Cancer Risk in Women of European Ancestry

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Zhao, Zhiguo; Wen, Wanqing; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Bolla, Manjeet K.; Wang, Qin; Zhang, Ben; Long, Jirong; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Schmidt, Marjanka K.; Milne, Roger L.; García-Closas, Montserrat; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Lindstrom, Sara; Bojesen, Stig E.; Ahsan, Habibul; Aittomäki, Kristiina; Andrulis, Irene L.; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Arndt, Volker; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Beeghly-Fadiel, Alicia; Benitez, Javier; Blomqvist, Carl; Bogdanova, Natalia V.; Børresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Brand, Judith; Brauch, Hiltrud; Brenner, Hermann; Burwinkel, Barbara; Cai, Qiuyin; Casey, Graham; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Couch, Fergus J.; Cox, Angela; Cross, Simon S.; Czene, Kamila; Dörk, Thilo; Dumont, Martine; Fasching, Peter A.; Figueroa, Jonine; Flesch-Janys, Dieter; Fletcher, Olivia; Flyger, Henrik; Fostira, Florentia; Gammon, Marilie; Giles, Graham G.; Guénel, Pascal; Haiman, Christopher A.; Hamann, Ute; Harrington, Patricia; Hartman, Mikael; Hooning, Maartje J.; Hopper, John L.; Jakubowska, Anna; Jasmine, Farzana; John, Esther M.; Johnson, Nichola; Kabisch, Maria; Khan, Sofia; Kibriya, Muhammad; Knight, Julia A.; Kosma, Veli-Matti; Kriege, Mieke; Kristensen, Vessela; Le Marchand, Loic; Lee, Eunjung; Li, Jingmei; Lindblom, Annika; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Luben, Robert; Lubinski, Jan; Malone, Kathleen E.; Mannermaa, Arto; Manoukian, Siranoush; Margolin, Sara; Marme, Frederik; McLean, Catriona; Meijers-Heijboer, Hanne; Meindl, Alfons; Miao, Hui; Muir, Kenneth; Neuhausen, Susan L.; Nevanlinna, Heli; Neven, Patrick; Olson, Janet E.; Perkins, Barbara; Peterlongo, Paolo; Phillips, Kelly-Anne; Pylkäs, Katri; Rudolph, Anja; Santella, Regina; Sawyer, Elinor J.; Schmutzler, Rita K.; Schoemaker, Minouk; Shah, Mitul; Shrubsole, Martha; Southey, Melissa C.; Swerdlow, Anthony J; Toland, Amanda E.; Tomlinson, Ian; Torres, Diana; Truong, Thérèse; Ursin, Giske; Van Der Luijt, Rob B.; Verhoef, Senno; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Whittemore, Alice S.; Winqvist, Robert; Zamora, M. Pilar; Zhao, Hui; Dunning, Alison M.; Simard, Jacques; Hall, Per; Kraft, Peter; Pharoah, Paul; Hunter, David; Easton, Douglas F.; Zheng, Wei

2016-01-01

Purpose Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been reported to be associated with an elevated risk of breast cancer. It is unclear, however, whether this association is due to shared genetic factors. Methods We constructed a genetic risk score (GRS) using risk variants from 33 known independent T2D susceptibility loci and evaluated its relation to breast cancer risk using the data from two consortia, including 62,328 breast cancer patients and 83,817 controls of European ancestry. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to derive adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to measure the association of breast cancer risk with T2D GRS or T2D-associated genetic risk variants. Meta-analyses were conducted to obtain summary ORs across all studies. Results The T2D GRS was not found to be associated with breast cancer risk, overall, by menopausal status, or for estrogen receptor positive or negative breast cancer. Three T2D associated risk variants were individually associated with breast cancer risk after adjustment for multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni method (at P < 0.001), rs9939609 (FTO) (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.92 – 0.95, P = 4.13E-13), rs7903146 (TCF7L2) (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.02 – 1.06, P = 1.26E-05), and rs8042680 (PRC1) (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.95 – 0.99, P = 8.05E-04). Conclusions We have shown that several genetic risk variants were associated with the risk of both T2D and breast cancer. However, overall genetic susceptibility to T2D may not be related to breast cancer risk. PMID:27053251

In vitro evaluation of caseinophosphopeptides from different genetic variants on bone mineralization

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Giovanni Tulipano

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Casein phosphopeptides (CPPs have been shown to enhance calcium solubility and to increase the calcification by in vitro analyses. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of four selected casein peptides, which differ in the number of phosphorylated serines, on osteoblast mineralization in vitro. The chosen peptides, related to different casein genetic variants, were obtained by chemical synthesis and tested on murine osteoblast cell line (MC3T3-E1. Our results suggest that the distinct peptides in protein hydrolysates may differentially affect calcium deposition in the extracellular matrix and that the genetic variation within the considered peptides is involved in their differential effect.

Comparative analysis of phenotypes features in two common genetic variants of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy

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I. V. Sharkova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The algorithm of differential diagnosis of the two most common genetic variants the limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD2A and DMD, developed on the basis of a comprehensive survey of 85 patients with a diagnosis specification using techniques of DNA analysis. It is shown that the accurate diagnosis of LGMD genetic types should be based on the results of the clinical and genealogical, biochemical and molecular genetic analysis. The proposed algorithm will significantly reduces the economic and time costs with expensive DNA testing.

Population structure analysis using rare and common functional variants

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Ding Lili

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Next-generation sequencing technologies now make it possible to genotype and measure hundreds of thousands of rare genetic variations in individuals across the genome. Characterization of high-density genetic variation facilitates control of population genetic structure on a finer scale before large-scale genotyping in disease genetics studies. Population structure is a well-known, prevalent, and important factor in common variant genetic studies, but its relevance in rare variants is unclear. We perform an extensive population structure analysis using common and rare functional variants from the Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 mini-exome sequence. The analysis based on common functional variants required 388 principal components to account for 90% of the variation in population structure. However, an analysis based on rare variants required 532 significant principal components to account for similar levels of variation. Using rare variants, we detected fine-scale substructure beyond the population structure identified using common functional variants. Our results show that the level of population structure embedded in rare variant data is different from the level embedded in common variant data and that correcting for population structure is only as good as the level one wishes to correct.

Genetic and life-history trait variation of the amphipod Melita plumulosa from polluted and unpolluted waterways in eastern Australia

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Chung, Pann Pann; Hyne, Ross V.; Mann, Reinier M.; Ballard, J. William O.

2008-01-01

To monitor genetic diversity and environmental contamination in eastern Australia, toxicity studies have employed the sensitive benthic amphipod Melita plumulosa. The goal of this study was to examine the genetic and life-history variability of natural populations of M. plumulosa from the Parramatta (polluted) and Hawkesbury (unpolluted) Rivers. The underlying genetics of the populations in these distinct waterways was examined at one mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI)) and one nuclear (ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS1)) locus. Seven unique haplotypes for COI were found amongst animals from the Parramatta River, while animals from the Hawkesbury River showed a complete absence of genetic variation at this locus. At ITS1 a total of two sequence variants were found amongst Parramatta River amphipods and three sequence variants among Hawkesbury River animals, with no common variants across the two river systems. To establish whether genetic differences were associated with organismal responses to toxicant exposure, two life-history trait variables (female head length as an estimator of amphipod size and female fecundity) were analyzed. Life-history trait analyses showed that females from the Hawkesbury River were significantly larger and more fecund. These data have critical implications for toxicity tests, the use of laboratory cultures for testing purposes, and environmental contamination in Sydney Harbor

Genetic and life-history trait variation of the amphipod Melita plumulosa from polluted and unpolluted waterways in eastern Australia

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Chung, Pann Pann [Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052 (Australia); Hyne, Ross V. [Ecotoxicology and Environmental Contaminants Section, NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, PO Box 29, Lidcombe, NSW 1825 (Australia); Mann, Reinier M. [Centre for Ecotoxicology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Technology-Sydney, C/-PO Box 29, Lidcombe, NSW 1825 (Australia); Ballard, J. William O. [Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052 (Australia)], E-mail: w.ballard@unsw.edu.au

2008-09-15

To monitor genetic diversity and environmental contamination in eastern Australia, toxicity studies have employed the sensitive benthic amphipod Melita plumulosa. The goal of this study was to examine the genetic and life-history variability of natural populations of M. plumulosa from the Parramatta (polluted) and Hawkesbury (unpolluted) Rivers. The underlying genetics of the populations in these distinct waterways was examined at one mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI)) and one nuclear (ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS1)) locus. Seven unique haplotypes for COI were found amongst animals from the Parramatta River, while animals from the Hawkesbury River showed a complete absence of genetic variation at this locus. At ITS1 a total of two sequence variants were found amongst Parramatta River amphipods and three sequence variants among Hawkesbury River animals, with no common variants across the two river systems. To establish whether genetic differences were associated with organismal responses to toxicant exposure, two life-history trait variables (female head length as an estimator of amphipod size and female fecundity) were analyzed. Life-history trait analyses showed that females from the Hawkesbury River were significantly larger and more fecund. These data have critical implications for toxicity tests, the use of laboratory cultures for testing purposes, and environmental contamination in Sydney Harbor.

Genetic variants in toll-like receptors are not associated with rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility or anti-tumour necrosis factor treatment outcome

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Coenen, Marieke J H; Enevold, Christian; Barrera, Pilar

2010-01-01

Several studies point to a role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated if genetic variants in TLR genes are associated with RA and response to tumour necrosis factor blocking (anti-TNF) medication.......Several studies point to a role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated if genetic variants in TLR genes are associated with RA and response to tumour necrosis factor blocking (anti-TNF) medication....

Genome-wide assessment for genetic variants associated with ventricular dysfunction after primary coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

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Amanda A Fox

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Postoperative ventricular dysfunction (VnD occurs in 9-20% of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG surgical patients and is associated with increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Understanding genetic causes of postoperative VnD should enhance patient risk stratification and improve treatment and prevention strategies. We aimed to determine if genetic variants associate with occurrence of in-hospital VnD after CABG surgery. METHODS: A genome-wide association study identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs associated with postoperative VnD in male subjects of European ancestry undergoing isolated primary CABG surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. VnD was defined as the need for ≥2 inotropes or mechanical ventricular support after CABG surgery. Validated SNPs were assessed further in two replication CABG cohorts and meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: Over 100 SNPs were associated with VnD (P2.1 of developing in-hospital VnD after CABG surgery. However, three genetic loci identified by meta-analysis were more modestly associated with development of postoperative VnD. Studies of larger cohorts to assess these loci as well as to define other genetic mechanisms and related biology that link genetic variants to postoperative ventricular dysfunction are warranted.

A Review of Pathway-Based Analysis Tools That Visualize Genetic Variants

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Elisa Cirillo

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Pathway analysis is a powerful method for data analysis in genomics, most often applied to gene expression analysis. It is also promising for single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP data analysis, such as genome-wide association study data, because it allows the interpretation of variants with respect to the biological processes in which the affected genes and proteins are involved. Such analyses support an interactive evaluation of the possible effects of variations on function, regulation or interaction of gene products. Current pathway analysis software often does not support data visualization of variants in pathways as an alternate method to interpret genetic association results, and specific statistical methods for pathway analysis of SNP data are not combined with these visualization features. In this review, we first describe the visualization options of the tools that were identified by a literature review, in order to provide insight for improvements in this developing field. Tool evaluation was performed using a computational epistatic dataset of gene–gene interactions for obesity risk. Next, we report the necessity to include in these tools statistical methods designed for the pathway-based analysis with SNP data, expressly aiming to define features for more comprehensive pathway-based analysis tools. We conclude by recognizing that pathway analysis of genetic variations data requires a sophisticated combination of the most useful and informative visual aspects of the various tools evaluated.

Constraints on Biological Mechanism from Disease Comorbidity Using Electronic Medical Records and Database of Genetic Variants.

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Steven C Bagley

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Patterns of disease co-occurrence that deviate from statistical independence may represent important constraints on biological mechanism, which sometimes can be explained by shared genetics. In this work we study the relationship between disease co-occurrence and commonly shared genetic architecture of disease. Records of pairs of diseases were combined from two different electronic medical systems (Columbia, Stanford, and compared to a large database of published disease-associated genetic variants (VARIMED; data on 35 disorders were available across all three sources, which include medical records for over 1.2 million patients and variants from over 17,000 publications. Based on the sources in which they appeared, disease pairs were categorized as having predominant clinical, genetic, or both kinds of manifestations. Confounding effects of age on disease incidence were controlled for by only comparing diseases when they fall in the same cluster of similarly shaped incidence patterns. We find that disease pairs that are overrepresented in both electronic medical record systems and in VARIMED come from two main disease classes, autoimmune and neuropsychiatric. We furthermore identify specific genes that are shared within these disease groups.

Draft genome of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus and genetic polymorphism among color variants.

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Jo, Jihoon; Oh, Jooseong; Lee, Hyun-Gwan; Hong, Hyun-Hee; Lee, Sung-Gwon; Cheon, Seongmin; Kern, Elizabeth M A; Jin, Soyeong; Cho, Sung-Jin; Park, Joong-Ki; Park, Chungoo

2017-01-01

The Japanese sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus Selenka 1867) is an economically important species as a source of seafood and ingredient in traditional medicine. It is mainly found off the coasts of northeast Asia. Recently, substantial exploitation and widespread biotic diseases in A. japonicus have generated increasing conservation concern. However, the genomic knowledge base and resources available for researchers to use in managing this natural resource and to establish genetically based breeding systems for sea cucumber aquaculture are still in a nascent stage. A total of 312 Gb of raw sequences were generated using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform and assembled to a final size of 0.66 Gb, which is about 80.5% of the estimated genome size (0.82 Gb). We observed nucleotide-level heterozygosity within the assembled genome to be 0.986%. The resulting draft genome assembly comprising 132 607 scaffolds with an N50 value of 10.5 kb contains a total of 21 771 predicted protein-coding genes. We identified 6.6-14.5 million heterozygous single nucleotide polymorphisms in the assembled genome of the three natural color variants (green, red, and black), resulting in an estimated nucleotide diversity of 0.00146. We report the first draft genome of A. japonicus and provide a general overview of the genetic variation in the three major color variants of A. japonicus. These data will help provide a comprehensive view of the genetic, physiological, and evolutionary relationships among color variants in A. japonicus, and will be invaluable resources for sea cucumber genomic research. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic testing—pitfalls and recommendations for managing variants of uncertain clinical significance

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Eccles, D. M.; Mitchell, G.; Monteiro, A. N. A.; Schmutzler, R.; Couch, F. J.; Spurdle, A. B.; Gómez-García, E. B.

2015-01-01

Background Increasing use of BRCA1/2 testing for tailoring cancer treatment and extension of testing to tumour tissue for somatic mutation is moving BRCA1/2 mutation screening from a primarily prevention arena delivered by specialist genetic services into mainstream oncology practice. A considerable number of gene tests will identify rare variants where clinical significance cannot be inferred from sequence information alone. The proportion of variants of uncertain clinical significance (VUS) is likely to grow with lower thresholds for testing and laboratory providers with less experience of BRCA. Most VUS will not be associated with a high risk of cancer but a misinterpreted VUS has the potential to lead to mismanagement of both the patient and their relatives. Design Members of the Clinical Working Group of ENIGMA (Evidence-based Network for the Interpretation of Germline Mutant Alleles) global consortium (www.enigmaconsortium.org) observed wide variation in practices in reporting, disclosure and clinical management of patients with a VUS. Examples from current clinical practice are presented and discussed to illustrate potential pitfalls, explore factors contributing to misinterpretation, and propose approaches to improving clarity. Results and conclusion Clinicians, patients and their relatives would all benefit from an improved level of genetic literacy. Genetic laboratories working with clinical geneticists need to agree on a clinically clear and uniform format for reporting BRCA test results to non-geneticists. An international consortium of experts, collecting and integrating all available lines of evidence and classifying variants according to an internationally recognized system, will facilitate reclassification of variants for clinical use. PMID:26153499

Evaluation of Oxidative Stress Response Related Genetic Variants, Pro-oxidants, Antioxidants and Prostate Cancer

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Nicole Lavender

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Oxidative stress and detoxification mechanisms have been commonly studied in Prostate Cancer (PCa due to their function in the detoxification of potentially damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS and carcinogens. However, findings have been either inconsistent or inconclusive. These mixed findings may, in part, relate to failure to consider interactions among oxidative stress response related genetic variants along with pro- and antioxidant factors. Methods: We examined the effects of 33 genetic and 26 environmental oxidative stress and defense factors on PCa risk and disease aggressiveness among 2,286 men from the Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility project (1,175 cases, 1,111 controls. Single and joint effects were analyzed using a comprehensive statistical approach involving logistic regression, multi-dimensionality reduction, and entropy graphs. Results: Inheritance of one CYP2C8 rs7909236 T or two SOD2 rs2758331 A alleles was linked to a 1.3- and 1.4-fold increase in risk of developing PCa, respectively (p-value = 0.006-0.013. Carriers of CYP1B1 rs1800440GG, CYP2C8 rs1058932TC and, NAT2 (rs1208GG, rs1390358CC, rs7832071TT genotypes were associated with a 1.3 to 2.2-fold increase in aggressive PCa [p-value = 0.04-0.001, FDR 0.088-0.939]. We observed a 23% reduction in aggressive disease linked to inheritance of one or more NAT2 rs4646247 A alleles (p = 0.04, FDR = 0.405. Only three NAT2 sequence variants remained significant after adjusting for multiple hypotheses testing, namely NAT2 rs1208, rs1390358, and rs7832071. Lastly, there were no significant gene-environment or gene-gene interactions associated with PCa outcomes. Conclusions: Variations in genes involved in oxidative stress and defense pathways may modify PCa. Our findings do not firmly support the role of oxidative stress genetic variants combined with lifestyle/environmental factors as modifiers of PCa and disease progression. However, additional multi

Alpha1a-Adrenoceptor Genetic Variant Triggers Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Hyperproliferation and Agonist Induced Hypertrophy via EGFR Transactivation Pathway.

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Irina Gradinaru

Full Text Available α1a Adrenergic receptors (α1aARs are the predominant AR subtype in human vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs. α1aARs in resistance vessels are crucial in the control of blood pressure, yet the impact of naturally occurring human α1aAR genetic variants in cardiovascular disorders remains poorly understood. To this end, we present novel findings demonstrating that 3D cultures of vascular SMCs expressing human α1aAR-247R (247R genetic variant demonstrate significantly increased SMC contractility compared with cells expressing the α1aAR-WT (WT receptor. Stable expression of 247R genetic variant also triggers MMP/EGFR-transactivation dependent serum- and agonist-independent (constitutive hyperproliferation and agonist-dependent hypertrophy of SMCs. Agonist stimulation reduces contractility Using pathway-specific inhibitors we determined that the observed hyperproliferation of 247R-expressing cells is triggered via β-arrestin1/Src/MMP-2/EGFR/ERK-dependent mechanism. MMP-2-specific siRNA inhibited 247R-triggered hyperproliferation indicating MMP-2 involvement in 247R-triggered hyperproliferation in SMCs. β-arrestin1-specific shRNA also inhibited 247R-triggered hyperproliferation but did not affect hypertrophy in 247R-expressing SMCs, indicating that agonist-dependent hypertrophy is independent of β-arrestin1. Our data reveal that in different cardiovascular cells the same human receptor genetic variant can activate alternative modulators of the same signaling pathway. Thus, our findings in SMCs demonstrate that depending on the type of cells expressing the same receptor (or receptor variant, different target-specific inhibitors could be used to modulate aberrant hyperproliferative or hypertrophic pathways in order to restore normal phenotype.

Prediction of breast cancer risk based on common genetic variants in women of East Asian ancestry.

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Wen, Wanqing; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Guo, Xingyi; Cai, Qiuyin; Long, Jirong; Bolla, Manjeet K; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Dennis, Joe; Wang, Qin; Gao, Yu-Tang; Zheng, Ying; Dunning, Alison M; García-Closas, Montserrat; Brennan, Paul; Chen, Shou-Tung; Choi, Ji-Yeob; Hartman, Mikael; Ito, Hidemi; Lophatananon, Artitaya; Matsuo, Keitaro; Miao, Hui; Muir, Kenneth; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Shen, Chen-Yang; Teo, Soo H; Tseng, Chiu-Chen; Wu, Anna H; Yip, Cheng Har; Simard, Jacques; Pharoah, Paul D P; Hall, Per; Kang, Daehee; Xiang, Yongbing; Easton, Douglas F; Zheng, Wei

2016-12-08

Approximately 100 common breast cancer susceptibility alleles have been identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The utility of these variants in breast cancer risk prediction models has not been evaluated adequately in women of Asian ancestry. We evaluated 88 breast cancer risk variants that were identified previously by GWAS in 11,760 cases and 11,612 controls of Asian ancestry. SNPs confirmed to be associated with breast cancer risk in Asian women were used to construct a polygenic risk score (PRS). The relative and absolute risks of breast cancer by the PRS percentiles were estimated based on the PRS distribution, and were used to stratify women into different levels of breast cancer risk. We confirmed significant associations with breast cancer risk for SNPs in 44 of the 78 previously reported loci at P women in the middle quintile of the PRS, women in the top 1% group had a 2.70-fold elevated risk of breast cancer (95% CI: 2.15-3.40). The risk prediction model with the PRS had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.606. The lifetime risk of breast cancer for Shanghai Chinese women in the lowest and highest 1% of the PRS was 1.35% and 10.06%, respectively. Approximately one-half of GWAS-identified breast cancer risk variants can be directly replicated in East Asian women. Collectively, common genetic variants are important predictors for breast cancer risk. Using common genetic variants for breast cancer could help identify women at high risk of breast cancer.

Multiple genetic variants associated with posttransplantation diabetes mellitus in Chinese Han populations.

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Chen, Jie; Li, Lixin; An, Yunfei; Zhang, Junlong; Liao, Yun; Li, Yi; Wang, Lanlan

2018-03-01

Posttransplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a major complication after solid organ transplantation. This study is to investigate the association of nine genetic variant factors and PTDM in Chinese Han patients. HLA-DP (rs3077, rs9277535), HLA-DQ (rs7453920), signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) (rs7574865), IL-28B (rs12979860, rs8099917, and rs12980275), and IL-18 (rs1946518 and rs187238) were investigated in 260 liver transplant recipients (PTDM vs non-PTDM) by high-resolution melting curve analysis. Serum interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, interferon-γ, inducible protein-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1b were analyzed by a Bio-Plex suspension array system (Bio-Plex Multiplex Immunoassays, Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA). Signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (rs7574865) T allele and IL-18 (rs1946518) A allele increase the risk for insulin resistance and PTDM. Recipients with STAT4 (rs7574865) T allele are associated with an increased concentration of IL-1β, interferon-γ, monocyte chemoattractant protein, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1b. The genetic variants of STAT4 (rs7574865) and IL-18 (rs1946518) may be new important markers for PTDM. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genetic variants in DNA double-strand break repair genes and risk of salivary gland carcinoma: a case-control study.

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Li Xu

Full Text Available DNA double strand break (DSB repair is the primary defense mechanism against ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage. Ionizing radiation is the only established risk factor for salivary gland carcinoma (SGC. We hypothesized that genetic variants in DSB repair genes contribute to individual variation in susceptibility to SGC. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a case-control study in which we analyzed 415 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in 45 DSB repair genes in 352 SGC cases and 598 controls. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs. Rs3748522 in RAD52 and rs13180356 in XRCC4 were significantly associated with SGC after Bonferroni adjustment; ORs (95% CIs for the variant alleles of these SNPs were 1.71 (1.40-2.09, P = 1.70 × 10(-7 and 0.58 (0.45-0.74, P = 2.00 × 10(-5 respectively. The genetic effects were modulated by histological subtype. The association of RAD52-rs3748522 with SGC was strongest for mucoepidermoid carcinoma (OR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.55-3.15, P = 1.25 × 10(-5, n = 74, and the association of XRCC4-rs13180356 with SGC was strongest for adenoid cystic carcinoma (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.42-0.87, P = 6.91 × 10(-3, n = 123. Gene-level association analysis revealed one gene, PRKDC, with a marginally significant association with SGC risk in non-Hispanic whites. To our knowledge, this study is the first to comprehensively evaluate the genetic effect of DSB repair genes on SGC risk. Our results indicate that genetic variants in the DSB repair pathways contribute to inter-individual differences in susceptibility to SGC and show that the impact of genetic variants differs by histological subtype. Independent studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Genetic variants in post myocardial infarction patients presenting with electrical storm of unstable ventricular tachycardia.

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Rangaraju, Advithi; Krishnan, Shuba; Aparna, G; Sankaran, Satish; Mannan, Ashraf U; Rao, B Hygriv

2018-01-30

Electrical storm (ES) is a life threatening clinical situation. Though a few clinical pointers exist, the occurrence of ES in a patient with remote myocardial infarction (MI) is generally unpredictable. Genetic markers for this entity have not been studied. In the present study, we carried out genetic screening in patients with remote myocardial infarction presenting with ES by next generation sequencing and identified 25 rare variants in 19 genes predominantly in RYR2, SCN5A, KCNJ11, KCNE1 and KCNH2, CACNA1B, CACNA1C, CACNA1D and desmosomal genes - DSP and DSG2 that could potentially be implicated in electrical storm. These genes have been previously reported to be associated with inherited syndromes of Sudden Cardiac Death. The present study suggests that the genetic architecture in patients with remote MI and ES of unstable ventricular tachycardia may be similar to that of Ion channelopathies. Identification of these variants may identify post MI patients who are predisposed to develop electrical storm and help in risk stratification. Copyright © 2018 Indian Heart Rhythm Society. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic variants in the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) gene are modestly associated with normal cognitive function in the elderly

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Mengel-From, J; Christensen, K; Thinggaard, M

2011-01-01

Genetic variants in the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) gene have been suggested as risk factors for neurodegenerative Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we tested the importance of genetic variants in the ChAT gene in normal cognitive function of elderly in a study sample of Danish twins...... and singletons (N = 2070). The ChAT rs3810950 A allele, which has been associated with increased risk for AD, was found to be associated with a decrease cognitive status evaluated by a five-component cognitive composite score [P = 0.03, regression coefficient -0.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.57 to -0...

Genetic Variants Involved in Mitochondrial Oxidative Metabolism are associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in studies of 9,132 Danes

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Snogdal, Lena Sønder

Genetic Variants Involved in Mitochondrial Oxidative Metabolism are associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in studies of 9,132 Danes Lena Soender Snogdal, Mette Wod, Marie Vestmar, Thomas Sparsø, Daniel R Witte, Torben Jørgensen, Torsten Lauritzen, Anneli Sandbæk, Niels Grarup, Henning Beck......; Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup University Hospital, Denmark; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Aarhus, Denmark; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Aarhus, Denmark Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is characterized by insulin resistance and failure of the pancreatic beta cells......, the rs9915302 variant in COX10 showed strong association with T2D (OR=1.14, p=7.7x10-6). Our data suggest that genetic variants in or near genes encoding subunits in complex IV (COX5B, COX6B1, COX10) contribute to the pathogenesis of T2D. The observed association of variants in COX5B, COX10 and NDUFV3...

Re-analysis of public genetic data reveals a rare X-chromosomal variant associated with type 2 diabetes.

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Bonàs-Guarch, Sílvia; Guindo-Martínez, Marta; Miguel-Escalada, Irene; Grarup, Niels; Sebastian, David; Rodriguez-Fos, Elias; Sánchez, Friman; Planas-Fèlix, Mercè; Cortes-Sánchez, Paula; González, Santi; Timshel, Pascal; Pers, Tune H; Morgan, Claire C; Moran, Ignasi; Atla, Goutham; González, Juan R; Puiggros, Montserrat; Martí, Jonathan; Andersson, Ehm A; Díaz, Carlos; Badia, Rosa M; Udler, Miriam; Leong, Aaron; Kaur, Varindepal; Flannick, Jason; Jørgensen, Torben; Linneberg, Allan; Jørgensen, Marit E; Witte, Daniel R; Christensen, Cramer; Brandslund, Ivan; Appel, Emil V; Scott, Robert A; Luan, Jian'an; Langenberg, Claudia; Wareham, Nicholas J; Pedersen, Oluf; Zorzano, Antonio; Florez, Jose C; Hansen, Torben; Ferrer, Jorge; Mercader, Josep Maria; Torrents, David

2018-01-22

The reanalysis of existing GWAS data represents a powerful and cost-effective opportunity to gain insights into the genetics of complex diseases. By reanalyzing publicly available type 2 diabetes (T2D) genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data for 70,127 subjects, we identify seven novel associated regions, five driven by common variants (LYPLAL1, NEUROG3, CAMKK2, ABO, and GIP genes), one by a low-frequency (EHMT2), and one driven by a rare variant in chromosome Xq23, rs146662057, associated with a twofold increased risk for T2D in males. rs146662057 is located within an active enhancer associated with the expression of Angiotensin II Receptor type 2 gene (AGTR2), a modulator of insulin sensitivity, and exhibits allelic specific activity in muscle cells. Beyond providing insights into the genetics and pathophysiology of T2D, these results also underscore the value of reanalyzing publicly available data using novel genetic resources and analytical approaches.

Genetic Variants in Epigenetic Pathways and Risks of Multiple Cancers in the GAME-ON Consortium.

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Toth, Reka; Scherer, Dominique; Kelemen, Linda E; Risch, Angela; Hazra, Aditi; Balavarca, Yesilda; Issa, Jean-Pierre J; Moreno, Victor; Eeles, Rosalind A; Ogino, Shuji; Wu, Xifeng; Ye, Yuanqing; Hung, Rayjean J; Goode, Ellen L; Ulrich, Cornelia M

2017-06-01

Background: Epigenetic disturbances are crucial in cancer initiation, potentially with pleiotropic effects, and may be influenced by the genetic background. Methods: In a subsets (ASSET) meta-analytic approach, we investigated associations of genetic variants related to epigenetic mechanisms with risks of breast, lung, colorectal, ovarian and prostate carcinomas using 51,724 cases and 52,001 controls. False discovery rate-corrected P values (q values cancer type. For example, variants in BABAM1 were confirmed as a susceptibility locus for squamous cell lung, overall breast, estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast, and overall prostate, and overall serous ovarian cancer; the most significant variant was rs4808076 [OR = 1.14; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10-1.19; q = 6.87 × 10 -5 ]. DPF1 rs12611084 was inversely associated with ER-negative breast, endometrioid ovarian, and overall and aggressive prostate cancer risk (OR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.91-0.96; q = 0.005). Variants in L3MBTL3 were associated with colorectal, overall breast, ER-negative breast, clear cell ovarian, and overall and aggressive prostate cancer risk (e.g., rs9388766: OR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.03-1.08; q = 0.02). Variants in TET2 were significantly associated with overall breast, overall prostate, overall ovarian, and endometrioid ovarian cancer risk, with rs62331150 showing bidirectional effects. Analyses of subpathways did not reveal gene subsets that contributed disproportionately to susceptibility. Conclusions: Functional and correlative studies are now needed to elucidate the potential links between germline genotype, epigenetic function, and cancer etiology. Impact: This approach provides novel insight into possible pleiotropic effects of genes involved in epigenetic processes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(6); 816-25. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Alteration of introns in a hyaluronan synthase 1 (HAS1 minigene convert Pre-mRNA [corrected] splicing to the aberrant pattern in multiple myeloma (MM: MM patients harbor similar changes.

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Jitra Kriangkum

Full Text Available Aberrant pre-mRNA splice variants of hyaluronan synthase 1 (HAS1 have been identified in malignant cells from cancer patients. Bioinformatic analysis suggests that intronic sequence changes can underlie aberrant splicing. Deletions and mutations were introduced into HAS1 minigene constructs to identify regions that can influence aberrant intronic splicing, comparing the splicing pattern in transfectants with that in multiple myeloma (MM patients. Introduced genetic variations in introns 3 and 4 of HAS1 as shown here can promote aberrant splicing of the type detected in malignant cells from MM patients. HAS1Vd is a novel intronic splice variant first identified here. HAS1Vb, an intronic splice variant previously identified in patients, skips exon 4 and utilizes the same intron 4 alternative 3'splice site as HAS1Vd. For transfected constructs with unaltered introns 3 and 4, HAS1Vd transcripts are readily detectable, frequently to the exclusion of HAS1Vb. In contrast, in MM patients, HAS1Vb is more frequent than HAS1Vd. In the HAS1 minigene, combining deletion in intron 4 with mutations in intron 3 leads to a shift from HAS1Vd expression to HAS1Vb expression. The upregulation of aberrant splicing, exemplified here by the expression of HAS1Vb, is shown here to be influenced by multiple genetic changes in intronic sequences. For HAS1Vb, this includes enhanced exon 4 skipping and increased usage of alternative 3' splice sites. Thus, the combination of introduced mutations in HAS1 intron3 with introduced deletions in HAS1 intron 4 promoted a shift to an aberrant splicing pattern previously shown to be clinically significant. Most MM patients harbor genetic variations in intron 4, and as shown here, nearly half harbor recurrent mutations in HAS1 intron 3. Our work suggests that aberrant intronic HAS1 splicing in MM patients may rely on intronic HAS1 deletions and mutations that are frequent in MM patients but absent from healthy donors.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic testing—pitfalls and recommendations for managing variants of uncertain clinical significance

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Eccles, D. M.; Mitchell, G.; Monteiro, A. N. A.; Schmutzler, R.; Couch, F. J.; Spurdle, A. B.; Gómez-García, E. B.

2015-01-01

BackgroundIncreasing use of BRCA1/2 testing for tailoring cancer treatment and extension of testing to tumour tissue for somatic mutation is moving BRCA1/2 mutation screening from a primarily prevention arena delivered by specialist genetic services into mainstream oncology practice. A considerable number of gene tests will identify rare variants where clinical significance cannot be inferred from sequence information alone. The proportion of Variants of Uncertain clinical Significance (VUS) ...

Dietary fatty acids modulate associations between genetic variants and circulating fatty acids in plasma and erythrocyte membranes: meta-analysis of nine studies in the CHARGE consortium

Science.gov (United States)

Scope: Tissue concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce cardiovascular disease risk, and genetic variants are associated with circulating fatty acids concentrations. Whether dietary fatty acids interact with genetic variants to modify circulating omega-3 fatty acids is unclear. We evaluated i...

Association of genetic susceptibility variants for type 2 diabetes with breast cancer risk in women of European ancestry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhao, Zhiguo; Wen, Wanqing; Michailidou, Kyriaki

2016-01-01

PURPOSE: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been reported to be associated with an elevated risk of breast cancer. It is unclear, however, whether this association is due to shared genetic factors. METHODS: We constructed a genetic risk score (GRS) using risk variants from 33 known independent T2D suscept...

Harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena strandings on the Dutch coast: No genetic structure, but evidence of inbreeding

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van der Plas-Duivesteijn, Suzanne J.; Smit, Femmie J. L.; van Alphen, Jacques J. M.; Kraaijeveld, Ken

2015-03-01

Conservation management in the North Sea is often motivated by the population size of marine mammals, like harbor porpoises Phocoena phocoena. In the Dutch part of the North Sea, sighting and stranding data are used to estimate population sizes, but these data give little insight into genetic structuring of the population. In this study we investigated genetic structure among animals stranded at different locations and times of year. We also tested whether there is a link between stranding and necropsy data, and genetic diversity. We made use of both mitochondrial (mtDNA) and microsatellite DNA analysis of samples from dead stranded porpoises along the Dutch coast during 2007. mtDNA analysis showed 6 variable positions in the control region, defining 3 different haplotypes. mtDNA haplotypes were not randomly distributed along the Dutch coastline. However, microsatellite analysis showed that these mtDNA haplotypes did not represent separate groups on a nuclear level. Furthermore, microsatellite analysis revealed no genotypic differences between seasons, locations or genders. The results of this study indicate that the Dutch population is panmictic. In contrast, heterozygosity levels were low, indicating some level of inbreeding in this population. However, this was not corroborated by other indices of inbreeding. This research provided insight into genetic structuring of stranded porpoises in 2007, but data from multiple years should be included to be able to help estimate population sizes.

Novel Genetic Variants in BAG3 and TNNT2 in a Swedish Family with a History of Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Sudden Cardiac Death.

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Fernlund, Eva; Österberg, A Wålinder; Kuchinskaya, E; Gustafsson, M; Jansson, K; Gunnarsson, C

2017-08-01

Familial dilated cardiomyopathy is a rare cause of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), especially in childhood. Our aim was to describe the clinical course and the genetic variants in a family where the proband was a four-month-old infant presenting with respiratory problems due to DCM. In the family, there was a strong family history of DCM and sudden cardiac death in four generations. DNA was analyzed initially from the deceased girl using next-generation sequencing including 50 genes involved in cardiomyopathy. A cascade family screening was performed in the family after identification of the TNNT2 and the BAG3 variants in the proband. The first-degree relatives underwent clinical examination including biochemistry panel, cardiac ultrasound, Holter ECG, exercise stress test, and targeted genetic testing. The index patient presented with advanced DCM. After a severe clinical course, the baby had external left ventricular assist as a bridge to heart transplantation. 1.5 months after transplantation, the baby suffered sudden cardiac death (SCD) despite maximal treatment in the pediatric intensive care unit. The patient was shown to carry two heterozygous genetic variants in the TNNT2 gene [TNNT2 c.518G>A(p.Arg173Gln)] and BAG3 [BAG3 c.785C>T(p.Ala262Val)]. Two of the screened individuals (two females) appeared to carry both the familial variants. All the individuals carrying the TNNT2 variant presented with DCM, the two adult patients had mild or moderate symptoms of heart failure and reported palpitations but no syncope or presyncopal attacks prior to the genetic diagnosis. The female carriers of TNNT2 and BAG3 variants had more advanced DCM. In the family history, there were three additional cases of SCD due to DCM, diagnosed by autopsy, but no genetic analysis was possible in these cases. Our findings suggest that the variants in TNNT2 and BAG3 are associated with a high propensity to life-threatening cardiomyopathy presenting from childhood and young adulthood.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic testing-pitfalls and recommendations for managing variants of uncertain clinical significance.

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Eccles, D M; Mitchell, G; Monteiro, A N A; Schmutzler, R; Couch, F J; Spurdle, A B; Gómez-García, E B

2015-10-01

Increasing use of BRCA1/2 testing for tailoring cancer treatment and extension of testing to tumour tissue for somatic mutation is moving BRCA1/2 mutation screening from a primarily prevention arena delivered by specialist genetic services into mainstream oncology practice. A considerable number of gene tests will identify rare variants where clinical significance cannot be inferred from sequence information alone. The proportion of variants of uncertain clinical significance (VUS) is likely to grow with lower thresholds for testing and laboratory providers with less experience of BRCA. Most VUS will not be associated with a high risk of cancer but a misinterpreted VUS has the potential to lead to mismanagement of both the patient and their relatives. Members of the Clinical Working Group of ENIGMA (Evidence-based Network for the Interpretation of Germline Mutant Alleles) global consortium (www.enigmaconsortium.org) observed wide variation in practices in reporting, disclosure and clinical management of patients with a VUS. Examples from current clinical practice are presented and discussed to illustrate potential pitfalls, explore factors contributing to misinterpretation, and propose approaches to improving clarity. Clinicians, patients and their relatives would all benefit from an improved level of genetic literacy. Genetic laboratories working with clinical geneticists need to agree on a clinically clear and uniform format for reporting BRCA test results to non-geneticists. An international consortium of experts, collecting and integrating all available lines of evidence and classifying variants according to an internationally recognized system, will facilitate reclassification of variants for clinical use. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

CDKL5 variants

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Kalscheuer, Vera M.; Hennig, Friederike; Leonard, Helen; Downs, Jenny; Clarke, Angus; Benke, Tim A.; Armstrong, Judith; Pineda, Mercedes; Bailey, Mark E.S.; Cobb, Stuart R.

2017-01-01

Objective: To provide new insights into the interpretation of genetic variants in a rare neurologic disorder, CDKL5 deficiency, in the contexts of population sequencing data and an updated characterization of the CDKL5 gene. Methods: We analyzed all known potentially pathogenic CDKL5 variants by combining data from large-scale population sequencing studies with CDKL5 variants from new and all available clinical cohorts and combined this with computational methods to predict pathogenicity. Results: The study has identified several variants that can be reclassified as benign or likely benign. With the addition of novel CDKL5 variants, we confirm that pathogenic missense variants cluster in the catalytic domain of CDKL5 and reclassify a purported missense variant as having a splicing consequence. We provide further evidence that missense variants in the final 3 exons are likely to be benign and not important to disease pathology. We also describe benign splicing and nonsense variants within these exons, suggesting that isoform hCDKL5_5 is likely to have little or no neurologic significance. We also use the available data to make a preliminary estimate of minimum incidence of CDKL5 deficiency. Conclusions: These findings have implications for genetic diagnosis, providing evidence for the reclassification of specific variants previously thought to result in CDKL5 deficiency. Together, these analyses support the view that the predominant brain isoform in humans (hCDKL5_1) is crucial for normal neurodevelopment and that the catalytic domain is the primary functional domain. PMID:29264392

Investigation of established genetic risk variants for glioma in prediagnostic samples from a population-based nested case-control study.

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Wibom, Carl; Späth, Florentin; Dahlin, Anna M; Langseth, Hilde; Hovig, Eivind; Rajaraman, Preetha; Johannesen, Tom Børge; Andersson, Ulrika; Melin, Beatrice

2015-05-01

Although glioma etiology is poorly understood in general, growing evidence indicates a genetic component. Four large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have linked common genetic variants with an increased glioma risk. However, to date, these studies are based largely on a case-control design, where cases have been recruited at the time of or after diagnosis. They may therefore suffer from a degree of survival bias, introduced when rapidly fatal cases are not included. To confirm glioma risk variants in a prospective setting, we have analyzed 11 previously identified risk variants in a set of prediagnostic serum samples with 598 cases and 595 matched controls. Serum samples were acquired from The Janus Serum Bank, a Norwegian population-based biobank reserved for cancer research. We confirmed the association with glioma risk for variants within five genomic regions: 8q24.21 (CCDC26), 9p21.3 (CDKN2B-AS1), 11q23.3 (PHLDB1), 17p13.1 (TP53), and 20q13.33 (RTEL1). However, previously identified risk variants within the 7p11.2 (EGFR) region were not confirmed by this study. Our results indicate that the risk variants that were confirmed by this study are truly associated with glioma risk and may, consequently, affect gliomagenesis. Though the lack of positive confirmation of EGFR risk variants may be attributable to relatively limited statistical power, it nevertheless raises the question whether they truly are risk variants or markers for glioma prognosis. Our findings indicate the need for further studies to clarify the role of glioma risk loci with respect to prolonged survival versus etiology. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Genetic Variants from Lipid-Related Pathways and Risk for Incident Myocardial Infarction

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Song, Ci; Pedersen, Nancy L.; Reynolds, Chandra A.; Sabater-Lleal, Maria; Kanoni, Stavroula; Willenborg, Christina; Syvänen, Ann-Christine; Watkins, Hugh; Hamsten, Anders; Prince, Jonathan A.; Ingelsson, Erik

2013-01-01

Background Circulating lipids levels, as well as several familial lipid metabolism disorders, are strongly associated with initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and incidence of myocardial infarction (MI). Objectives We hypothesized that genetic variants associated with circulating lipid levels would also be associated with MI incidence, and have tested this in three independent samples. Setting and Subjects Using age- and sex-adjusted additive genetic models, we analyzed 554 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 41 candidate gene regions proposed to be involved in lipid-related pathways potentially predisposing to incidence of MI in 2,602 participants of the Swedish Twin Register (STR; 57% women). All associations with nominal P<0.01 were further investigated in the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM; N = 1,142). Results In the present study, we report associations of lipid-related SNPs with incident MI in two community-based longitudinal studies with in silico replication in a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies. Overall, there were 9 SNPs in STR with nominal P-value <0.01 that were successfully genotyped in ULSAM. rs4149313 located in ABCA1 was associated with MI incidence in both longitudinal study samples with nominal significance (hazard ratio, 1.36 and 1.40; P-value, 0.004 and 0.015 in STR and ULSAM, respectively). In silico replication supported the association of rs4149313 with coronary artery disease in an independent meta-analysis including 173,975 individuals of European descent from the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D consortium (odds ratio, 1.03; P-value, 0.048). Conclusions rs4149313 is one of the few amino acid changing variants in ABCA1 known to associate with reduced cholesterol efflux. Our results are suggestive of a weak association between this variant and the development of atherosclerosis and MI. PMID:23555974

Current situation, genetic relationship and control measures of infectious bronchitis virus variants circulating in African regions

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Khadija Khataby

2016-08-01

Three S1 gene hypervariable regions were studied and compared to the reference genotypes/serotypes that found emerging in African regions. This comparison was based on phylogenetic trees, nucleotide and amino-acid sequence analysis. It clearly appears that IBV variants reported in Africa, display a low genetic relationship between them and with the majority of the reference strains emerging in neighboring countries, except the case of variants from Libya and Egypt that show a high relatedness. Also the Massachusetts serotypes were the most prevalent co-circulating with both serotypes, Italy02 type in Morocco and Qx-like genotype in South part of the African continent. In order to control the IBV variants in African regions, an efficient vaccination strategy program should be implemented.

MSX1 gene variant - its presence in tooth absence - a case control genetic study.

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Reddy, Naveen Admala; Adusumilli, Gopinath; Devanna, Raghu; Pichai, Saravanan; Rohra, Mayur Gobindram; Arjunan, Sharmila

2013-10-01

Non Syndromic tooth agenesis is a congenital anomaly with significant medical, psychological and social ramifications. There is sufficient evidence to hypothesize that locus for this condition can be identified by candidate genes. The aim of this study was to test whether MSX1 671 T>C gene variant was involved in etiology of Non Syndromic tooth agenesis in Raichur Patients. Blood samples were collected with informed consent from 50 subjects having Non Syndromic tooth agenesis and 50 controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from the blood samples, Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed (PCR) and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) was performed for digestion products that were evaluated. The RESULTS showed positive correlation between MSX1671 T>C gene variant and Non Syndromic tooth agenesis in Raichur Patients. MSX1 671 T>C gene variant may be a good screening marker for Non Syndromic tooth agenesis in Raichur Patients . How to cite this article:Reddy NA, Adusumilli G, Devanna R, Pichai S, Rohra MG, Arjunan S. Msx1 Gene Variant - Its Presence in Tooth Absence - A Case Control Genetic Study. J Int Oral Health 2013; 5(5):20-6.

Combined analyses of 20 common obesity susceptibility variants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandholt, Camilla Helene; Sparsø, Thomas; Grarup, Niels

2010-01-01

Genome-wide association studies and linkage studies have identified 20 validated genetic variants associated with obesity and/or related phenotypes. The variants are common, and they individually exhibit small-to-modest effect sizes.......Genome-wide association studies and linkage studies have identified 20 validated genetic variants associated with obesity and/or related phenotypes. The variants are common, and they individually exhibit small-to-modest effect sizes....

CRISPR/Cas9 gene drives in genetically variable and nonrandomly mating wild populations.

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Drury, Douglas W; Dapper, Amy L; Siniard, Dylan J; Zentner, Gabriel E; Wade, Michael J

2017-05-01

Synthetic gene drives based on CRISPR/Cas9 have the potential to control, alter, or suppress populations of crop pests and disease vectors, but it is unclear how they will function in wild populations. Using genetic data from four populations of the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum , we show that most populations harbor genetic variants in Cas9 target sites, some of which would render them immune to drive (ITD). We show that even a rare ITD allele can reduce or eliminate the efficacy of a CRISPR/Cas9-based synthetic gene drive. This effect is equivalent to and accentuated by mild inbreeding, which is a characteristic of many disease-vectoring arthropods. We conclude that designing such drives will require characterization of genetic variability and the mating system within and among targeted populations.

Genetic Variants in the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway as Indicators of Bladder Cancer Risk.

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Pierzynski, Jeanne A; Hildebrandt, Michelle A; Kamat, Ashish M; Lin, Jie; Ye, Yuanqing; Dinney, Colin P N; Wu, Xifeng

2015-12-01

Genetic factors that influence bladder cancer risk remain largely unknown. Previous research has suggested that there is a strong genetic component underlying the risk of bladder cancer. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is a key modulator of cellular proliferation through its regulation of stem cell homeostasis. Furthermore, variants in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway have been implicated in the development of other cancers, leading us to believe that this pathway may have a vital role in bladder cancer development. A total of 230 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 40 genes in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway were genotyped in 803 bladder cancer cases and 803 healthy controls. A total of 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms were nominally significant for risk. Individuals with 2 variants of LRP6: rs10743980 were associated with a decreased risk of bladder cancer in the recessive model in the initial analysis (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.58-0.99, p=0.039). This was validated using the bladder genome-wide association study chip (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27-1.00, p=0.049 and for combined analysis p=0.007). Together these findings implicate variants in the Wnt/β-catenin stem cell pathway as having a role in bladder cancer etiology. Copyright © 2015 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of genetic variants of the incretin-related genes with quantitative traits and occurrence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese

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Mayumi Enya

2014-01-01

Conclusion: Rare variants of GIPR may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, possibly through insulin secretory defects. Furthermore, the genetic variant of PCSK1 might influence glucose homeostasis by altered insulin resistance independently of BMI, incretin level or proinsulin conversion, and may be associated with the occurrence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese.

Case-control study for colorectal cancer genetic susceptibility in EPICOLON: previously identified variants and mucins

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Moreno Victor

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Colorectal cancer (CRC is the second leading cause of cancer death in developed countries. Familial aggregation in CRC is also important outside syndromic forms and, in this case, a polygenic model with several common low-penetrance alleles contributing to CRC genetic predisposition could be hypothesized. Mucins and GALNTs (N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase are interesting candidates for CRC genetic susceptibility and have not been previously evaluated. We present results for ten genetic variants linked to CRC risk in previous studies (previously identified category and 18 selected variants from the mucin gene family in a case-control association study from the Spanish EPICOLON consortium. Methods CRC cases and matched controls were from EPICOLON, a prospective, multicenter, nationwide Spanish initiative, comprised of two independent stages. Stage 1 corresponded to 515 CRC cases and 515 controls, whereas stage 2 consisted of 901 CRC cases and 909 controls. Also, an independent cohort of 549 CRC cases and 599 controls outside EPICOLON was available for additional replication. Genotyping was performed for ten previously identified SNPs in ADH1C, APC, CCDN1, IL6, IL8, IRS1, MTHFR, PPARG, VDR and ARL11, and 18 selected variants in the mucin gene family. Results None of the 28 SNPs analyzed in our study was found to be associated with CRC risk. Although four SNPs were significant with a P-value ADH1C (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.06-2.50, P-value = 0.02, recessive, rs1800795 in IL6 (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.10-2.37, P-value = 0.01, recessive, rs3803185 in ARL11 (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.17-2.15, P-value = 0.007, codominant, and rs2102302 in GALNTL2 (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.00-1.44, P-value = 0.04, log-additive 0, 1, 2 alleles], only rs3803185 achieved statistical significance in EPICOLON stage 2 (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.06-1.69, P-value = 0.01, recessive. In the joint analysis for both stages, results were only significant for rs3803185 (OR = 1

Case-control study for colorectal cancer genetic susceptibility in EPICOLON: previously identified variants and mucins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abulí, Anna; Morillas, Juan D; Rigau, Joaquim; Latorre, Mercedes; Fernández-Bañares, Fernando; Peña, Elena; Riestra, Sabino; Payá, Artemio; Jover, Rodrigo; Xicola, Rosa M; Llor, Xavier; Fernández-Rozadilla, Ceres; Carvajal-Carmona, Luis; Villanueva, Cristina M; Moreno, Victor; Piqué, Josep M; Carracedo, Angel; Castells, Antoni; Andreu, Montserrat; Ruiz-Ponte, Clara; Castellví-Bel, Sergi; Alonso-Espinaco, Virginia; Muñoz, Jenifer; Gonzalo, Victoria; Bessa, Xavier; González, Dolors; Clofent, Joan; Cubiella, Joaquin

2011-01-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in developed countries. Familial aggregation in CRC is also important outside syndromic forms and, in this case, a polygenic model with several common low-penetrance alleles contributing to CRC genetic predisposition could be hypothesized. Mucins and GALNTs (N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase) are interesting candidates for CRC genetic susceptibility and have not been previously evaluated. We present results for ten genetic variants linked to CRC risk in previous studies (previously identified category) and 18 selected variants from the mucin gene family in a case-control association study from the Spanish EPICOLON consortium. CRC cases and matched controls were from EPICOLON, a prospective, multicenter, nationwide Spanish initiative, comprised of two independent stages. Stage 1 corresponded to 515 CRC cases and 515 controls, whereas stage 2 consisted of 901 CRC cases and 909 controls. Also, an independent cohort of 549 CRC cases and 599 controls outside EPICOLON was available for additional replication. Genotyping was performed for ten previously identified SNPs in ADH1C, APC, CCDN1, IL6, IL8, IRS1, MTHFR, PPARG, VDR and ARL11, and 18 selected variants in the mucin gene family. None of the 28 SNPs analyzed in our study was found to be associated with CRC risk. Although four SNPs were significant with a P-value < 0.05 in EPICOLON stage 1 [rs698 in ADH1C (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.06-2.50, P-value = 0.02, recessive), rs1800795 in IL6 (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.10-2.37, P-value = 0.01, recessive), rs3803185 in ARL11 (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.17-2.15, P-value = 0.007, codominant), and rs2102302 in GALNTL2 (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.00-1.44, P-value = 0.04, log-additive 0, 1, 2 alleles], only rs3803185 achieved statistical significance in EPICOLON stage 2 (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.06-1.69, P-value = 0.01, recessive). In the joint analysis for both stages, results were only significant for rs3803185 (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1

Genetic Variants of Surfactant Proteins A, B, C, and D in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

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J. Pavlovic

2006-01-01

Full Text Available BPD_28D (O2 dependency at 28 days of life and BPD_36W (O2 dependency at 36 wks post-menstrual age are diseases of prematurely born infants exposed to mechanical ventilation and/or oxygen supplementation. In order to determine whether genetic variants of surfactant proteins (SPs-A, B, C, and D and SP-B-linked microsatellite markers are risk factors in BPD, we performed a family based association study using a Greek study group of 71 neonates (<30 wks gestational age from 60 families with, 52 BPD_28D and 19 BPD_36W, affected infants. Genotyping was performed using newly designed pyrosequencing assays and previously published methods. Associations between genetic variants of SPs and BPD subgroups were determined using Transmission Disequilibrium Test (TDT and Family Based Association Test (FBAT. Significant associations (p ≤ 0.01 were observed for alleles of SP-B and SP-B-linked microsatellite markers, and haplotypes of SP-A, SP-D, and SP-B. Specifically, allele B-18_C associated with susceptibility in BPD_36W. Microsatellite marker AAGG_6 associated with susceptibility in BPD_28D/36W group. Haplotype analysis revealed ten susceptibility and one protective haplotypes for SP-B and SP-B-linked microsatellite markers and two SP-A-SP-D protective haplotypes. The data indicate that SP loci are linked to BPD. Studies in different study groups and/or of larger sample size are warranted to confirm these observations and delineate genetic background of BPD subgroups.

Enterobacter cloacae Complex Isolates Harboring blaNMC-A or blaIMI-Type Class A Carbapenemase Genes on Novel Chromosomal Integrative Elements and Plasmids.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, David A; Mataseje, Laura F; Davidson, Ross; Delport, Johannes A; Fuller, Jeff; Hoang, Linda; Lefebvre, Brigitte; Levett, Paul N; Roscoe, Diane L; Willey, Barbara M; Mulvey, Michael R

2017-05-01

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacter cloacae complex isolates submitted to a reference laboratory from 2010 to 2015 were screened by PCR for seven common carbapenemase gene groups, namely, KPC, NDM, OXA-48, VIM, IMP, GES, and NMC-A/IMI. Nineteen of the submitted isolates (1.7%) were found to harbor Ambler class A bla NMC-A or bla IMI -type carbapenemases. All 19 isolates were resistant to at least one carbapenem but susceptible to aminoglycosides, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, tigecycline, and ciprofloxacin. Most isolates (17/19) gave positive results with the Carba-NP test for phenotypic carbapenemase detection. Isolates were genetically diverse by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis macrorestriction analysis, multilocus sequence typing, and hsp60 gene analysis. The genes were found in various Enterobacter cloacae complex species; however, bla NMC-A was highly associated with Enterobacter ludwigii Whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis revealed that all NMC-A ( n = 10), IMI-1 ( n = 5), and IMI-9 ( n = 2) producers harbored the carbapenemase gene on EludIMEX-1-like integrative mobile elements (EcloIMEXs) located in the identical chromosomal locus. Two novel genes, bla IMI-5 and bla IMI-6 , were harbored on different IncFII-type plasmids. Enterobacter cloacae complex isolates harboring bla NMC-A/IMI -type carbapenemases are relatively rare in Canada. Though mostly found integrated into the chromosome, some variants are located on plasmids that may enhance their mobility potential. © Crown copyright 2017.

Somatic APC mosaicism and oligogenic inheritance in genetically unsolved colorectal adenomatous polyposis patients.

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Ciavarella, Michele; Miccoli, Sara; Prossomariti, Anna; Pippucci, Tommaso; Bonora, Elena; Buscherini, Francesco; Palombo, Flavia; Zuntini, Roberta; Balbi, Tiziana; Ceccarelli, Claudio; Bazzoli, Franco; Ricciardiello, Luigi; Turchetti, Daniela; Piazzi, Giulia

2018-03-01

Germline variants in the APC gene cause familial adenomatous polyposis. Inherited variants in MutYH, POLE, POLD1, NTHL1, and MSH3 genes and somatic APC mosaicism have been reported as alternative causes of polyposis. However, ~30-50% of cases of polyposis remain genetically unsolved. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the genetic causes of unexplained adenomatous polyposis. Eight sporadic cases with >20 adenomatous polyps by 35 years of age or >50 adenomatous polyps by 55 years of age, and no causative germline variants in APC and/or MutYH, were enrolled from a cohort of 56 subjects with adenomatous colorectal polyposis. APC gene mosaicism was investigated on DNA from colonic adenomas by Sanger sequencing or Whole Exome Sequencing (WES). Mosaicism extension to other tissues (peripheral blood, saliva, hair follicles) was evaluated using Sanger sequencing and/or digital PCR. APC second hit was investigated in adenomas from mosaic patients. WES was performed on DNA from peripheral blood to identify additional polyposis candidate variants. We identified APC mosaicism in 50% of patients. In three cases mosaicism was restricted to the colon, while in one it also extended to the duodenum and saliva. One patient without APC mosaicism, carrying an APC in-frame deletion of uncertain significance, was found to harbor rare germline variants in OGG1, POLQ, and EXO1 genes. In conclusion, our restrictive selection criteria improved the detection of mosaic APC patients. In addition, we showed for the first time that an oligogenic inheritance of rare variants might have a cooperative role in sporadic colorectal polyposis onset.

Genetic variants associated with glycine metabolism and their role in insulin sensitivity and type 2 diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xie, Weijia; Wood, Andrew R; Lyssenko, Valeriya

2013-01-01

. The top-ranking metabolites were in the glutathione and glycine biosynthesis pathways. We aimed to identify common genetic variants associated with metabolites in these pathways and test their role in insulin sensitivity and type 2 diabetes. With 1,004 nondiabetic individuals from the RISC study, we...

[Molecular genetics in chronic myeloid leukemia with variant Ph translocation].

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Wu, Wei; Li, Jian-yong; Zhu, Yu; Qiu, Hai-rong; Pan, Jin-lan; Xu, Wei; Chen, Li-juan; Shen, Yun-feng; Xue, Yong-quan

2007-08-01

To explore the value of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization (M-FISH) techniques in the detection of genetic changes in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with variant Philadelphia translocation (vPh). Cytogenetic preparations from 10 CML patients with vPh confirmed by R banding were assayed with dual color dual fusion FISH technique. If only one fusion signal was detected in interphase cells, metaphase cells were observed to determine if there were derivative chromosome 9[der (9)] deletions. Meanwhile, the same cytogenetic preparations were assayed with M-FISH technique. Of the 10 CML patients with vPh, 5 were detected with der (9) deletions by FISH technique. M-FISH technique revealed that besides the chromosome 22, chromosomes 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 and 17 were also involved in the vPh. M-FISH technique also detected the abnormalities which were not found with conventional cytogenetics (CC), including two never reported abnormalities. The combination of CC, FISH and M-FISH technique could refine the genetic diagnosis of CML with vPh.

Virus fitness differences observed between two naturally occurring isolates of Ebola virus Makona variant using a reverse genetics approach.

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Albariño, César G; Guerrero, Lisa Wiggleton; Chakrabarti, Ayan K; Kainulainen, Markus H; Whitmer, Shannon L M; Welch, Stephen R; Nichol, Stuart T

2016-09-01

During the large outbreak of Ebola virus disease that occurred in Western Africa from late 2013 to early 2016, several hundred Ebola virus (EBOV) genomes have been sequenced and the virus genetic drift analyzed. In a previous report, we described an efficient reverse genetics system designed to generate recombinant EBOV based on a Makona variant isolate obtained in 2014. Using this system, we characterized the replication and fitness of 2 isolates of the Makona variant. These virus isolates are nearly identical at the genetic level, but have single amino acid differences in the VP30 and L proteins. The potential effects of these differences were tested using minigenomes and recombinant viruses. The results obtained with this approach are consistent with the role of VP30 and L as components of the EBOV RNA replication machinery. Moreover, the 2 isolates exhibited clear fitness differences in competitive growth assays. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Impact of Genetic Variants for Different Physiological Characterization of Type 2 Diabetes Loci on Gestational Insulin Signaling in Nondiabetic Pregnant Chinese Women.

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Liao, Shunyao; Liu, Yunqiang; Chen, Xiaojuan; Tan, Yuande; Mei, Jie; Song, Wenzhong; Gan, Lu; Wang, Hailian; Yin, Shi; Dong, Xianjue; Chi, Shu; Deng, Shaoping

2015-11-01

We investigate the impact of genetic variants on transiently upregulated gestational insulin signaling. We recruited 1152 unrelated nondiabetic pregnant Han Chinese women (age 28.5 ± 4.1 years; body mass index [BMI] 21.4 ± 2.6 kg/m(2)) and gave them oral glucose tolerance tests. Matsuda index of insulin sensitivity, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, indices of insulin disposition, early-phase insulin release, fasting state, and 0 to 120 minute's proinsulin to insulin conversion were used to dissect insulin physiological characterization. Several variants related to β-cell function were genotyped. The genetic impacts were analyzed using logistic regression under an additive model. By adjusting for maternal age, BMI, and the related interactions, the genetic variants in ABCC8, CDKAL1, CDKN2A, HNF1B, KCNJ11, and MTNR1B were detected to impact gestational insulin signaling through heterogeneous mechanisms; however, compared with that in nonpregnant metabolism, the genetic effects seem to be eminently and heavily influenced by maternal age and BMI, indicating possible particular mechanisms underlying gestational metabolism and diabetic pathogenesis. © The Author(s) 2015.

PANTHER-PSEP: predicting disease-causing genetic variants using position-specific evolutionary preservation.

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Tang, Haiming; Thomas, Paul D

2016-07-15

PANTHER-PSEP is a new software tool for predicting non-synonymous genetic variants that may play a causal role in human disease. Several previous variant pathogenicity prediction methods have been proposed that quantify evolutionary conservation among homologous proteins from different organisms. PANTHER-PSEP employs a related but distinct metric based on 'evolutionary preservation': homologous proteins are used to reconstruct the likely sequences of ancestral proteins at nodes in a phylogenetic tree, and the history of each amino acid can be traced back in time from its current state to estimate how long that state has been preserved in its ancestors. Here, we describe the PSEP tool, and assess its performance on standard benchmarks for distinguishing disease-associated from neutral variation in humans. On these benchmarks, PSEP outperforms not only previous tools that utilize evolutionary conservation, but also several highly used tools that include multiple other sources of information as well. For predicting pathogenic human variants, the trace back of course starts with a human 'reference' protein sequence, but the PSEP tool can also be applied to predicting deleterious or pathogenic variants in reference proteins from any of the ∼100 other species in the PANTHER database. PANTHER-PSEP is freely available on the web at http://pantherdb.org/tools/csnpScoreForm.jsp Users can also download the command-line based tool at ftp://ftp.pantherdb.org/cSNP_analysis/PSEP/ CONTACT: pdthomas@usc.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

TPMT genetic variants are associated with increased rejection with azathioprine use in heart transplantation.

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Liang, Jackson J; Geske, Jennifer R; Boilson, Barry A; Frantz, Robert P; Edwards, Brooks S; Kushwaha, Sudhir S; Kremers, Walter K; Weinshilboum, Richard M; Pereira, Naveen L

2013-12-01

Azathioprine (AZA) is an important immunosuppressant drug used in heart transplantation (HTX). Consensus guidelines recommend that patients with thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) genetic variants be started on lower AZA dose because of higher active metabolite levels and risk of adverse events. However, in-vitro lymphocyte proliferation assays performed in participants with inactive TPMT alleles have suggested that AZA use may result in decreased immunosuppressant efficacy as compared with wild-type (WT) individuals. The objective of this study was therefore to determine the effect of TPMT genetic variation on AZA efficacy or prevention of rejection in HTX recipients treated with AZA. We genotyped 93 HTX recipients treated with AZA and measured erythrocyte TPMT enzyme activity. Acute rejection was monitored by routine endomyocardial biopsies. There were 83 WT and 10 heterozygote (HZ) HTX recipients. TPMT activity level was lower in HZ compared with WT (13.1±2.8 vs. 21±4.5 U/ml red blood cell, Prejection earlier (Prejection score was higher (P=0.02) than WT. AZA was discontinued more frequently in HZ (P=0.01) because of rejection. The incidence of leukopenia was similar between the groups (40 vs. 43%, P=1.0). HTX recipients with TPMT genetic variant alleles who are treated with AZA develop acute rejection earlier, more frequently, and of greater severity. These patients, despite having lower TPMT enzymatic activity, should be monitored carefully for possible increased risk of acute rejection.

Genetic risk factors for the posterior cortical atrophy variant of Alzheimer's disease.

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Schott, Jonathan M; Crutch, Sebastian J; Carrasquillo, Minerva M; Uphill, James; Shakespeare, Tim J; Ryan, Natalie S; Yong, Keir X; Lehmann, Manja; Ertekin-Taner, Nilufer; Graff-Radford, Neill R; Boeve, Bradley F; Murray, Melissa E; Khan, Qurat Ul Ain; Petersen, Ronald C; Dickson, Dennis W; Knopman, David S; Rabinovici, Gil D; Miller, Bruce L; González, Aida Suárez; Gil-Néciga, Eulogio; Snowden, Julie S; Harris, Jenny; Pickering-Brown, Stuart M; Louwersheimer, Eva; van der Flier, Wiesje M; Scheltens, Philip; Pijnenburg, Yolande A; Galasko, Douglas; Sarazin, Marie; Dubois, Bruno; Magnin, Eloi; Galimberti, Daniela; Scarpini, Elio; Cappa, Stefano F; Hodges, John R; Halliday, Glenda M; Bartley, Lauren; Carrillo, Maria C; Bras, Jose T; Hardy, John; Rossor, Martin N; Collinge, John; Fox, Nick C; Mead, Simon

2016-08-01

The genetics underlying posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), typically a rare variant of Alzheimer's disease (AD), remain uncertain. We genotyped 302 PCA patients from 11 centers, calculated risk at 24 loci for AD/DLB and performed an exploratory genome-wide association study. We confirm that variation in/near APOE/TOMM40 (P = 6 × 10(-14)) alters PCA risk, but with smaller effect than for typical AD (PCA: odds ratio [OR] = 2.03, typical AD: OR = 2.83, P = .0007). We found evidence for risk in/near CR1 (P = 7 × 10(-4)), ABCA7 (P = .02) and BIN1 (P = .04). ORs at variants near INPP5D and NME8 did not overlap between PCA and typical AD. Exploratory genome-wide association studies confirmed APOE and identified three novel loci: rs76854344 near CNTNAP5 (P = 8 × 10(-10) OR = 1.9 [1.5-2.3]); rs72907046 near FAM46A (P = 1 × 10(-9) OR = 3.2 [2.1-4.9]); and rs2525776 near SEMA3C (P = 1 × 10(-8), OR = 3.3 [2.1-5.1]). We provide evidence for genetic risk factors specifically related to PCA. We identify three candidate loci that, if replicated, may provide insights into selective vulnerability and phenotypic diversity in AD. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic characterization of natural variants of Vpu from HIV-1 infected individuals from Northern India and their impact on virus release and cell death.

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Sachin Verma

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Genetic studies reveal that vpu is one of the most variable regions in HIV-1 genome. Functional studies have been carried out mostly with Vpu derived from laboratory adapted subtype B pNL 4-3 virus. The rationale of this study was to characterize genetic variations that are present in the vpu gene from HIV-1 infected individuals from North-India (Punjab/Haryana and determine their functional relevance. METHODS: Functionally intact vpu gene variants were PCR amplified from genomic DNA of HIV-1 infected individuals. These variants were then subjected to genetic analysis and unique representative variants were cloned under CMV promoter containing expression vector as well as into pNL 4-3 HIV-1 virus for intracellular expression studies. These variants were characterized with respect to their ability to promote virus release as well as cell death. RESULTS: Based on phylogenetic analysis and extensive polymorphisms with respect to consensus Vpu B and C, we were able to arbitrarily assign variants into two major groups (B and C. The group B variants always showed significantly higher virus release activity and exhibited moderate levels of cell death. On the other hand, group C variants displayed lower virus release activity but greater cell death potential. Interestingly, Vpu variants with a natural S61A mutation showed greater intracellular stability. These variants also exhibited significant reduction in their intracellular ubiquitination and caused greater virus release. Another group C variant that possessed a non-functional β-TrcP binding motif due to two critical serine residues (S52 and S56 being substituted with isoleucine residues, showed reduced virus release activity but modest cytotoxic activity. CONCLUSIONS: The natural variations exhibited by our Vpu variants involve extensive polymorphism characterized by substitution and deletions that contribute toward positive selection. We identified two major groups and an extremely

HIV Genetic Diversity and Drug Resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, André F.; Soares, Marcelo A.

2010-01-01

Most of the current knowledge on antiretroviral (ARV) drug development and resistance is based on the study of subtype B of HIV-1, which only accounts for 10% of the worldwide HIV infections. Cumulative evidence has emerged that different HIV types, groups and subtypes harbor distinct biological properties, including the response and susceptibility to ARV. Recent laboratory and clinical data highlighting such disparities are summarized in this review. Variations in drug susceptibility, in the emergence and selection of specific drug resistance mutations, in viral replicative capacity and in the dynamics of resistance acquisition under ARV selective pressure are discussed. Clinical responses to ARV therapy and associated confounding factors are also analyzed in the context of infections by distinct HIV genetic variants. PMID:21994646

Calling genotypes from public RNA-sequencing data enables identification of genetic variants that affect gene-expression levels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deelen, Patrick; Zhernakova, Daria V.; de Haan, Mark; van der Sijde, Marijke; Bonder, Marc Jan; Karjalainen, Juha; van der Velde, K. Joeri; Abbott, Kristin M.; Fu, Jingyuan; Wijmenga, Cisca; Sinke, Richard J.; Swertz, Morris A.; Franke, Lude

2015-01-01

Background: RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) is a powerful technique for the identification of genetic variants that affect gene-expression levels, either through expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping or through allele-specific expression (ASE) analysis. Given increasing numbers of RNA-seq

Genetic variant SLC2A2 [corrected] Is associated with risk of cardiovascular disease – assessing the individual and cumulative effect of 46 type 2 diabetes related genetic variants.

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Anders Borglykke

Full Text Available To assess the individual and combined effect of 46 type 2 diabetes related risk alleles on incidence of a composite CVD endpoint.Data from the first Danish MONICA study (N = 3523 and the Inter99 study (N = 6049 was used. Using Cox proportional hazard regression the individual effect of each risk allele on incident CVD was analyzed. Risk was presented as hazard ratios (HR per risk allele.During 80,859 person years 1441 incident cases of CVD (fatal and non-fatal occurred in the MONICA study. In Inter99 942 incident cases were observed during 61,239 person years. In the Danish MONICA study four gene variants were significantly associated with incident CVD independently of known diabetes status at baseline; SLC2A2 rs11920090 (HR 1.147, 95% CI 1.027-1.283 , P = 0.0154, C2CD4A rs7172432 (1.112, 1.027-1.205 , P = 0.0089, GCKR rs780094 (1.094, 1.007-1.188 , P = 0.0335 and C2CD4B rs11071657 (1.092, 1.007-1.183 , P = 0.0323. The genetic score was significantly associated with increased risk of CVD (1.025, 1.010-1.041, P = 0.0016. In Inter99 two gene variants were associated with risk of CVD independently of diabetes; SLC2A2 (HR 1.180, 95% CI 1.038-1.341 P = 0.0116 and FTO (0.909, 0.827-0.998, P = 0.0463. Analysing the two populations together we found SLC2A2 rs11920090 (HR 1.164, 95% CI 1.070-1.267, P = 0.0004 meeting the Bonferroni corrected threshold for significance. GCKR rs780094 (1.076, 1.010-1.146, P = 0.0229, C2CD4B rs11071657 (1.067, 1.003-1.135, P = 0.0385 and NOTCH2 rs10923931 (1.104 (1.001 ; 1.217 , P = 0.0481 were found associated with CVD without meeting the corrected threshold. The genetic score was significantly associated with increased risk of CVD (1.018, 1.006-1.031, P = 0.0043.This study showed that out of the 46 genetic variants examined only the minor risk allele of SLC2A2 rs11920090 was significantly (P = 0.0005 associated with a composite endpoint of incident CVD below the threshold for statistical significance corrected for

From risk genes to psychiatric phenotypes - Studies of fibroblast growth factor-related and genome-wide genetic variants in humans and mice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Terwisscha van Scheltinga, A.F.

2013-01-01

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder with a high heritability. This thesis describes studies on the association between genetic variants and phenotypes related to schizophrenia, such as brain volume and IQ, in order to learn about which processes are affected by schizophrenia-associated genetic

A Follow-up Association Study of Genetic Variants for Bone Mineral Density in a Korean Population

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Seokjin Ham

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Bone mineral density (BMD is one of the quantitative traits that are genetically inherited and affected by various factors. Over the past years, genome-wide association studies (GWASs have searched for many genetic loci that influence BMD. A recent meta-analysis of 17 GWASs for BMD of the femoral neck and lumbar spine is the largest GWAS for BMD to date and offers 64 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in 56 associated loci. We investigated these BMD loci in a Korean population called Korea Association REsource (KARE to identify their validity in an independent study. The KARE population contains genotypes from 8,842 individuals, and their BMD levels were measured at the distal radius (BMD-RT and midshaft tibia (BMD-TT. Thirteen genomic loci among 56 loci were significantly associated with BMD variations, and 3 loci were involved in known biological pathways related to BMD. In order to find putative functional variants, nearby SNPs in relation to linkage equilibrium were annotated, and their possible functional effects were predicted. These findings reveal that tens of variants, not a single factor, may contribute to the genetic architecture of BMD; have an important role regardless of ethnic group; and may highlight the importance of a replication study in GWASs to validate genuine loci for BMD variation.

What Ancestry Can Tell Us About the Genetic Origins of Inter-Ethnic Differences in Asthma Expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez-Pacheco, Natalia; Flores, Carlos; Oh, Sam S; Burchard, Esteban G; Pino-Yanes, Maria

2016-07-01

Differences in asthma prevalence have been described across different populations, suggesting that genetic ancestry can play an important role in this disease. In fact, several studies have demonstrated an association between African ancestry with increased asthma susceptibility and severity, higher immunoglobulin E levels, and lower lung function. In contrast, Native American ancestry has been shown to have a protective role for this disease. Genome-wide association studies have allowed the identification of population-specific genetic variants with varying allele frequency among populations. Additionally, the correlation of genetic ancestry at the chromosomal level with asthma and related traits by means of admixture mapping has revealed regions of the genome where ancestry is correlated with the disease. In this review, we discuss the evidence supporting the association of genetic ancestry with asthma susceptibility and asthma-related traits, and highlight the regions of the genome harboring ancestry-specific genetic risk factors.

Genetics of nonsyndromic obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yung Seng

2013-12-01

Common obesity is widely regarded as a complex, multifactorial trait influenced by the 'obesogenic' environment, sedentary behavior, and genetic susceptibility contributed by common and rare genetic variants. This review describes the recent advances in understanding the role of genetics in obesity. New susceptibility loci and genetic variants are being uncovered, but the collective effect is relatively small and could not explain most of the BMI heritability. Yet-to-be identified common and rare variants, epistasis, and heritable epigenetic changes may account for part of the 'missing heritability'. Evidence is emerging about the role of epigenetics in determining obesity susceptibility, mediating developmental plasticity, which confers obesity risk from early life experiences. Genetic prediction scores derived from selected genetic variants, and also differential DNA methylation levels and methylation scores, have been shown to correlate with measures of obesity and response to weight loss intervention. Genetic variants, which confer susceptibility to obesity-related morbidities like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, were also discovered recently. We can expect discovery of more rare genetic variants with the advent of whole exome and genome sequencing, and also greater understanding of epigenetic mechanisms by which environment influences genetic expression and which mediate the gene-environment interaction.

Genetic risk analysis of coronary artery disease in Pakistani subjects using a genetic risk score of 21 variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahid, Saleem Ullah; Shabana; Cooper, Jackie A; Beaney, Katherine E; Li, Kawah; Rehman, Abdul; Humphries, Steve E

2017-03-01

Conventional coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors like age, gender, blood lipids, hypertension and smoking have been the basis of CAD risk prediction algorithms, but provide only modest discrimination. Genetic risk score (GRS) may provide improved discrimination over and above conventional risk factors. Here we analyzed the genetic risk of CAD in subjects from Pakistan, using a GRS of 21 variants in 18 genes and examined whether the GRS is associated with blood lipid levels. 625 (405 cases and 220 controls) subjects were genotyped for variants, NOS3 rs1799983, SMAD3 rs17228212, APOB rs1042031, LPA rs3798220, LPA rs10455872, SORT1 rs646776, APOE rs429358, GLUL rs10911021, FTO rs9939609, MIA3 rs17465637, CDKN2Ars10757274, DAB2IP rs7025486, CXCL12 rs1746048, ACE rs4341, APOA5 rs662799, CETP rs708272, MRAS rs9818870, LPL rs328, LPL rs1801177, PCSK9 rs11591147 and APOE rs7412 by TaqMan and KASPar allele discrimination techniques. Individually, the single SNPs were not associated with CAD except APOB rs1042031 and FTO rs993969 (p = 0.01 and 0.009 respectively). However, the combined GRS of 21 SNPs was significantly higher in cases than controls (19.37 ± 2.56 vs. 18.47 ± 2.45, p = 2.9 × 10 -5 ), and compared to the bottom quintile, CAD risk in the top quintile of the GRS was 2.96 (95% CI 1.71-5.13). Atherogenic blood lipids showed significant positive association with GRS. The GRS was quantitatively associated with CAD risk and showed association with blood lipid levels, suggesting that the mechanism of these variants is likely to be, in part at least, through creating an atherogenic lipid profile in subjects carrying high numbers of risk alleles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A systematic review on screening for Fabry disease: prevalence of individuals with genetic variants of unknown significance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Tol, L.; Smid, B. E.; Poorthuis, B. J. H. M.; Biegstraaten, M.; Deprez, R. H. Lekanne; Linthorst, G. E.; Hollak, C. E. M.

2014-01-01

Screening for Fabry disease (FD) reveals a high prevalence of individuals with α-galactosidase A (GLA) genetic variants of unknown significance (GVUS). These individuals often do not express characteristic features of FD. A systematic review on FD screening studies was performed to interpret the

Genetic Variants in SNCA and the Risk of Sporadic Parkinson’s Disease and Clinical Outcomes: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clarissa Loureiro das Chagas Campêlo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available There is increasing evidence of the contribution of genetic susceptibility to the etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD. Genetic variations in the SNCA gene are well established by linkage and genome-wide association studies. Positive associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in SNCA and increased risk for PD were found. However, the role of SNCA variants in individual traits or phenotypes of PD is unknown. Here, we reviewed the current literature and identified 57 studies, performed in fourteen different countries, that investigated SNCA variants and susceptibility to PD. We discussed the findings based on environmental factors, history of PD, clinical outcomes, and ethnicity. In conclusion, SNPs within the SNCA gene can modify the susceptibility to PD, leading to increased or decreased risk. The risk associations of some SNPs varied among samples. Of notice, no studies in South American or African populations were found. There is little information about the effects of these variants on particular clinical aspects of PD, such as motor and nonmotor symptoms. Similarly, evidence of possible interactions between SNCA SNPs and environmental factors or disease progression is scarce. There is a need to expand the clinical applicability of these data as well as to investigate the role of SNCA SNPs in populations with different ethnic backgrounds.

Genome-wide association identifies genetic variants associated with lentiform nucleus volume in N = 1345 young and elderly subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Hibar, Derrek P; Stein, Jason L; Ryles, April B; Kohannim, Omid; Jahanshad, Neda; Medland, Sarah E; Hansell, Narelle K; McMahon, Katie L; de Zubicaray, Greig I; Montgomery, Grant W; Martin, Nicholas G; Wright, Margaret J; Saykin, Andrew J; Jack, Clifford R; Weiner, Michael W; Toga, Arthur W; Thompson, Paul M

2013-06-01

Deficits in lentiform nucleus volume and morphometry are implicated in a number of genetically influenced disorders, including Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and ADHD. Here we performed genome-wide searches to discover common genetic variants associated with differences in lentiform nucleus volume in human populations. We assessed structural MRI scans of the brain in two large genotyped samples: the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; N = 706) and the Queensland Twin Imaging Study (QTIM; N = 639). Statistics of association from each cohort were combined meta-analytically using a fixed-effects model to boost power and to reduce the prevalence of false positive findings. We identified a number of associations in and around the flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) gene cluster. The most highly associated SNP, rs1795240, was located in the FMO3 gene; after meta-analysis, it showed genome-wide significant evidence of association with lentiform nucleus volume (P MA  = 4.79 × 10(-8)). This commonly-carried genetic variant accounted for 2.68 % and 0.84 % of the trait variability in the ADNI and QTIM samples, respectively, even though the QTIM sample was on average 50 years younger. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed significant contributions of this gene to the cytochrome P450 pathway, which is involved in metabolizing numerous therapeutic drugs for pain, seizures, mania, depression, anxiety, and psychosis. The genetic variants we identified provide replicated, genome-wide significant evidence for the FMO gene cluster's involvement in lentiform nucleus volume differences in human populations.

Interaction between common breast cancer susceptibility variants, genetic ancestry, and nongenetic risk factors in Hispanic women.

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Fejerman, Laura; Stern, Mariana C; John, Esther M; Torres-Mejía, Gabriela; Hines, Lisa M; Wolff, Roger K; Baumgartner, Kathy B; Giuliano, Anna R; Ziv, Elad; Pérez-Stable, Eliseo J; Slattery, Martha L

2015-11-01

Most genetic variants associated with breast cancer risk have been discovered in women of European ancestry, and only a few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been conducted in minority groups. This research disparity persists in post-GWAS gene-environment interaction analyses. We tested the interaction between hormonal and lifestyle risk factors for breast cancer, and ten GWAS-identified SNPs among 2,107 Hispanic women with breast cancer and 2,587 unaffected controls, to gain insight into a previously reported gene by ancestry interaction in this population. We estimated genetic ancestry with a set of 104 ancestry-informative markers selected to discriminate between Indigenous American and European ancestry. We used logistic regression models to evaluate main effects and interactions. We found that the rs13387042-2q35(G/A) SNP was associated with breast cancer risk only among postmenopausal women who never used hormone therapy [per A allele OR: 0.94 (95% confidence intervals, 0.74-1.20), 1.20 (0.94-1.53), and 1.49 (1.28-1.75) for current, former, and never hormone therapy users, respectively, Pinteraction 0.002] and premenopausal women who breastfed >12 months [OR: 1.01 (0.72-1.42), 1.19 (0.98-1.45), and 1.69 (1.26-2.26) for never, 12 months breastfeeding, respectively, Pinteraction 0.014]. The correlation between genetic ancestry, hormone replacement therapy use, and breastfeeding behavior partially explained a previously reported interaction between a breast cancer risk variant and genetic ancestry in Hispanic women. These results highlight the importance of understanding the interplay between genetic ancestry, genetics, and nongenetic risk factors and their contribution to breast cancer risk. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

A comprehensive approach to identification of pathogenic FANCA variants in Fanconi anemia patients and their families.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimble, Danielle C; Lach, Francis P; Gregg, Siobhan Q; Donovan, Frank X; Flynn, Elizabeth K; Kamat, Aparna; Young, Alice; Vemulapalli, Meghana; Thomas, James W; Mullikin, James C; Auerbach, Arleen D; Smogorzewska, Agata; Chandrasekharappa, Settara C

2018-02-01

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare recessive DNA repair deficiency resulting from mutations in one of at least 22 genes. Two-thirds of FA families harbor mutations in FANCA. To genotype patients in the International Fanconi Anemia Registry (IFAR) we employed multiple methodologies, screening 216 families for FANCA mutations. We describe identification of 57 large deletions and 261 sequence variants, in 159 families. All but seven families harbored distinct combinations of two mutations demonstrating high heterogeneity. Pathogenicity of the 18 novel missense variants was analyzed functionally by determining the ability of the mutant cDNA to improve the survival of a FANCA-null cell line when treated with MMC. Overexpressed pathogenic missense variants were found to reside in the cytoplasm, and nonpathogenic in the nucleus. RNA analysis demonstrated that two variants (c.522G > C and c.1565A > G), predicted to encode missense variants, which were determined to be nonpathogenic by a functional assay, caused skipping of exons 5 and 16, respectively, and are most likely pathogenic. We report 48 novel FANCA sequence variants. Defining both variants in a large patient cohort is a major step toward cataloging all FANCA variants, and permitting studies of genotype-phenotype correlations. © Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Effect of genetic variants and traits related to glucose metabolism and their interaction with obesity on breast and colorectal cancer risk among postmenopausal women.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Su Yon; Sobel, Eric M; Papp, Jeanette C; Zhang, Zuo-Feng

2017-04-26

Impaired glucose metabolism-related genetic variants and traits likely interact with obesity and related lifestyle factors, influencing postmenopausal breast and colorectal cancer (CRC), but their interconnected pathways are not fully understood. By stratifying via obesity and lifestyles, we partitioned the total effect of glucose metabolism genetic variants on cancer risk into two putative mechanisms: 1) indirect (risk-associated glucose metabolism genetic variants mediated by glucose metabolism traits) and 2) direct (risk-associated glucose metabolism genetic variants through pathways other than glucose metabolism traits) effects. Using 16 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with glucose metabolism and data from 5379 postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative Harmonized and Imputed Genome-Wide Association Studies, we retrospectively assessed the indirect and direct effects of glucose metabolism-traits (fasting glucose, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]) using two quantitative tests. Several SNPs were associated with breast cancer and CRC risk, and these SNP-cancer associations differed between non-obese and obese women. In both strata, the direct effect of cancer risk associated with the SNP accounted for the majority of the total effect for most SNPs, with roughly 10% of cancer risk due to the SNP that was from an indirect effect mediated by glucose metabolism traits. No apparent differences in the indirect (glucose metabolism-mediated) effects were seen between non-obese and obese women. It is notable that among obese women, 50% of cancer risk was mediated via glucose metabolism trait, owing to two SNPs: in breast cancer, in relation to GCKR through glucose, and in CRC, in relation to DGKB/TMEM195 through HOMA-IR. Our findings suggest that glucose metabolism genetic variants interact with obesity, resulting in altered cancer risk through pathways other than those mediated by glucose metabolism traits.

Genetic variants associated with subjective well-being, depressive symptoms and neuroticism identified through genome-wide analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Derringer, Jaime; Gratten, Jacob; Lee, James J; Liu, Jimmy Z; de Vlaming, Ronald; Ahluwalia, Tarunveer S; Buchwald, Jadwiga; Cavadino, Alana; Frazier-Wood, Alexis C; Davies, Gail; Furlotte, Nicholas A; Garfield, Victoria; Geisel, Marie Henrike; Gonzalez, Juan R; Haitjema, Saskia; Karlsson, Robert; van der Laan, Sander W; Ladwig, Karl-Heinz; Lahti, Jari; van der Lee, Sven J; Miller, Michael B; Lind, Penelope A; Liu, Tian; Matteson, Lindsay; Mihailov, Evelin; Minica, Camelia C; Nolte, Ilja M; Mook-Kanamori, Dennis O; van der Most, Peter J; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Qian, Yong; Raitakari, Olli; Rawal, Rajesh; Realo, Anu; Rueedi, Rico; Schmidt, Börge; Smith, Albert V; Stergiakouli, Evie; Tanaka, Toshiko; Taylor, Kent; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Wedenoja, Juho; Wellmann, Juergen; Westra, Harm-Jan; Willems, Sara M; Zhao, Wei; Amin, Najaf; Bakshi, Andrew; Bergmann, Sven; Bjornsdottir, Gyda; Boyle, Patricia A; Cherney, Samantha; Cox, Simon R; Davis, Oliver S P; Ding, Jun; Direk, Nese; Eibich, Peter; Emeny, Rebecca T; Fatemifar, Ghazaleh; Faul, Jessica D; Ferrucci, Luigi; Forstner, Andreas J; Gieger, Christian; Gupta, Richa; Harris, Tamara B; Harris, Juliette M; Holliday, Elizabeth G; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; De Jager, Philip L; Kaakinen, Marika A; Kajantie, Eero; Karhunen, Ville; Kolcic, Ivana; Kumari, Meena; Launer, Lenore J; Franke, Lude; Li-Gao, Ruifang; Liewald, David C; Koini, Marisa; Loukola, Anu; Marques-Vidal, Pedro; Montgomery, Grant W; Mosing, Miriam A; Paternoster, Lavinia; Pattie, Alison; Petrovic, Katja E; Pulkki-Råback, Laura; Quaye, Lydia; Räikkönen, Katri; Rudan, Igor; Scott, Rodney J; Smith, Jennifer A; Sutin, Angelina R; Trzaskowski, Maciej; Vinkhuyzen, Anna E; Yu, Lei; Zabaneh, Delilah; Attia, John R; Bennett, David A; Berger, Klaus; Bertram, Lars; Boomsma, Dorret I; Snieder, Harold; Chang, Shun-Chiao; Cucca, Francesco; Deary, Ian J; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Eriksson, Johan G; Bültmann, Ute; de Geus, Eco J C; Groenen, Patrick J F; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Hansen, Torben; Hartman, Catharine A; Haworth, Claire M A; Hayward, Caroline; Heath, Andrew C; Hinds, David A; Hyppönen, Elina; Iacono, William G; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Kaprio, Jaakko; Kardia, Sharon L R; Keltikangas-Järvinen, Liisa; Kraft, Peter; Kubzansky, Laura D; Lehtimäki, Terho; Magnusson, Patrik K E; Martin, Nicholas G; McGue, Matt; Metspalu, Andres; Mills, Melinda; de Mutsert, Renée; Oldehinkel, Albertine J; Pasterkamp, Gerard; Pedersen, Nancy L; Plomin, Robert; Polasek, Ozren; Power, Christine; Rich, Stephen S; Rosendaal, Frits R; den Ruijter, Hester M; Schlessinger, David; Schmidt, Helena; Svento, Rauli; Schmidt, Reinhold; Alizadeh, Behrooz Z; Sørensen, Thorkild I A; Spector, Tim D; Starr, John M; Stefansson, Kari; Steptoe, Andrew; Terracciano, Antonio; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Thurik, A Roy; Timpson, Nicholas J; Tiemeier, Henning; Uitterlinden, André G; Vollenweider, Peter; Wagner, Gert G; Weir, David R; Yang, Jian; Conley, Dalton C; Smith, George Davey; Hofman, Albert; Johannesson, Magnus; Laibson, David I; Medland, Sarah E; Meyer, Michelle N; Pickrell, Joseph K; Esko, Tõnu; Krueger, Robert F; Beauchamp, Jonathan P; Koellinger, Philipp D; Benjamin, Daniel J; Bartels, Meike; Cesarini, David

2016-01-01

We conducted genome-wide association studies of three phenotypes: subjective well-being (N = 298,420), depressive symptoms (N = 161,460), and neuroticism (N = 170,910). We identified three variants associated with subjective well-being, two with depressive symptoms, and eleven with neuroticism, including two inversion polymorphisms. The two depressive symptoms loci replicate in an independent depression sample. Joint analyses that exploit the high genetic correlations between the phenotypes (|ρ^| ≈ 0.8) strengthen the overall credibility of the findings, and allow us to identify additional variants. Across our phenotypes, loci regulating expression in central nervous system and adrenal/pancreas tissues are strongly enriched for association. PMID:27089181

Molecular characterization of a genetic variant of the steroid hormone-binding globulin gene in heterozygous subjects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hardy, D.O.; Catterall, J.F. [Population Council, New York, NY (United States); Carino, C. [Instituto National de la Nutricion, Mexico City, MX (United States)] [and others

1995-04-01

Steroid hormone-binding globulin in human serum displays different isoelectric focusing (IEF) patterns among individuals, suggesting genetic variation in the gene for this extracellular steroid carrier protein. Analysis of allele frequencies and family studies suggested the existence of two codominant alleles of the gene. Subsequent determination of the molecular basis of a variant of the gene was carried out using DNA from homozygous individuals from a single Belgian family. It was of interest to characterize other variant individuals to determine whether all variants identified by IEF phenotyping were caused by the same mutation or whether other mutations occurred in the gene in different populations. Previous studies identified Mexican subjects who were heterozygous for the variant IEF phenotype. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was used to localize the mutation in these subjects and to purify the variant allele for DNA sequence analysis. The results show that the mutation in this population is identical to that identified in the Belgian family, and no other mutations were detected in the gene. These data represent the first analysis of steroid hormone-binding globulin gene variation in heterozygous subjects and further support the conclusion of biallelism of the gene worldwide. 11 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

Relations between lipoprotein(a) concentrations, LPA genetic variants, and the risk of mortality in patients with established coronary heart disease : a molecular and genetic association study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zewinger, Stephen; Kleber, Marcus E.; Tragante Do O, V; McCubrey, Raymond O.; Schmidt, Amand F.; Direk, Kenan; Laufs, Ulrich; Werner, Christian; Koenig, Wolfgang; Rothenbacher, Dietrich; Mons, Ute; Breitling, Lutz P; Brenner, Herrmann; Jennings, Richard T.; Petrakis, Ioannis; Triem, Sarah; Klug, Mira; Filips, Alexandra; Blankenberg, Stefan; Waldeyer, Christoph; Sinning, Christoph; Schnabel, Renate B.; Lackner, Karl J.; Vlachopoulou, Efthymia; Nygård, Ottar; Svingen, Gard Frodahl Tveitevåg; Pedersen, Eva Ringdal; Tell, Grethe S.; Sinisalo, Juha; Nieminen, Markku S.; Laaksonen, Reijo; Trompet, Stella; Smit, Roelof A.J.; Sattar, Naveed; Jukema, J. Wouter; Groesdonk, Heinrich V.; Delgado, Graciela; Stojakovic, Tatjana; Pilbrow, Anna P.; Cameron, Vicky A.; Richards, A. Mark; Doughty, Robert N.; Gong, Yan; Cooper-Dehoff, Rhonda M; Johnson, Julie A; Scholz, Markus; Beutner, Frank; Thiery, Joachim; Smith, J. Gustav; Vilmundarson, Ragnar O.; McPherson, Ruth; Stewart, Alexandre F. R.; Cresci, Sharon; Lenzini, Petra A.; Spertus, John A.; Olivieri, Oliviero; Girelli, Domenico; Martinelli, Nicola I.; Leiherer, Andreas; Saely, Christoph H.; Drexel, Heinz; Mündlein, Axel; Braund, Peter S; Nelson, Christopher P.; Samani, Nilesh J.; Kofink, Daniel; Hoefer, Imo E.; Pasterkamp, Gerard; Quyyumi, Arshed A.; Ko, Yi-An; Hartiala, Jaana A.; Allayee, Hooman; Tang, W. H. Wilson; Hazen, Stanley L.; Eriksson, Niclas; Held, Claes; Hagström, Emil; Wallentin, Lars; Åkerblom, Axel; Siegbahn, Agneta; Karp, Igor; Labos, Christopher; Pilote, Louise; Engert, James C.; Brophy, James M.; Thanassoulis, George; Bogaty, Peter; Szczeklik, Wojciech; Kaczor, Marcin; Sanak, Marek; Virani, Salim S.; Ballantyne, Christie M.; Lee, Vei Vei; Boerwinkle, Eric; Holmes, Michael V.; Horne, Benjamin D; Hingorani, Aroon D.; Asselbergs, Folkert W.; Patel, Riyaz S; Krämer, Bernhard K; Scharnagl, Hubert; Fliser, Danilo; März, Winfried; Speer, Thimoteus

Background Lipoprotein(a) concentrations in plasma are associated with cardiovascular risk in the general population. Whether lipoprotein(a) concentrations or LPA genetic variants predict long-term mortality in patients with established coronary heart disease remains less clear. Methods We obtained

Telomerase RNA Component (TERC) genetic variants interact with the mediterranean diet modifying the inflammatory status and its relationship with aging: CORDIOPREV study

Science.gov (United States)

Background: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) attrition has been associated with age-related diseases. Telomerase RNA Component (TERC) genetic variants have been associated with LTL; whereas fatty acids (FAs) can interact with genetic factors and influence in aging. We explore whether variability at t...

The Landscape of Somatic Genetic Alterations in Breast Cancers From ATM Germline Mutation Carriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Weigelt, Britta; Bi, Rui; Kumar, Rahul; Blecua, Pedro; Mandelker, Diana L; Geyer, Felipe C; Pareja, Fresia; James, Paul A; Couch, Fergus J; Eccles, Diana M; Blows, Fiona; Pharoah, Paul; Li, Anqi; Selenica, Pier; Lim, Raymond S; Jayakumaran, Gowtham; Waddell, Nic; Shen, Ronglai; Norton, Larry; Wen, Hannah Y; Powell, Simon N; Riaz, Nadeem; Robson, Mark E; Reis-Filho, Jorge S; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia

2018-02-28

Pathogenic germline variants in ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), a gene that plays a role in DNA damage response and cell cycle checkpoints, confer an increased breast cancer (BC) risk. Here, we investigated the phenotypic characteristics and landscape of somatic genetic alterations in 24 BCs from ATM germline mutation carriers by whole-exome and targeted sequencing. ATM-associated BCs were consistently hormone receptor positive and largely displayed minimal immune infiltrate. Although 79.2% of these tumors exhibited loss of heterozygosity of the ATM wild-type allele, none displayed high activity of mutational signature 3 associated with defective homologous recombination DNA (HRD) repair. No TP53 mutations were found in the ATM-associated BCs. Analysis of an independent data set confirmed that germline ATM variants and TP53 somatic mutations are mutually exclusive. Our findings indicate that ATM-associated BCs often harbor bi-allelic inactivation of ATM, are phenotypically distinct from BRCA1/2-associated BCs, lack HRD-related mutational signatures, and that TP53 and ATM genetic alterations are likely epistatic.

A genome-wide meta-analysis of genetic variants associated with allergic rhinitis and grass sensitization and their interaction with birth order.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramasamy, Adaikalavan; Curjuric, Ivan; Coin, Lachlan J; Kumar, Ashish; McArdle, Wendy L; Imboden, Medea; Leynaert, Benedicte; Kogevinas, Manolis; Schmid-Grendelmeier, Peter; Pekkanen, Juha; Wjst, Matthias; Bircher, Andreas J; Sovio, Ulla; Rochat, Thierry; Hartikainen, Anna-Liisa; Balding, David J; Jarvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Strachan, David P; Jarvis, Deborah L

2011-11-01

Hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic disorder associated with IgE sensitization to grass. The underlying genetic variants have not been studied comprehensively. There is overwhelming evidence that those who have older siblings have less AR, although the mechanism for this remains unclear. We sought to identify common genetic variant associations with prevalent AR and grass sensitization using existing genome-wide association study (GWAS) data and to determine whether genetic variants modify the protective effect of older siblings. Approximately 2.2 million genotyped or imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms were investigated in 4 large European adult cohorts for AR (3,933 self-reported cases vs 8,965 control subjects) and grass sensitization (2,315 cases vs 10,032 control subjects). Three loci reached genome-wide significance for either phenotype. The HLA variant rs7775228, which cis-regulates HLA-DRB4, was strongly associated with grass sensitization and weakly with AR (P(grass) = 1.6 × 10(-9); P(AR) = 8.0 × 10(-3)). Variants in a locus near chromosome 11 open reading frame 30 (C11orf30) and leucine-rich repeat containing 32 (LRRC32), which was previously associated with atopic dermatitis and eczema, were also strongly associated with both phenotypes (rs2155219; P(grass) = 9.4 × 10(-9); P(AR) = 3.8 × 10(-8)). The third genome-wide significant variant was rs17513503 (P(grass) = 1.2 × 10(-8); PAR = 7.4 × 10(-7)) which was located near transmembrane protein 232 (TMEM232) and solute carrier family 25, member 46 (SLC25A46). Twelve further loci with suggestive associations were also identified. Using a candidate gene approach, where we considered variants within 164 genes previously thought to be important, we found variants in 3 further genes that may be of interest: thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), Toll-like receptor 6 (TLR6) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 1 (NOD1/CARD4). We found no evidence for variants

Habitual sleep duration is associated with BMI and macronutrient intake and may be modified by CLOCK genetic variants

Science.gov (United States)

Short sleep duration has been associated with greater risks of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Also, common genetic variants in the human Circadian Locomotor Output Cycles Kaput (CLOCK) show associations with ghrelin and total energy intake. We examined associations betw...

Dietary fatty acids modulate associations between genetic variants and circulating fatty acids in plasma and erythrocyte membranes: meta-analysis of 9 studies in the CHARGE consortium

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Caren E.; Follis, Jack L.; Nettleton, Jennifer A.; Foy, Millennia; Wu, Jason H.Y.; Ma, Yiyi; Tanaka, Toshiko; Manichakul, Ani W.; Wu, Hongyu; Chu, Audrey Y.; Steffen, Lyn M.; Fornage, Myriam; Mozaffarian, Dariush; Kabagambe, Edmond K.; Ferruci, Luigi; da Chen, Yii-Der I; Rich, Stephen S.; Djoussé, Luc; Ridker, Paul M.; Tang, Weihong; McKnight, Barbara; Tsai, Michael Y.; Bandinelli, Stefania; Rotter, Jerome I.; Hu, Frank B.; Chasman, Daniel I.; Psaty, Bruce M.; Arnett, Donna K.; King, Irena B.; Sun, Qi; Wang, Lu; Lumley, Thomas; Chiuve, Stephanie E.; Siscovick, David S; Ordovás, José M.; Lemaitre, Rozenn N.

2015-01-01

Scope Tissue concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce cardiovascular disease risk, and genetic variants are associated with circulating fatty acids concentrations. Whether dietary fatty acids interact with genetic variants to modify circulating omega-3 fatty acids is unclear. Objective We evaluated interactions between genetic variants and fatty acid intakes for circulating alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). Methods and Results We conducted meta-analyses (N to 11,668) evaluating interactions between dietary fatty acids and genetic variants (rs174538 and rs174548 in FADS1 (fatty acid desaturase 1), rs7435 in AGPAT3 (1-acyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphate), rs4985167 in PDXDC1 (pyridoxal-dependent decarboxylase domain-containing 1), rs780094 in GCKR (glucokinase regulatory protein) and rs3734398 in ELOVL2 (fatty acid elongase 2)). Stratification by measurement compartment (plasma vs. erthyrocyte) revealed compartment-specific interactions between FADS1 rs174538 and rs174548 and dietary ALA and linoleic acid for DHA and DPA. Conclusion Our findings reinforce earlier reports that genetically-based differences in circulating fatty acids may be partially due to differences in the conversion of fatty acid precursors. Further, fatty acids measurement compartment may modify gene-diet relationships, and considering compartment may improve the detection of gene-fatty acids interactions for circulating fatty acid outcomes. PMID:25626431

Effect of Common Genetic Variants Associated with Type 2 Diabetes and Glycemic Traits on a- and ß-cell Function and Insulin Action in Man

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jonsson, Anna; Ladenvall, Claes; Ahluwalia, Tarun Veer Singh

2013-01-01

Although meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies have identified more than 60 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with type 2 diabetes and/or glycemic traits, there is little information whether these variants also affect a-cell function. The aim of the present study...... was to evaluate the effects of glycemia-associated genetic loci on islet function in vivo and in vitro. We studied 43 SNPs in 4,654 normoglycemic participants from the Finnish population-based PPP-Botnia study. Islet function was assessed, in vivo, by measuring insulin and glucagon concentrations during OGTT, and....... Variants in BCL11A, TSPAN8, and NOTCH2 affected glucagon secretion both in vivo and in vitro. The MTNR1B variant was a clear outlier in the relationship analysis between insulin secretion and action, as well as between insulin, glucose and glucagon. Many of the genetic variants shown to be associated...

Cumulative role of rare and common putative functional genetic variants at NPAS3 in schizophrenia susceptibility.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Peñas, Javier; Arrojo, Manuel; Paz, Eduardo; Brenlla, Julio; Páramo, Mario; Costas, Javier

2015-10-01

Schizophrenia may be considered a human-specific disorder arisen as a maladaptive by-product of human-specific brain evolution. Therefore, genetic variants involved in susceptibility to schizophrenia may be identified among those genes related to acquisition of human-specific traits. NPAS3, a transcription factor involved in central nervous system development and neurogenesis, seems to be implicated in the evolution of human brain, as it is the human gene with most human-specific accelerated elements (HAEs), i.e., .mammalian conserved regulatory sequences with accelerated evolution in the lineage leading to humans after human-chimpanzee split. We hypothesize that any nucleotide variant at the NPAS3 HAEs may lead to altered susceptibility to schizophrenia. Twenty-one variants at these HAEs detected by the 1000 genomes Project, as well as five additional variants taken from psychiatric genome-wide association studies, were genotyped in 538 schizophrenic patients and 539 controls from Galicia. Analyses at the haplotype level or based on the cumulative role of the variants assuming different susceptibility models did not find any significant association in spite of enough power under several plausible scenarios regarding direction of effect and the specific role of rare and common variants. These results suggest that, contrary to our hypothesis, the special evolution of the NPAS3 HAEs in Homo relaxed the strong constraint on sequence that characterized these regions during mammalian evolution, allowing some sequence changes without any effect on schizophrenia risk. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A method of predicting changes in human gene splicing induced by genetic variants in context of cis-acting elements

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Hicks Chindo

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Polymorphic variants and mutations disrupting canonical splicing isoforms are among the leading causes of human hereditary disorders. While there is a substantial evidence of aberrant splicing causing Mendelian diseases, the implication of such events in multi-genic disorders is yet to be well understood. We have developed a new tool (SpliceScan II for predicting the effects of genetic variants on splicing and cis-regulatory elements. The novel Bayesian non-canonical 5'GC splice site (SS sensor used in our tool allows inference on non-canonical exons. Results Our tool performed favorably when compared with the existing methods in the context of genes linked to the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD. SpliceScan II was able to predict more aberrant splicing isoforms triggered by the mutations, as documented in DBASS5 and DBASS3 aberrant splicing databases, than other existing methods. Detrimental effects behind some of the polymorphic variations previously associated with Alzheimer's and breast cancer could be explained by changes in predicted splicing patterns. Conclusions We have developed SpliceScan II, an effective and sensitive tool for predicting the detrimental effects of genomic variants on splicing leading to Mendelian and complex hereditary disorders. The method could potentially be used to screen resequenced patient DNA to identify de novo mutations and polymorphic variants that could contribute to a genetic disorder.

CLEVER: Clique-Enumerating Variant Finder

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marschall, T.; Costa, I.; Canzar, S.; bauer, m; Klau, G.W.; Schliep, A.; Schönhuth, A.

2012-01-01

Motivation: Next-generation sequencing techniques have facilitated a large-scale analysis of human genetic variation. Despite the advances in sequencing speed, the computational discovery of structural variants is not yet standard. It is likely that many variants have remained undiscovered in most

Dietary intake, FTO genetic variants and adiposity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qi, Qibin; Downer, Mary K; Oskari Kilpeläinen, Tuomas

2015-01-01

The FTO gene harbors variation with the strongest effect on adiposity and obesity risk. Previous data support a role for FTO variation in influencing food intake. We conducted a combined analysis of 16,094 boys and girls aged 1–18 years from 14 studies to examine the following: 1) the association...

Association of genetic variants of the incretin-related genes with quantitative traits and occurrence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese.

Science.gov (United States)

Enya, Mayumi; Horikawa, Yukio; Iizuka, Katsumi; Takeda, Jun

2014-01-01

None of the high frequency variants of the incretin-related genes has been found by genome-wide association study (GWAS) for association with occurrence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese. However, low frequency and rare and/or high frequency variants affecting glucose metabolic traits remain to be investigated. We screened all exons of the incretin-related genes ( GCG , GLP1R , DPP4 , PCSK1 , GIP , and GIPR ) in 96 patients with type 2 diabetes and investigated for association of genetic variants of these genes with quantitative metabolic traits upon test meal with 38 young healthy volunteers and with the occurrence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese subjects comprising 1303 patients with type 2 diabetes and 1014 controls. Two mutations of GIPR , p.Thr3Alafsx21 and Arg183Gln, were found only in patients with type 2 diabetes, and both of them were treated with insulin. Of ten tagSNPs, we found that risk allele C of SNP393 (rs6235) of PCSK1 was nominally associated with higher fasting insulin and HOMA-R ( P  = 0.034 and P  = 0.030), but not with proinsulin level, incretin level or BMI. The variant showed significant association with occurrence of type 2 diabetes after adjustment for age, sex, and BMI ( P  = 0.0043). Rare variants of GIPR may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, possibly through insulin secretory defects. Furthermore, the genetic variant of PCSK1 might influence glucose homeostasis by altered insulin resistance independently of BMI, incretin level or proinsulin conversion, and may be associated with the occurrence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese.

Therapeutic strategies and genetic profile comparisons in small cell carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung using next-generation sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Masaoki; Miyata, Yoshihiro; Hirano, Shoko; Kimura, Shingo; Irisuna, Fumiko; Ikeda, Kyoko; Kushitani, Kei; Tsutani, Yasuhiro; Ueda, Daisuke; Tsubokawa, Norifumi; Takeshima, Yukio; Okada, Morihito

2017-12-12

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the lung are classified as variants of endocrine carcinoma and subdivided into pure or combined type. Clinical benefit of target therapy has not been established in these tumors. This study aimed to compare genetic and clinicopathological features between SCLC and LCNEC or pure and combined types, and explore the possibility of target therapy using next-generation sequencing. In 13 SCLC and 22 LCNEC cases, 72 point mutations, 19 deletions, and 3 insertions were detected. As therapeutically targetable variants, mutations in EGFR (L858R), KRAS (G12D, G12A, G12V), and PIK3CA (E545K) were detected in 5 cases. The case harboring EGFR mutation showed response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor. However, there are no clinicopathological features associated with therapeutically targetable cases. And there was no significant genetic feature between SCLC and LCNEC or pure and combined types. In conclusion, although patients with SCLC and LCNEC may benefit from target therapy, they were not identifiable by clinicopathologic background. And there was not significant genetic difference between SCLC and LCNEC, including between pure and combined types. Classifying SCLC and LCNEC in same category is reasonable. However, distinguishing the pure type from combined type was not validated. Comprehensive genetic analysis should be performed to detect targetable variants in any type of SCLC and LCNEC.

Genetic variants of genital mycoplasmas and their relation to the clinical course of inflammatory diseases of the urogenital system in women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. R. Rakhmatulina

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Goal of the study. To study genetic variability of M. hominis (based on the vaa gene and M. genitalium (based on the mg192 gene derived from biological material samples taken from women with different clinical manifestations of inflammatory diseases of the urogenital system and clinically healthy women (for M. hominis. Materials and methods. Genetic variability of twenty M. hominis samples taken from patients with inflammatory diseases of the urogenital system and twenty M. hominis samples taken from patients without clinical and laboratory signs of inflammatory processes of the urogenital system was studied by the sequence analysis method. Genetic variability of eight M. genitalium samples taken from patients with different clinical signs of inflammatory diseases of the urogenital system was also examined by the sequence analysis method. Results. Three genetic variants of M. hominis based on the vaa gene were found; variant I was revealed more often in patients with clinical manifestations of inflammatory diseases (65.0%, and variant II - in clinically healthy women (60.0%. Three phylogenetic M. gentium groups based on the mg192 gene were revealed; two samples were referred to Groups I and II, and four samples were referred to Group III. Samples from each phylogenetic groups were taken from patients with clinical and laboratory manifestations of cervicitis and urethritis. Conclusion. The study data demonstrate a potential effect of the VAA surface protein on the virulence of opportunistic M. hominis pathogens.

Genetic variants of methyl metabolizing enzymes and epigenetic regulators: Associations with promoter CpG island hypermethylation in colorectal cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vogel, S. de; Wouters, K.A.D.; Gottschalk, R.W.H.; Schooten, F.J. van; Goeij, A.F.P.M. de; Bruïne, A.P. de; Goldbohm, R.A.; Brandt, P.A. van den; Weijenberg, M.P.; Engeland, M. van

2009-01-01

Aberrant DNA methylation affects carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer. Folate metabolizing enzymes may influence the bioavailability of methyl groups, whereas DNA and histone methyltransferases are involved in epigenetic regulation of gene expression. We studied associations of genetic variants of

Genetic Variants Involved in Mitochondrial Oxidative Metabolism are associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in studies of 8,441 Danes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Snogdal, Lena Sønder; Henriksen, Jan Erik; Beck-Nielsen, Henning

  Aims: Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is characterized by insulin resistance and failure of the pancreatic beta cells to compensate for this defect. Several studies have demonstrated a link between insulin resistance and impaired mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) in skeletal muscle. Recently...... by the Diabetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis Consortium (DIAGRAM), we found that among 1284 SNPs in 119 OxPhos genes, 39 SNPs in 7 genes showed potential association with T2D (p0.8). One SNP...... a surrogate marker (BIG-AIR) for insulin secretion and variants in COX5B (rs11904110) and COX10 (rs10521253), and between fasting p-glucose and a variant in COX5B (rs11904110) and 2-h post-OGTT plasma glucose and a variant in NDUFV3 (rs8134542) (pgenetic variants...

Integrated analysis of genetic variation and gene expression reveals novel variant for increased warfarin dose requirement in African Americans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hernandez, W.; Gamazon, E. R.; Aquino-Michaels, K.; Smithberger, E.; O'Brien, T. J.; Harralson, A. F.; Tuck, M.; Barbour, A.; Cavallari, L. H.; Perera, M. A.

2017-01-01

Essentials Genetic variants controlling gene regulation have not been explored in pharmacogenomics. We tested liver expression quantitative trait loci for association with warfarin dose response. A novel predictor for increased warfarin dose response in African Americans was identified. Precision

Inflammatory Dietary Pattern, IL-17F Genetic Variant, and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer.

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Cho, Young Ae; Lee, Jeonghee; Oh, Jae Hwan; Chang, Hee Jin; Sohn, Dae Kyung; Shin, Aesun; Kim, Jeongseon

2018-06-05

A proinflammatory diet may increase the risk of colorectal cancer, but its role may differ according to individuals' genetic variants. We aimed to examine whether a specific dietary pattern reflecting inflammation was associated with a risk of colorectal cancer and whether IL-17F genetic variant altered this association. In a study of 695 colorectal cancer cases and 1846 controls, we derived a reduced rank regression dietary pattern using 32 food groups as predictors and the plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration as the response. High CRP levels were associated with a high risk of colorectal cancer (OR (95% CI) = 3.58 (2.65⁻4.82) for the highest quartile vs. lowest quartile). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, high pattern scores were associated with a high risk of colorectal cancer (OR (95% CI) = 9.98 (6.81⁻14.62) for the highest quartile vs. lowest quartile). When stratified by the IL-17F rs763780 genotype, this association was stronger for individuals carrying the C allele ( p for interaction = 0.034), particularly for individuals with rectal cancer ( p for interaction = 0.011). In conclusion, a dietary pattern reflecting inflammation was significantly associated with colorectal cancer risk. Moreover, this association could be modified according to the IL-17F rs763780 genotype and anatomic site.

Genetic and molecular functional characterization of variants within TNFSF13B, a positional candidate preeclampsia susceptibility gene on 13q.

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Mona H Fenstad

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication, demonstrating a complex pattern of inheritance. The elucidation of genetic liability to preeclampsia remains a major challenge in obstetric medicine. We have adopted a positional cloning approach to identify maternal genetic components, with linkages previously demonstrated to chromosomes 2q, 5q and 13q in an Australian/New Zealand familial cohort. The current study aimed to identify potential functional and structural variants in the positional candidate gene TNFSF13B under the 13q linkage peak and assess their association status with maternal preeclampsia genetic susceptibility. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The proximal promoter and coding regions of the positional candidate gene TNFSF13B residing within the 13q linkage region was sequenced using 48 proband or founder individuals from Australian/New Zealand families. Ten sequence variants (nine SNPs and one single base insertion were identified and seven SNPs were successfully genotyped in the total Australian/New Zealand family cohort (74 families/480 individuals. Borderline association to preeclampsia (p = 0.0153 was observed for three rare SNPs (rs16972194, rs16972197 and rs56124946 in strong linkage disequilibrium with each other. Functional evaluation by electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed differential nuclear factor binding to the minor allele of the rs16972194 SNP, residing upstream of the translation start site, making this a putative functional variant. The observed genetic associations were not replicated in a Norwegian case/control cohort (The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT2, 851 preeclamptic and 1,440 non-preeclamptic women. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: TNFSF13B has previously been suggested to contribute to the normal immunological adaption crucial for a successful pregnancy. Our observations support TNFSF13B as a potential novel preeclampsia susceptibility gene. We discuss a possible role for TNFSF13B in

Pleiotropic Meta-Analyses of Longitudinal Studies Discover Novel Genetic Variants Associated with Age-Related Diseases

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Liang He

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Age-related diseases may result from shared biological mechanisms in intrinsic processes of aging. Genetic effects on age-related diseases are often modulated by environmental factors due to their little contribution to fitness or are mediated through certain endophenotypes. Identification of genetic variants with pleiotropic effects on both common complex diseases and endophenotypes may reveal potential conflicting evolutionary pressures and deliver new insights into shared genetic contribution to healthspan and lifespan. Here, we performed pleiotropic meta-analyses of genetic variants using five NIH-funded datasets by integrating univariate summary statistics for age-related diseases and endophenotypes. We investigated three groups of traits: (1 endophenotypes such as blood glucose, blood pressure, lipids, hematocrit, and body mass index, (2 time-to-event outcomes such as the age-at-onset of diabetes mellitus (DM, cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs and neurodegenerative diseases (NDs, and (3 both combined. In addition to replicating previous findings, we identify seven novel genome-wide significant loci (< 5e-08, out of which five are low-frequency variants. Specifically, from Group 2, we find rs7632505 on 3q21.1 in SEMA5B, rs460976 on 21q22.3 (1 kb from TMPRSS2 and rs12420422 on 11q24.1 predominantly associated with a variety of CVDs, rs4905014 in ITPK1 associated with stroke and heart failure, rs7081476 on 10p12.1 in ANKRD26 associated with multiple diseases including DM, CVDs, and NDs. From Group 3, we find rs8082812 on 18p11.22 and rs1869717 on 4q31.3 associated with both endophenotypes and CVDs. Our follow-up analyses show that rs7632505, rs4905014, and rs8082812 have age-dependent effects on coronary heart disease or stroke. Functional annotation suggests that most of these SNPs are within regulatory regions or DNase clusters and in linkage disequilibrium with expression quantitative trait loci, implying their potential regulatory

Identificação de variantes de hemoglobina em doadores de sangue Identification of hemoglobin variants in blood donor

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Ana C. Bonini-Domingos

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Hemoglobinopathies are the most common genetic diseases and affect a great number of individuals in the world, with diverse clinical complications ranging from the almost unnoticeable to lethal consequences. In Brazil the occurrence of hemoglobinopathies is very frequent and influenced by the ethnical groups that are the basis of populations in different regions. The phenotype may be influenced by environmental and genetic factors and by migration. An understanding of these genetic diseases is important for the health and quality of life of the population. In this work we assessed the presence of Hb variants in blood donors from São José do Rio Preto and region, and we observed the occurrence of variants including Hb S and Hb C but in particular the so-called "S-Like" variants. Good determination of the forms of variant hemoglobins is very important to give better guidance to blood donors and their families, and to improve the quality of blood transfusion.

Common genetic variants associated with thyroid function may be risk alleles for Hashimoto's disease and Graves' disease.

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Campbell, Purdey; Brix, Thomas H; Wilson, Scott G; Ward, Lynley C; Hui, Jennie; Beilby, John P; Hegedüs, Laszlo; Walsh, John P

2015-02-14

Recent studies have identified common genetic variants associated with TSH, free T4 and thyroid peroxidase antibodies, but it is unclear whether these differ between patients with Hashimoto's disease and Graves' disease. To examine whether 11 common genetic variants differ between Graves' disease and Hashimoto's disease. We genotyped 11 common variants in a discovery cohort of 203 Australian patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). Two variants with significant or suggestive associations were analysed in a replication cohort of 384 Danish patients. For rs753760 (PDE10A), the minor allele frequency in Graves' disease and Hashimoto's disease was 0·38 vs. 0·23, respectively, (P = 6·42 × 10 -4 ) in the discovery cohort, 0·29 vs. 0·24 (P = 0·147) in the replication cohort and 0·32 vs. 0·24 in combined analysis (P = 0·0021; all analyses adjusted for sex). In healthy controls from Busselton, the frequency was 0·29, significantly different from Hashimoto's disease but not Graves' disease. For rs4889009 (MAF gene region), the frequency of the minor G-allele in Graves' disease and Hashimoto's disease was 0·48 vs. 0·36 (P = 0·0156) in the discovery cohort, 0·48 vs. 0·34 (P = 1·83 × 10 -4 ) in the replication cohort and 0·48 vs. 0·35 in the combined analysis (P = 7·53 × 10 -6 ); in controls, the frequency was 0·38, significantly different from Graves' disease but not Hashimoto's disease. After further adjustment for smoking, associations with rs4889009 remained significant, whereas those with rs753760 were not. Common variants in PDE10A and MAF gene regions may influence whether patients with AITD develop Graves' disease or Hashimoto's disease. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

77 FR 19967 - Safety Zone, Port of Dutch Harbor; Dutch Harbor, AK

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-03

...-AA00 Safety Zone, Port of Dutch Harbor; Dutch Harbor, AK AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes temporary safety zones in the Port of Dutch Harbor... Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and the adjacent territorial sea due to additional vessel traffic associated with...

Rare genetic variants in the endocannabinoid system genes CNR1 and DAGLA are associated with neurological phenotypes in humans.

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Douglas R Smith

Full Text Available Rare genetic variants in the core endocannabinoid system genes CNR1, CNR2, DAGLA, MGLL and FAAH were identified in molecular testing data from 6,032 patients with a broad spectrum of neurological disorders. The variants were evaluated for association with phenotypes similar to those observed in the orthologous gene knockouts in mice. Heterozygous rare coding variants in CNR1, which encodes the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1, were found to be significantly associated with pain sensitivity (especially migraine, sleep and memory disorders-alone or in combination with anxiety-compared to a set of controls without such CNR1 variants. Similarly, heterozygous rare variants in DAGLA, which encodes diacylglycerol lipase alpha, were found to be significantly associated with seizures and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and abnormalities of brain morphology, compared to controls. Rare variants in MGLL, FAAH and CNR2 were not associated with any neurological phenotypes in the patients tested. Diacylglycerol lipase alpha synthesizes the endocannabinoid 2-AG in the brain, which interacts with CB1 receptors. The phenotypes associated with rare CNR1 variants are reminiscent of those implicated in the theory of clinical endocannabinoid deficiency syndrome. The severe phenotypes associated with rare DAGLA variants underscore the critical role of rapid 2-AG synthesis and the endocannabinoid system in regulating neurological function and development. Mapping of the variants to the 3D structure of the type 1 cannabinoid receptor, or primary structure of diacylglycerol lipase alpha, reveals clustering of variants in certain structural regions and is consistent with impacts to function.

Assessment of Functional Effects of Unclassified Genetic Variants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Couch, Fergus J.; Rasmussen, Lene Juel; Hofstra, Robert; Monteiro, Alvaro N. A.; Greenblatt, Marc S.; de Wind, Niels

2008-01-01

Inherited predisposition to disease is often linked to reduced activity of a disease associated gene product. Thus, quantitation of the influence of inherited variants on gene function can potentially be used to predict the disease relevance of these variants. While many disease genes have been

Assessment of Functional Effects of Unclassified Genetic Variants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Couch, Fergus J.; Rasmussen, Lene Juel; Hofstra, Robert; Monteiro, Alvaro N. A.; Greenblatt, Marc S.; de Wind, Niels

Inherited predisposition to disease is often linked to reduced activity of a disease associated gene product. Thus, quantitation of the influence of inherited variants on gene function can potentially be used to predict the disease relevance of these variants. While many disease genes have been

Common genetic variants and modification of penetrance of BRCA2-associated breast cancer.

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Mia M Gaudet

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The considerable uncertainty regarding cancer risks associated with inherited mutations of BRCA2 is due to unknown factors. To investigate whether common genetic variants modify penetrance for BRCA2 mutation carriers, we undertook a two-staged genome-wide association study in BRCA2 mutation carriers. In stage 1 using the Affymetrix 6.0 platform, 592,163 filtered SNPs genotyped were available on 899 young (<40 years affected and 804 unaffected carriers of European ancestry. Associations were evaluated using a survival-based score test adjusted for familial correlations and stratified by country of the study and BRCA2*6174delT mutation status. The genomic inflation factor (λ was 1.011. The stage 1 association analysis revealed multiple variants associated with breast cancer risk: 3 SNPs had p-values<10(-5 and 39 SNPs had p-values<10(-4. These variants included several previously associated with sporadic breast cancer risk and two novel loci on chromosome 20 (rs311499 and chromosome 10 (rs16917302. The chromosome 10 locus was in ZNF365, which contains another variant that has recently been associated with breast cancer in an independent study of unselected cases. In stage 2, the top 85 loci from stage 1 were genotyped in 1,264 cases and 1,222 controls. Hazard ratios (HR and 95% confidence intervals (CI for stage 1 and 2 were combined and estimated using a retrospective likelihood approach, stratified by country of residence and the most common mutation, BRCA2*6174delT. The combined per allele HR of the minor allele for the novel loci rs16917302 was 0.75 (95% CI 0.66-0.86, and for rs311499 was 0.72 (95% CI 0.61-0.85, . FGFR2 rs2981575 had the strongest association with breast cancer risk (per allele HR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.18-1.39, . These results indicate that SNPs that modify BRCA2 penetrance identified by an agnostic approach thus far are limited to variants that also modify risk of sporadic BRCA2 wild-type breast cancer.

Genetics and epigenetics of obesity

OpenAIRE

Herrera, Blanca M.; Keildson, Sarah; Lindgren, Cecilia M.

2011-01-01

Obesity results from interactions between environmental and genetic factors. Despite a relatively high heritability of common, non-syndromic obesity (40?70%), the search for genetic variants contributing to susceptibility has been a challenging task. Genome wide association (GWA) studies have dramatically changed the pace of detection of common genetic susceptibility variants. To date, more than 40 genetic variants have been associated with obesity and fat distribution. However, since these v...

Reduced Penetrance and Variable Expression of SCN5A Mutations and the Importance of Co-inherited Genetic Variants: Case Report and Review of the Literature

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T. Robyns, MD.

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Mutations in the SCN5A gene are responsible for multiple phenotypical presentations including Brugada syndrome, long QT syndrome, progressive familial heart block, sick sinus syndrome, dilated cardiomyopathy, lone atrial fibrillation and multiple overlap syndromes. These different phenotypic expressions of a mutation in a single gene can be explained by variable expression and reduced penetrance. One of the possible explanations of these phenomena is the co-inheritance of genetic variants. We describe a family where the individuals exhibit a compound heterozygosity in the SCN5A gene including a mutation (R1632H and a new variant (M858L. Individuals with both the mutation and new variant present with a more severe phenotype including spontaneous atrial tachyarrhythmia at young age. We give an overview of the different phenotypes of "SCN5A disease" and discuss the importance of co-inherited genetic variants in the expression of SCN5A disease.

Deleterious genetic variants in ciliopathy genes increase risk of ritodrine-induced cardiac and pulmonary side effects.

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Seo, Heewon; Kwon, Eun Jin; You, Young-Ah; Park, Yoomi; Min, Byung Joo; Yoo, Kyunghun; Hwang, Han-Sung; Kim, Ju Han; Kim, Young Ju

2018-01-24

Ritodrine is a commonly used tocolytic to prevent preterm labour. However, it can cause unexpected serious adverse reactions, such as pulmonary oedema, pulmonary congestion, and tachycardia. It is unknown whether such adverse reactions are associated with pharmacogenomic variants in patients. Whole-exome sequencing of 13 subjects with serious ritodrine-induced cardiac and pulmonary side-effects was performed to identify causal genes and variants. The deleterious impact of nonsynonymous substitutions for all genes was computed and compared between cases (n = 13) and controls (n = 30). The significant genes were annotated with Gene Ontology (GO), and the associated disease terms were categorised into four functional classes for functional enrichment tests. To assess the impact of distributed rare variants in cases with side effects, we carried out rare variant association tests with a minor allele frequency ≤ 1% using the burden test, the sequence Kernel association test (SKAT), and optimised SKAT. We identified 28 genes that showed significantly lower gene-wise deleteriousness scores in cases than in controls. Three of the identified genes-CYP1A1, CYP8B1, and SERPINA7-are pharmacokinetic genes. The significantly identified genes were categorized into four functional classes: ion binding, ATP binding, Ca 2+ -related, and ciliopathies-related. These four classes were significantly enriched with ciliary genes according to SYSCILIA Gold Standard genes (P side effects may be associated with deleterious genetic variants in ciliary and pharmacokinetic genes.

Genetic signature of natural selection in first Americans.

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Amorim, Carlos Eduardo; Nunes, Kelly; Meyer, Diogo; Comas, David; Bortolini, Maria Cátira; Salzano, Francisco Mauro; Hünemeier, Tábita

2017-02-28

When humans moved from Asia toward the Americas over 18,000 y ago and eventually peopled the New World they encountered a new environment with extreme climate conditions and distinct dietary resources. These environmental and dietary pressures may have led to instances of genetic adaptation with the potential to influence the phenotypic variation in extant Native American populations. An example of such an event is the evolution of the fatty acid desaturases ( FADS ) genes, which have been claimed to harbor signals of positive selection in Inuit populations due to adaptation to the cold Greenland Arctic climate and to a protein-rich diet. Because there was evidence of intercontinental variation in this genetic region, with indications of positive selection for its variants, we decided to compare the Inuit findings with other Native American data. Here, we use several lines of evidence to show that the signal of FADS-positive selection is not restricted to the Arctic but instead is broadly observed throughout the Americas. The shared signature of selection among populations living in such a diverse range of environments is likely due to a single and strong instance of local adaptation that took place in the common ancestral population before their entrance into the New World. These first Americans peopled the whole continent and spread this adaptive variant across a diverse set of environments.

The role of genetic variants in genes regulating the oxytocin-vasopressin neurohumoral system in childhood-onset aggression.

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Malik, Ayesha I; Zai, Clement C; Berall, Laura; Abu, Zihad; Din, Farah; Nowrouzi, Behdin; Chen, Sheng; Beitchman, Joseph H

2014-10-01

The genetic etiology of aggressive behaviors remains elusive, but growing evidence suggests that they are heritable, and certain genetic variants have been implicated as contributing factors. The oxytocin-vasopressin (OXT-AVP) neurohumoral system has recently been implicated in social behaviors. Oxytocin, especially, has been linked to prosocial behaviors such as trust and social bonds. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine whether genes regulating this system were also associated with childhood-onset aggressive behaviors. Our sample included 182 White children showing extreme, persistent, and pervasive aggressive behavior. These cases were matched with 182 White controls on the basis of sex and age. We used PCR to determine the genotype for 28 single nucleotide polymorphisms within eight genes regulating the OXT-AVP system, including CD38 polymorphisms. Genotypic analyses were carried out using STATA, whereas differences in haplotypic and allelic frequencies were analyzed using Unphased. None of the results reached significance after correction for multiple testing. However, nominally significant allelic effects were observed for OXTR rs6770632T (P=0.028) and AVPR1A rs11174811G (P=0.040) in females, and OXTR rs237898A (P=0.006), rs237902C (P=0.007), and AVP rs3761249A (P=0.008) in males. Genetic variants regulating the OXT-AVP system may be associated with childhood-onset aggression.

DIXDC1 Phosphorylation and Control of Dendritic Morphology Are Impaired by Rare Genetic Variants

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Vickie Kwan

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The development of neural connectivity is essential for brain function, and disruption of this process is associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs. DIX domain containing 1 (DIXDC1 has previously been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders, but its role in postnatal brain function remains unknown. Using a knockout mouse model, we determined that DIXDC1 is a regulator of excitatory neuron dendrite development and synapse function in the cortex. We discovered that MARK1, previously linked to ASDs, phosphorylates DIXDC1 to regulate dendrite and spine development through modulation of the cytoskeletal network in an isoform-specific manner. Finally, rare missense variants in DIXDC1 were identified in ASD patient cohorts via genetic sequencing. Interestingly, the variants inhibit DIXDC1 isoform 1 phosphorylation, causing impairment to dendrite and spine growth. These data reveal that DIXDC1 is a regulator of cortical dendrite and synaptic development and provide mechanistic insight into morphological defects associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Genetic analyses of the NF1 gene in Turkish neurofibromatosis type I patients and definition of three novel variants

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Ulusal SD

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Neurofibromatosis Type I (NF1 is a multi systemic autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorder predisposing patients to have benign and/or malignant lesions predominantly of the skin, nervous system and bone. Loss of function mutations or deletions of the NF1 gene is responsible for NF1 disease. Involvement of various pathogenic variants, the size of the gene and presence of pseudogenes makes it difficult to analyze. We aimed to report the results of 2 years of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA and next generation sequencing (NGS for genetic diagnosis of NF1 applied at our genetic diagnosis center. The MLPA, semiconductor sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed in genomic DNA samples from 24 unrelated patients and their affected family members referred to our center suspected of having NF1. In total, three novel and 12 known pathogenic variants and a whole gene deletion were determined. We suggest that next generation sequencing is a practical tool for genetic analysis of NF1. Deletion/duplication analysis with MLPA may also be helpful for patients clinically diagnosed to carry NF1 but do not have a detectable mutation in NGS.

Genetic variant for behavioral regulation factor of executive function and its possible brain mechanism in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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Sun, Xiao; Wu, Zhaomin; Cao, Qingjiu; Qian, Ying; Liu, Yong; Yang, Binrang; Chang, Suhua; Yang, Li; Wang, Yufeng

2018-05-16

As a childhood-onset psychiatric disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is complicated by phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity. Lifelong executive function deficits in ADHD are described in many literatures and have been proposed as endophenotypes of ADHD. However, its genetic basis is still elusive. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study of executive function, rated with Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), in ADHD children. We identified one significant variant (rs852004, P = 2.51e-08) for the overall score of BRIEF. The association analyses for each component of executive function found this locus was more associated with inhibit and monitor components. Further principle component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis provided an ADHD-specific executive function pattern including inhibit and monitor factors. SNP rs852004 was mainly associated with the Behavioral Regulation factor. Meanwhile, we found the significant locus was associated with ADHD symptom. The Behavioral Regulation factor mediated its effect on ADHD symptom. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses further showed evidence that this variant affected the activity of inhibition control related brain regions. It provided new insights for the genetic basis of executive function in ADHD.

Meiosis and ISSR analysis on genetic variation of 60Co γ-rays irradiated variants of cut chrysanthemum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing Lili; Chen Fadi; Miao Hengbin

2009-01-01

Cytology and ISSR technology were used to analyze genetic variations of 60 Co γ-rays induced variants of cut chrysanthemum 'Changzi', for further exploring the mechanism of irradiation and providing theoretical basis for breeding of chrysanthemum. The results showed that, meiotic abnormality ratio of lagging chromosome and chromosome bridge in variants were significantly higher than those in the control at anaphase I and II. The abnormality ratio was also raised with irradiation doses increasing. The highest ratio of two abnormal phenomena at anaphase I was 9.0%, 11.3%, and at anaphase II 15.5%, 8.6%, respectively. Polymorphic bands of 112 were amplified by 21 ISSR primers and the polymorphism rate was 71.3%, which proved that DNA changed in different degrees. These variants were divided into 5 groups by UPGMA based on Jaccard coefficient. It was observed that the clustering result related to their characters of flower shape and color variations. (authors)

A SImplified method for Segregation Analysis (SISA) to determine penetrance and expression of a genetic variant in a family.

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Møller, Pål; Clark, Neal; Mæhle, Lovise

2011-05-01

A method for SImplified rapid Segregation Analysis (SISA) to assess penetrance and expression of genetic variants in pedigrees of any complexity is presented. For this purpose the probability for recombination between the variant and the gene is zero. An assumption is that the variant of undetermined significance (VUS) is introduced into the family once only. If so, all family members in between two members demonstrated to carry a VUS, are obligate carriers. Probabilities for cosegregation of disease and VUS by chance, penetrance, and expression, may be calculated. SISA return values do not include person identifiers and need no explicit informed consent. There will be no ethical complications in submitting SISA return values to central databases. Values for several families may be combined. Values for a family may be updated by the contributor. SISA is used to consider penetrance whenever sequencing demonstrates a VUS in the known cancer-predisposing genes. Any family structure at hand in a genetic clinic may be used. One may include an extended lineage in a family through demonstrating the same VUS in a distant relative, and thereby identifying all obligate carriers in between. Such extension is a way to escape the selection biases through expanding the families outside the clusters used to select the families. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Germline genetic variants in the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway as predictors of colorectal cancer risk

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Hildebrandt, Michelle A.T.; Reyes, Monica E.; Lin, Moubin; He, Yonggang; Nguyen, Son V.; Hawk, Ernest T.; Wu, Xifeng

2016-01-01

Background The Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway plays a key role in stem cell maintenance in the colorectum. Rare high penetrance genetic mutations in components of this pathway result in familial colorectal cancer, yet the impact of common, germline variants remains unknown. Methods We assessed 172 variants in 26 genes from the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in 809 CRC cases and 814 healthy controls, followed by replication of the top findings in another 691 cases and 775 controls. In silico informatic tools were used to predict functional effects of variants. Results Eighteen SNPs in the pathway were significantly associated with CRC risk (P <0.05) in the discovery phase. We observed a significant dose-response increase in CRC risk by number of risk genotypes carried (P = 4.19 × 10−8). Gene-based analysis implicated CSNK1D (P = 0.014), FZD3 (P = 0.023), and APC (P = 0.027) as significant for CRC risk. In the replication phase, FZD3:rs11775139 remained significantly associated with reduced risk with a pooled OR of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.76–0.94, P = 0.001). Although borderline significant in the replication population, APC:rs2545162 was highly significant in the pooled analysis - OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.16–1.74, P =0.00085. Functional assessment identified several potential biological mechanisms underlying these associations. Conclusions Our findings suggest that common germline variants in the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway maybe involved in CRC development. Impact These variants may be informative in CRC risk assessment to identify individuals at increased risk who would be candidates for screening. PMID:26809274

Heterozygosity for the Mood Disorder-Associated Variant Gln460Arg Alters P2X7 Receptor Function and Sleep Quality.

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Metzger, Michael W; Walser, Sandra M; Dedic, Nina; Aprile-Garcia, Fernando; Jakubcakova, Vladimira; Adamczyk, Marek; Webb, Katharine J; Uhr, Manfred; Refojo, Damian; Schmidt, Mathias V; Friess, Elisabeth; Steiger, Axel; Kimura, Mayumi; Chen, Alon; Holsboer, Florian; Arzt, Eduardo; Wurst, Wolfgang; Deussing, Jan M

2017-11-29

A single nucleotide polymorphism substitution from glutamine (Gln, Q) to arginine (Arg, R) at codon 460 of the purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) has repeatedly been associated with mood disorders. The P2X7R-Gln460Arg variant per se is not compromised in its function. However, heterologous expression of P2X7R-Gln460Arg together with wild-type P2X7R has recently been demonstrated to impair receptor function. Here we show that this also applies to humanized mice coexpressing both human P2X7R variants. Primary hippocampal cells derived from heterozygous mice showed an attenuated calcium uptake upon agonist stimulation. While humanized mice were unaffected in their behavioral repertoire under basal housing conditions, mice that harbor both P2X7R variants showed alterations in their sleep quality resembling signs of a prodromal disease stage. Also healthy heterozygous human subjects showed mild changes in sleep parameters. These results indicate that heterozygosity for the wild-type P2X7R and its mood disorder-associated variant P2X7R-Gln460Arg represents a genetic risk factor, which is potentially able to convey susceptibility to mood disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Depression and bipolar disorder are the most common mood disorders. The P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) regulates many cellular functions. Its polymorphic variant Gln460Arg has repeatedly been associated with mood disorders. Genetically engineered mice, with human P2X7R, revealed that heterozygous mice (i.e., they coexpress the disease-associated Gln460Arg variant together with its normal version) have impaired receptor function and showed sleep disturbances. Human participants with the heterozygote genotype also had subtle alterations in their sleep profile. Our findings suggest that altered P2X7R function in heterozygote individuals disturbs sleep and might increase the risk for developing mood disorders. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/3711688-13$15.00/0.

A genome-wide approach accounting for body mass index identifies genetic variants influencing fasting glycemic traits and insulin resistance

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Manning, Alisa K.; Hivert, Marie-France; Scott, Robert A.; Grimsby, Jonna L.; Bouatia-Naji, Nabila; Chen, Han; Rybin, Denis; Liu, Ching-Ti; Bielak, Lawrence F.; Prokopenko, Inga; Amin, Najaf; Barnes, Daniel; Cadby, Gemma; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Ingelsson, Erik; Jackson, Anne U.; Johnson, Toby; Kanoni, Stavroula; Ladenvall, Claes; Lagou, Vasiliki; Lahti, Jari; Lecoeur, Cecile; Liu, Yongmei; Martinez-Larrad, Maria Teresa; Montasser, May E.; Navarro, Pau; Perry, John R. B.; Rasmussen-Torvik, Laura J.; Salo, Perttu; Sattar, Naveed; Shungin, Dmitry; Strawbridge, Rona J.; Tanaka, Toshiko; van Duijn, Cornelia M.; An, Ping; de Andrade, Mariza; Andrews, Jeanette S.; Aspelund, Thor; Atalay, Mustafa; Aulchenko, Yurii; Balkau, Beverley; Bandinelli, Stefania; Beckmann, Jacques S.; Beilby, John P.; Bellis, Claire; Bergman, Richard N.; Blangero, John; Boban, Mladen; Boehnke, Michael; Boerwinkle, Eric; Bonnycastle, Lori L.; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Borecki, Ingrid B.; Böttcher, Yvonne; Bouchard, Claude; Brunner, Eric; Budimir, Danijela; Campbell, Harry; Carlson, Olga; Chines, Peter S.; Clarke, Robert; Collins, Francis S.; Corbatón-Anchuelo, Arturo; Couper, David; de Faire, Ulf; Dedoussis, George V; Deloukas, Panos; Dimitriou, Maria; Egan, Josephine M; Eiriksdottir, Gudny; Erdos, Michael R.; Eriksson, Johan G.; Eury, Elodie; Ferrucci, Luigi; Ford, Ian; Forouhi, Nita G.; Fox, Caroline S; Franzosi, Maria Grazia; Franks, Paul W; Frayling, Timothy M; Froguel, Philippe; Galan, Pilar; de Geus, Eco; Gigante, Bruna; Glazer, Nicole L.; Goel, Anuj; Groop, Leif; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Hallmans, Göran; Hamsten, Anders; Hansson, Ola; Harris, Tamara B.; Hayward, Caroline; Heath, Simon; Hercberg, Serge; Hicks, Andrew A.; Hingorani, Aroon; Hofman, Albert; Hui, Jennie; Hung, Joseph; Jarvelin, Marjo Riitta; Jhun, Min A.; Johnson, Paul C.D.; Jukema, J Wouter; Jula, Antti; Kao, W.H.; Kaprio, Jaakko; Kardia, Sharon L. R.; Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi, Sirkka; Kivimaki, Mika; Kolcic, Ivana; Kovacs, Peter; Kumari, Meena; Kuusisto, Johanna; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm; Laakso, Markku; Lakka, Timo; Lannfelt, Lars; Lathrop, G Mark; Launer, Lenore J.; Leander, Karin; Li, Guo; Lind, Lars; Lindstrom, Jaana; Lobbens, Stéphane; Loos, Ruth J. F.; Luan, Jian’an; Lyssenko, Valeriya; Mägi, Reedik; Magnusson, Patrik K. E.; Marmot, Michael; Meneton, Pierre; Mohlke, Karen L.; Mooser, Vincent; Morken, Mario A.; Miljkovic, Iva; Narisu, Narisu; O’Connell, Jeff; Ong, Ken K.; Oostra, Ben A.; Palmer, Lyle J.; Palotie, Aarno; Pankow, James S.; Peden, John F.; Pedersen, Nancy L.; Pehlic, Marina; Peltonen, Leena; Penninx, Brenda; Pericic, Marijana; Perola, Markus; Perusse, Louis; Peyser, Patricia A; Polasek, Ozren; Pramstaller, Peter P.; Province, Michael A.; Räikkönen, Katri; Rauramaa, Rainer; Rehnberg, Emil; Rice, Ken; Rotter, Jerome I.; Rudan, Igor; Ruokonen, Aimo; Saaristo, Timo; Sabater-Lleal, Maria; Salomaa, Veikko; Savage, David B.; Saxena, Richa; Schwarz, Peter; Seedorf, Udo; Sennblad, Bengt; Serrano-Rios, Manuel; Shuldiner, Alan R.; Sijbrands, Eric J.G.; Siscovick, David S.; Smit, Johannes H.; Small, Kerrin S.; Smith, Nicholas L.; Smith, Albert Vernon; Stančáková, Alena; Stirrups, Kathleen; Stumvoll, Michael; Sun, Yan V.; Swift, Amy J.; Tönjes, Anke; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Trompet, Stella; Uitterlinden, Andre G.; Uusitupa, Matti; Vikström, Max; Vitart, Veronique; Vohl, Marie-Claude; Voight, Benjamin F.; Vollenweider, Peter; Waeber, Gerard; Waterworth, Dawn M; Watkins, Hugh; Wheeler, Eleanor; Widen, Elisabeth; Wild, Sarah H.; Willems, Sara M.; Willemsen, Gonneke; Wilson, James F.; Witteman, Jacqueline C.M.; Wright, Alan F.; Yaghootkar, Hanieh; Zelenika, Diana; Zemunik, Tatijana; Zgaga, Lina; Wareham, Nicholas J.; McCarthy, Mark I.; Barroso, Ines; Watanabe, Richard M.; Florez, Jose C.; Dupuis, Josée; Meigs, James B.; Langenberg, Claudia

2013-01-01

Recent genome-wide association studies have described many loci implicated in type 2 diabetes (T2D) pathophysiology and beta-cell dysfunction, but contributed little to our understanding of the genetic basis of insulin resistance. We hypothesized that genes implicated in insulin resistance pathways may be uncovered by accounting for differences in body mass index (BMI) and potential interaction between BMI and genetic variants. We applied a novel joint meta-analytical approach to test associations with fasting insulin (FI) and glucose (FG) on a genome-wide scale. We present six previously unknown FI loci at P<5×10−8 in combined discovery and follow-up analyses of 52 studies comprising up to 96,496non-diabetic individuals. Risk variants were associated with higher triglyceride and lower HDL cholesterol levels, suggestive of a role for these FI loci in insulin resistance pathways. The localization of these additional loci will aid further characterization of the role of insulin resistance in T2D pathophysiology. PMID:22581228

Identification and replication of the interplay of four genetic high-risk variants for urinary bladder cancer.

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Selinski, Silvia; Blaszkewicz, Meinolf; Ickstadt, Katja; Gerullis, Holger; Otto, Thomas; Roth, Emanuel; Volkert, Frank; Ovsiannikov, Daniel; Moormann, Oliver; Banfi, Gergely; Nyirady, Peter; Vermeulen, Sita H; Garcia-Closas, Montserrat; Figueroa, Jonine D; Johnson, Alison; Karagas, Margaret R; Kogevinas, Manolis; Malats, Nuria; Schwenn, Molly; Silverman, Debra T; Koutros, Stella; Rothman, Nathaniel; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; Hengstler, Jan G; Golka, Klaus

2017-12-07

Little is known whether genetic variants identified in genome-wide association studies interact to increase bladder cancer risk. Recently, we identified two- and three-variant combinations associated with a particular increase of bladder cancer risk in a urinary bladder cancer case-control series (Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at TU Dortmund (IfADo), 1501 cases, 1565 controls). In an independent case-control series (Nijmegen Bladder Cancer Study, NBCS, 1468 cases, 1720 controls) we confirmed these two- and three-variant combinations. Pooled analysis of the two studies as discovery group (IfADo-NBCS) resulted in sufficient statistical power to test up to four-variant combinations by a logistic regression approach. The New England and Spanish Bladder Cancer Studies (2080 cases and 2167 controls) were used as a replication series. Twelve previously identified risk variants were considered. The strongest four-variant combination was obtained in never smokers. The combination of rs1014971[AA] near apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3A (APOBEC3A) and chromobox homolog 6 (CBX6), solute carrier family 1s4 (urea transporter), member 1 (Kidd blood group) (SLC14A1) exon single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1058396[AG, GG], UDP glucuronosyltransferase 1 family, polypeptide A complex locus (UGT1A) intron SNP rs11892031[AA] and rs8102137[CC, CT] near cyclin E1 (CCNE1) resulted in an unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.59 (95% CI = 1.93-3.47; P = 1.87 × 10-10), while the individual variant ORs ranged only between 1.11 and 1.30. The combination replicated in the New England and Spanish Bladder Cancer Studies (ORunadjusted = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.10-2.33; P = 0.013). The four-variant combination is relatively frequent, with 25% in never smoking cases and 11% in never smoking controls (total study group: 19% cases, 14% controls). In conclusion, we show that four high-risk variants can statistically interact to confer

Somatically acquired structural genetic differences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magaard Koldby, Kristina; Nygaard, Marianne; Christensen, Kaare

2016-01-01

Structural genetic variants like copy number variants (CNVs) comprise a large part of human genetic variation and may be inherited as well as somatically acquired. Recent studies have reported the presence of somatically acquired structural variants in the human genome and it has been suggested t...... with age.European Journal of Human Genetics advance online publication, 20 April 2016; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2016.34....

Family studies to find rare high risk variants in migraine.

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Hansen, Rikke Dyhr; Christensen, Anne Francke; Olesen, Jes

2017-12-01

Migraine has long been known as a common complex disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. The pathophysiology and the specific genetic susceptibility are poorly understood. Common variants only explain a small part of the heritability of migraine. It is thought that rare genetic variants with bigger effect size may be involved in the disease. Since migraine has a tendency to cluster in families, a family approach might be the way to find these variants. This is also indicated by identification of migraine-associated loci in classical linkage-analyses in migraine families. A single migraine study using a candidate-gene approach was performed in 2010 identifying a rare mutation in the TRESK potassium channel segregating in a large family with migraine with aura, but this finding has later become questioned. The technologies of next-generation sequencing (NGS) now provides an affordable tool to investigate the genetic variation in the entire exome or genome. The family-based study design using NGS is described in this paper. We also review family studies using NGS that have been successful in finding rare variants in other common complex diseases in order to argue the promising application of a family approach to migraine. PubMed was searched to find studies that looked for rare genetic variants in common complex diseases through a family-based design using NGS, excluding studies looking for de-novo mutations, or using a candidate-gene approach and studies on cancer. All issues from Nature Genetics and PLOS genetics 2014, 2015 and 2016 (UTAI June) were screened for relevant papers. Reference lists from included and other relevant papers were also searched. For the description of the family-based study design using NGS an in-house protocol was used. Thirty-two successful studies, which covered 16 different common complex diseases, were included in this paper. We also found a single migraine study. Twenty-three studies found one or a few family specific

Interaction of insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin resistance-related genetic variants with lifestyle factors on postmenopausal breast cancer risk.

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Jung, Su Yon; Ho, Gloria; Rohan, Thomas; Strickler, Howard; Bea, Jennifer; Papp, Jeanette; Sobel, Eric; Zhang, Zuo-Feng; Crandall, Carolyn

2017-07-01

Genetic variants and traits in metabolic signaling pathways may interact with obesity, physical activity, and exogenous estrogen (E), influencing postmenopausal breast cancer risk, but these inter-related pathways are incompletely understood. We used 75 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes related to insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)/insulin resistance (IR) traits and signaling pathways, and data from 1003 postmenopausal women in Women's Health Initiative Observation ancillary studies. Stratifying via obesity and lifestyle modifiers, we assessed the role of IGF-I/IR traits (fasting IGF-I, IGF-binding protein 3, insulin, glucose, and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance) in breast cancer risk as a mediator or influencing factor. Seven SNPs in IGF-I and INS genes were associated with breast cancer risk. These associations differed between non-obese/active and obese/inactive women and between exogenous E non-users and users. The mediation effects of IGF-I/IR traits on the relationship between these SNPs and cancer differed between strata, but only roughly 35% of the cancer risk due to the SNPs was mediated by traits. Similarly, carriers of 20 SNPs in PIK3R1, AKT1/2, and MAPK1 genes (signaling pathways-genetic variants) had different associations with breast cancer between strata, and the proportion of the SNP-cancer relationship explained by traits varied 45-50% between the strata. Our findings suggest that IGF-I/IR genetic variants interact with obesity and lifestyle factors, altering cancer risk partially through pathways other than IGF-I/IR traits. Unraveling gene-phenotype-lifestyle interactions will provide data on potential genetic targets in clinical trials for cancer prevention and intervention strategies to reduce breast cancer risk.

Risk and protective genetic variants in suicidal behaviour: association with SLC1A2, SLC1A3, 5-HTR1B &NTRK2 polymorphisms.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Murphy, Therese M

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND: Suicidal behaviour is known to aggregate in families. Patients with psychiatric disorders are at higher risk for suicide attempts (SA), however protective and risk genetic variants for suicide appear to be independent of underlying psychiatric disorders. Here we investigate genetic variants in genes important for neurobiological pathways linked to suicidal behaviour and\\/or associated endophenotypes, for association with SA among patients with co-existing psychiatric illness. Selected gene-gene and gene-environment interactions were also tested. METHODS: DNA was obtained from bloods of 159 patients (76 suicide attempters and 83 non-attempters), who were profiled for DSM-IV Axis I psychiatric diagnosis. Twenty-eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 18 candidate genes (COMT, 5-HT2A, 5-HT1A, 5-HTR1B, TPH1, MAO-A, TPH2, DBH, CNR1, BDNF, ABCG1, GABRA5, GABRG2, GABRB2, SLC1A2, SLC1A3, NTRK2, CRHR1) were genotyped. Genotyping was performed by KBioscience. Tests of association between genetic variants and SA were conducted using Chi squared and Armitage Trend tests. Binary logistical regression analyses were performed to evaluate the contribution of individual genetic variants to the prediction of SA, and to examine SNPs for potential gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. RESULTS: Our analysis identified 4 SNPs (rs4755404, rs2269272, rs6296 and rs1659400), which showed evidence of association with SA compared to a non-attempter control group. We provide evidence of a 3-locus gene-gene interaction, and a putative gene-environment interaction, whereby genetic variation at the NTRK2 locus may moderate the risk associated with history of childhood abuse. CONCLUSION: Preliminary findings suggest that allelic variability in SLC1A2\\/3, 5-HTR1B and NTRK2 may be relevant to the underlying diathesis for suicidal acts.

A genome-wide screen for genetic variants that modify the recruitment of REST to its target genes.

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Rory Johnson

Full Text Available Increasing numbers of human diseases are being linked to genetic variants, but our understanding of the mechanistic links leading from DNA sequence to disease phenotype is limited. The majority of disease-causing nucleotide variants fall within the non-protein-coding portion of the genome, making it likely that they act by altering gene regulatory sequences. We hypothesised that SNPs within the binding sites of the transcriptional repressor REST alter the degree of repression of target genes. Given that changes in the effective concentration of REST contribute to several pathologies-various cancers, Huntington's disease, cardiac hypertrophy, vascular smooth muscle proliferation-these SNPs should alter disease-susceptibility in carriers. We devised a strategy to identify SNPs that affect the recruitment of REST to target genes through the alteration of its DNA recognition element, the RE1. A multi-step screen combining genetic, genomic, and experimental filters yielded 56 polymorphic RE1 sequences with robust and statistically significant differences of affinity between alleles. These SNPs have a considerable effect on the the functional recruitment of REST to DNA in a range of in vitro, reporter gene, and in vivo analyses. Furthermore, we observe allele-specific biases in deeply sequenced chromatin immunoprecipitation data, consistent with predicted differenes in RE1 affinity. Amongst the targets of polymorphic RE1 elements are important disease genes including NPPA, PTPRT, and CDH4. Thus, considerable genetic variation exists in the DNA motifs that connect gene regulatory networks. Recently available ChIP-seq data allow the annotation of human genetic polymorphisms with regulatory information to generate prior hypotheses about their disease-causing mechanism.

A Genome-Wide Screen for Genetic Variants That Modify the Recruitment of REST to Its Target Genes

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Rory; Richter, Nadine; Bogu, Gireesh K.; Bhinge, Akshay; Teng, Siaw Wei; Choo, Siew Hua; Andrieux, Lise O.; de Benedictis, Cinzia; Jauch, Ralf; Stanton, Lawrence W.

2012-01-01

Increasing numbers of human diseases are being linked to genetic variants, but our understanding of the mechanistic links leading from DNA sequence to disease phenotype is limited. The majority of disease-causing nucleotide variants fall within the non-protein-coding portion of the genome, making it likely that they act by altering gene regulatory sequences. We hypothesised that SNPs within the binding sites of the transcriptional repressor REST alter the degree of repression of target genes. Given that changes in the effective concentration of REST contribute to several pathologies—various cancers, Huntington's disease, cardiac hypertrophy, vascular smooth muscle proliferation—these SNPs should alter disease-susceptibility in carriers. We devised a strategy to identify SNPs that affect the recruitment of REST to target genes through the alteration of its DNA recognition element, the RE1. A multi-step screen combining genetic, genomic, and experimental filters yielded 56 polymorphic RE1 sequences with robust and statistically significant differences of affinity between alleles. These SNPs have a considerable effect on the the functional recruitment of REST to DNA in a range of in vitro, reporter gene, and in vivo analyses. Furthermore, we observe allele-specific biases in deeply sequenced chromatin immunoprecipitation data, consistent with predicted differenes in RE1 affinity. Amongst the targets of polymorphic RE1 elements are important disease genes including NPPA, PTPRT, and CDH4. Thus, considerable genetic variation exists in the DNA motifs that connect gene regulatory networks. Recently available ChIP–seq data allow the annotation of human genetic polymorphisms with regulatory information to generate prior hypotheses about their disease-causing mechanism. PMID:22496669

PNPLA 3 I148M genetic variant associates with insulin resistance and baseline viral load in HCV genotype 2 but not in genotype 3 infection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rembeck, Karolina; Maglio, Cristina; Lagging, Martin

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Hepatic steatosis in HCV patients has been postulated as a risk factor associated with a higher frequency of fibrosis and cirrhosis. A single genetic variant, PNPLA3 I148M, has been widely associated with increased hepatic steatosis. Previous studies of the PNPLA3 I148M...... sequence variant in HCV infected individuals have reported an association between this variant and prevalence of steatosis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. To evaluate the impact of PNPLA3 I148M variant on metabolic traits and treatment response in HCV genotype 2 and 3 infected patients. METHODS: Three hundred...

Arrhythmogenic KCNE gene variants: current knowledge and future challenges

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Shawn M Crump

2014-01-01

Full Text Available There are twenty-five known inherited cardiac arrhythmia susceptibility genes, all of which encode either ion channel pore-forming subunits or proteins that regulate aspects of ion channel biology such as function, trafficking and localization. The human KCNE gene family comprises five potassium channel regulatory subunits, sequence variants in each of which are associated with cardiac arrhythmias. KCNE gene products exhibit promiscuous partnering and in some cases ubiquitous expression, hampering efforts to unequivocally correlate each gene to specific native potassium currents. Likewise, deducing the molecular etiology of cardiac arrhythmias in individuals harboring rare KCNE gene variants, or more common KCNE polymorphisms, can be challenging. In this review we provide an update on putative arrhythmia-causing KCNE gene variants, and discuss current thinking and future challenges in the study of molecular mechanisms of KCNE-associated cardiac rhythm disturbances.

A combined analysis of 48 type 2 diabetes genetic risk variants shows no discriminative value to predict time to first prescription of a glucose lowering drug in Danish patients with screen detected type 2 diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hornbak, Malene; Allin, Kristine Højgaard; Jensen, Majken Linnemann

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the genetic influence of 48 type 2 diabetes susceptibility variants on disease progression measured as risk of early prescription redemption of glucose lowering drugs in screen-detected patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We studied type 2 diabetes progression in 1...... according to either a conventional or a multifactorial intensive treatment algorithm. We investigated the genetic influence on diabetes progression by constructing a genetic risk score (GRS) of all 48 validated type 2 diabetes susceptibility variants, a GRS of 11 variants linked to β-cell function and a GRS...

Genetics of bipolar disorder

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Kerner B

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Berit Kerner Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA Abstract: Bipolar disorder is a common, complex genetic disorder, but the mode of transmission remains to be discovered. Many researchers assume that common genomic variants carry some risk for manifesting the disease. The research community has celebrated the first genome-wide significant associations between common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and bipolar disorder. Currently, attempts are under way to translate these findings into clinical practice, genetic counseling, and predictive testing. However, some experts remain cautious. After all, common variants explain only a very small percentage of the genetic risk, and functional consequences of the discovered SNPs are inconclusive. Furthermore, the associated SNPs are not disease specific, and the majority of individuals with a “risk” allele are healthy. On the other hand, population-based genome-wide studies in psychiatric disorders have rediscovered rare structural variants and mutations in genes, which were previously known to cause genetic syndromes and monogenic Mendelian disorders. In many Mendelian syndromes, psychiatric symptoms are prevalent. Although these conditions do not fit the classic description of any specific psychiatric disorder, they often show nonspecific psychiatric symptoms that cross diagnostic boundaries, including intellectual disability, behavioral abnormalities, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, attention deficit, impulse control deficit, and psychosis. Although testing for chromosomal disorders and monogenic Mendelian disorders is well established, testing for common variants is still controversial. The standard concept of genetic testing includes at least three broad criteria that need to be fulfilled before new genetic tests should be introduced: analytical validity, clinical validity, and clinical utility. These criteria are

Annotating pathogenic non-coding variants in genic regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gelfman, Sahar; Wang, Quanli; McSweeney, K Melodi; Ren, Zhong; La Carpia, Francesca; Halvorsen, Matt; Schoch, Kelly; Ratzon, Fanni; Heinzen, Erin L; Boland, Michael J; Petrovski, Slavé; Goldstein, David B

2017-08-09

Identifying the underlying causes of disease requires accurate interpretation of genetic variants. Current methods ineffectively capture pathogenic non-coding variants in genic regions, resulting in overlooking synonymous and intronic variants when searching for disease risk. Here we present the Transcript-inferred Pathogenicity (TraP) score, which uses sequence context alterations to reliably identify non-coding variation that causes disease. High TraP scores single out extremely rare variants with lower minor allele frequencies than missense variants. TraP accurately distinguishes known pathogenic and benign variants in synonymous (AUC = 0.88) and intronic (AUC = 0.83) public datasets, dismissing benign variants with exceptionally high specificity. TraP analysis of 843 exomes from epilepsy family trios identifies synonymous variants in known epilepsy genes, thus pinpointing risk factors of disease from non-coding sequence data. TraP outperforms leading methods in identifying non-coding variants that are pathogenic and is therefore a valuable tool for use in gene discovery and the interpretation of personal genomes.While non-coding synonymous and intronic variants are often not under strong selective constraint, they can be pathogenic through affecting splicing or transcription. Here, the authors develop a score that uses sequence context alterations to predict pathogenicity of synonymous and non-coding genetic variants, and provide a web server of pre-computed scores.

Early-life nutrition modulates the epigenetic state of specific rDNA genetic variants in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, Michelle L; Lowe, Robert; Caton, Paul W; Gemma, Carolina; Carbajosa, Guillermo; Danson, Amy F; Carpenter, Asha A M; Loche, Elena; Ozanne, Susan E; Rakyan, Vardhman K

2016-07-29

A suboptimal early-life environment, due to poor nutrition or stress during pregnancy, can influence lifelong phenotypes in the progeny. Epigenetic factors are thought to be key mediators of these effects. We show that protein restriction in mice from conception until weaning induces a linear correlation between growth restriction and DNA methylation at ribosomal DNA (rDNA). This epigenetic response remains into adulthood and is restricted to rDNA copies associated with a specific genetic variant within the promoter. Related effects are also found in models of maternal high-fat or obesogenic diets. Our work identifies environmentally induced epigenetic dynamics that are dependent on underlying genetic variation and establishes rDNA as a genomic target of nutritional insults. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The complement system in age-related macular degeneration: A review of rare genetic variants and implications for personalized treatment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geerlings, M.J.; Jong, E.K.; Hollander, A.I. den

2017-01-01

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive retinal disease and the major cause of irreversible vision loss in the elderly. Numerous studies have found both common and rare genetic variants in the complement pathway to play a role in the pathogenesis of AMD. In this review we provide an

Meiosis and ISSR analysis on genetic variation of {sup 60}Co {gamma}-rays irradiated variants of cut chrysanthemum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lili, Xing; Fadi, Chen; Hengbin, Miao [College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China)

2009-08-15

Cytology and ISSR technology were used to analyze genetic variations of {sup 60}Co {gamma}-rays induced variants of cut chrysanthemum 'Changzi', for further exploring the mechanism of irradiation and providing theoretical basis for breeding of chrysanthemum. The results showed that, meiotic abnormality ratio of lagging chromosome and chromosome bridge in variants were significantly higher than those in the control at anaphase I and II. The abnormality ratio was also raised with irradiation doses increasing. The highest ratio of two abnormal phenomena at anaphase I was 9.0%, 11.3%, and at anaphase II 15.5%, 8.6%, respectively. Polymorphic bands of 112 were amplified by 21 ISSR primers and the polymorphism rate was 71.3%, which proved that DNA changed in different degrees. These variants were divided into 5 groups by UPGMA based on Jaccard coefficient. It was observed that the clustering result related to their characters of flower shape and color variations. (authors)

Genetic variants in 5-HTTLPR, BDNF, HTR1A, COMT, and FKBP5 and risk for treated depression after cancer diagnosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Suppli, Nis P; Bukh, Jens D; Moffitt, Terrie E

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: The role of gene-environment interactions in the pathogenesis of depression is unclear. Previous studies addressed vulnerability for depression after childhood adversity and stressful life events among carriers of numerous specific genetic variants; however, the importance of individual...

Association of Genetic Variants Related to Serum Calcium Levels With Coronary Artery Disease and Myocardial Infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Larsson, Susanna C; Burgess, Stephen; Michaëlsson, Karl

2017-07-25

Serum calcium has been associated with cardiovascular disease in observational studies and evidence from randomized clinical trials indicates that calcium supplementation, which raises serum calcium levels, may increase the risk of cardiovascular events, particularly myocardial infarction. To evaluate the potential causal association between genetic variants related to elevated serum calcium levels and risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction using mendelian randomization. The analyses were performed using summary statistics obtained for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified from a genome-wide association meta-analysis of serum calcium levels (N = up to 61 079 individuals) and from the Coronary Artery Disease Genome-wide Replication and Meta-analysis Plus the Coronary Artery Disease Genetics (CardiogramplusC4D) consortium's 1000 genomes-based genome-wide association meta-analysis (N = up to 184 305 individuals) that included cases (individuals with CAD and myocardial infarction) and noncases, with baseline data collected from 1948 and populations derived from across the globe. The association of each SNP with CAD and myocardial infarction was weighted by its association with serum calcium, and estimates were combined using an inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis. Genetic risk score based on genetic variants related to elevated serum calcium levels. Co-primary outcomes were the odds of CAD and myocardial infarction. Among the mendelian randomized analytic sample of 184 305 individuals (60 801 CAD cases [approximately 70% with myocardial infarction] and 123 504 noncases), the 6 SNPs related to serum calcium levels and without pleiotropic associations with potential confounders were estimated to explain about 0.8% of the variation in serum calcium levels. In the inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis (combining the estimates of the 6 SNPs), the odds ratios per 0.5-mg/dL increase (about 1 SD) in genetically

Isogenic Cellular Systems Model the Impact of Genetic Risk Variants in the Pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes

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Mark A. Wallet

2017-10-01

Full Text Available At least 57 independent loci within the human genome confer varying degrees of risk for the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D. The majority of these variants are thought to contribute to overall genetic risk by modulating host innate and adaptive immune responses, ultimately resulting in a loss of immunological tolerance to β cell antigens. Early efforts to link specific risk variants with functional alterations in host immune responses have employed animal models or genotype-selected individuals from clinical bioresource banks. While some notable genotype:phenotype associations have been described, there remains an urgent need to accelerate the discovery of causal variants and elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which susceptible alleles alter immune functions. One significant limitation has been the inability to study human T1D risk loci on an isogenic background. The advent of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs and genome-editing technologies have made it possible to address a number of these outstanding questions. Specifically, the ability to drive multiple cell fates from iPSC under isogenic conditions now facilitates the analysis of causal variants in multiple cellular lineages. Bioinformatic analyses have revealed that T1D risk genes cluster within a limited number of immune signaling pathways, yet the relevant immune cell subsets and cellular activation states in which candidate risk genes impact cellular activities remain largely unknown. In this review, we summarize the functional impact of several candidate risk variants on host immunity in T1D and present an isogenic disease-in-a-dish model system for interrogating risk variants, with the goal of expediting precision therapeutics in T1D.

Genetic association study of exfoliation syndrome identifies a protective rare variant at LOXL1 and five new susceptibility loci

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aung, Tin; Ozaki, Mineo; Lee, Mei Chin

2017-01-01

Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is the most common known risk factor for secondary glaucoma and a major cause of blindness worldwide. Variants in two genes, LOXL1 and CACNA1A, have previously been associated with XFS. To further elucidate the genetic basis of XFS, we collected a global sample of XFS c...

33 CFR 100.109 - Winter Harbor Lobster Boat Race, Winter Harbor, ME.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Winter Harbor Lobster Boat Race, Winter Harbor, ME. 100.109 Section 100.109 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY REGATTAS AND MARINE PARADES SAFETY OF LIFE ON NAVIGABLE WATERS § 100.109 Winter Harbor...

SIRT1 genetic variants associate with the metabolic response of Caucasians to a controlled lifestyle intervention – the TULIP Study

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Stefan Norbert

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sirtuin1 (SIRT1 regulates gene expression in distinct metabolic pathways and mediates beneficial effects of caloric restriction in animal models. In humans, SIRT1 genetic variants associate with fasting energy expenditure. To investigate the relevance of SIRT1 for human metabolism and caloric restriction, we analyzed SIRT1 genetic variants in respect to the outcome of a controlled lifestyle intervention in Caucasians at risk for type 2 diabetes. Methods A total of 1013 non-diabetic Caucasians from the Tuebingen Family Study (TUEF were genotyped for four tagging SIRT1 SNPs (rs730821, rs12413112, rs7069102, rs2273773 for cross-sectional association analyses with prediabetic traits. SNPs that associated with basal energy expenditure in the TUEF cohort were additionally analyzed in 196 individuals who underwent a controlled lifestyle intervention (Tuebingen Lifestyle Intervention Program; TULIP. Multivariate regressions analyses with adjustment for relevant covariates were performed to detect associations of SIRT1 variants with the changes in anthropometrics, weight, body fat or metabolic characteristics (blood glucose, insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and liver fat, measured by magnetic resonance techniques after the 9-month follow-up test in the TULIP study. Results Minor allele (X/A carriers of rs12413112 (G/A had a significantly lower basal energy expenditure (p = 0.04 and an increased respiratory quotient (p = 0.02. This group (rs12413112: X/A was resistant against lifestyle-induced improvement of fasting plasma glucose (GG: -2.01%, X/A: 0.53%; p = 0.04, had less increase in insulin sensitivity (GG: 17.3%, X/A: 9.6%; p = 0.05 and an attenuated decline in liver fat (GG: -38.4%, X/A: -7.5%; p = 0.01. Conclusion SIRT1 plays a role for the individual lifestyle intervention response, possibly owing to decreased basal energy expenditure and a lower lipid-oxidation rate in rs12413112 X/A allele carriers. SIRT1 genetic

Multiple Functional Variants in cis Modulate PDYN Expression.

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Babbitt, Courtney C; Silverman, Jesse S; Haygood, Ralph; Reininga, Jennifer M; Rockman, Matthew V; Wray, Gregory A

2010-02-01

Understanding genetic variation and its functional consequences within cis-regulatory regions remains an important challenge in human genetics and evolution. Here, we present a fine-scale functional analysis of segregating variation within the cis-regulatory region of prodynorphin, a gene that encodes an endogenous opioid precursor with roles in cognition and disease. In order to characterize the functional consequences of segregating variation in cis in a region under balancing selection in different human populations, we examined associations between specific polymorphisms and gene expression in vivo and in vitro. We identified five polymorphisms within the 5' flanking region that affect transcript abundance: a 68-bp repeat recognized in prior studies, as well as two microsatellites and two single nucleotide polymorphisms not previously implicated as functional variants. The impact of these variants on transcription differs by brain region, sex, and cell type, implying interactions between cis genotype and the differentiated state of cells. The effects of individual variants on expression level are not additive in some combinations, implying epistatic interactions between nearby variants. These data reveal an unexpectedly complex relationship between segregating genetic variation and its expression-trait consequences and highlights the importance of close functional scrutiny of natural genetic variation within even relatively well-studied cis-regulatory regions.

Common, low-frequency, and rare genetic variants associated with lipoprotein subclasses and triglyceride measures in Finnish men from the METSIM study.

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James P Davis

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Lipid and lipoprotein subclasses are associated with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, yet the genetic contributions to variability in subclass traits are not fully understood. We conducted single-variant and gene-based association tests between 15.1M variants from genome-wide and exome array and imputed genotypes and 72 lipid and lipoprotein traits in 8,372 Finns. After accounting for 885 variants at 157 previously identified lipid loci, we identified five novel signals near established loci at HIF3A, ADAMTS3, PLTP, LCAT, and LIPG. Four of the signals were identified with a low-frequency (0.005variant, including Arg123His in LCAT. Gene-based associations (P<10-10 support a role for coding variants in LIPC and LIPG with lipoprotein subclass traits. 30 established lipid-associated loci had a stronger association for a subclass trait than any conventional trait. These novel association signals provide further insight into the molecular basis of dyslipidemia and the etiology of metabolic disorders.

Splicing analysis of 14 BRCA1 missense variants classifies nine variants as pathogenic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahlborn, Lise B; Dandanell, Mette; Steffensen, Ane Y

2015-01-01

by functional analysis at the protein level. Results from a validated mini-gene splicing assay indicated that nine BRCA1 variants resulted in splicing aberrations leading to truncated transcripts and thus can be considered pathogenic (c.4987A>T/p.Met1663Leu, c.4988T>A/p.Met1663Lys, c.5072C>T/p.Thr1691Ile, c......Pathogenic germline mutations in the BRCA1 gene predispose carriers to early onset breast and ovarian cancer. Clinical genetic screening of BRCA1 often reveals variants with uncertain clinical significance, complicating patient and family management. Therefore, functional examinations are urgently...... needed to classify whether these uncertain variants are pathogenic or benign. In this study, we investigated 14 BRCA1 variants by in silico splicing analysis and mini-gene splicing assay. All 14 alterations were missense variants located within the BRCT domain of BRCA1 and had previously been examined...

Genetic variants in novel pathways influence blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk.

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Ehret, Georg B; Munroe, Patricia B; Rice, Kenneth M; Bochud, Murielle; Johnson, Andrew D; Chasman, Daniel I; Smith, Albert V; Tobin, Martin D; Verwoert, Germaine C; Hwang, Shih-Jen; Pihur, Vasyl; Vollenweider, Peter; O'Reilly, Paul F; Amin, Najaf; Bragg-Gresham, Jennifer L; Teumer, Alexander; Glazer, Nicole L; Launer, Lenore; Zhao, Jing Hua; Aulchenko, Yurii; Heath, Simon; Sõber, Siim; Parsa, Afshin; Luan, Jian'an; Arora, Pankaj; Dehghan, Abbas; Zhang, Feng; Lucas, Gavin; Hicks, Andrew A; Jackson, Anne U; Peden, John F; Tanaka, Toshiko; Wild, Sarah H; Rudan, Igor; Igl, Wilmar; Milaneschi, Yuri; Parker, Alex N; Fava, Cristiano; Chambers, John C; Fox, Ervin R; Kumari, Meena; Go, Min Jin; van der Harst, Pim; Kao, Wen Hong Linda; Sjögren, Marketa; Vinay, D G; Alexander, Myriam; Tabara, Yasuharu; Shaw-Hawkins, Sue; Whincup, Peter H; Liu, Yongmei; Shi, Gang; Kuusisto, Johanna; Tayo, Bamidele; Seielstad, Mark; Sim, Xueling; Nguyen, Khanh-Dung Hoang; Lehtimäki, Terho; Matullo, Giuseppe; Wu, Ying; Gaunt, Tom R; Onland-Moret, N Charlotte; Cooper, Matthew N; Platou, Carl G P; Org, Elin; Hardy, Rebecca; Dahgam, Santosh; Palmen, Jutta; Vitart, Veronique; Braund, Peter S; Kuznetsova, Tatiana; Uiterwaal, Cuno S P M; Adeyemo, Adebowale; Palmas, Walter; Campbell, Harry; Ludwig, Barbara; Tomaszewski, Maciej; Tzoulaki, Ioanna; Palmer, Nicholette D; Aspelund, Thor; Garcia, Melissa; Chang, Yen-Pei C; O'Connell, Jeffrey R; Steinle, Nanette I; Grobbee, Diederick E; Arking, Dan E; Kardia, Sharon L; Morrison, Alanna C; Hernandez, Dena; Najjar, Samer; McArdle, Wendy L; Hadley, David; Brown, Morris J; Connell, John M; Hingorani, Aroon D; Day, Ian N M; Lawlor, Debbie A; Beilby, John P; Lawrence, Robert W; Clarke, Robert; Hopewell, Jemma C; Ongen, Halit; Dreisbach, Albert W; Li, Yali; Young, J Hunter; Bis, Joshua C; Kähönen, Mika; Viikari, Jorma; Adair, Linda S; Lee, Nanette R; Chen, Ming-Huei; Olden, Matthias; Pattaro, Cristian; Bolton, Judith A Hoffman; Köttgen, Anna; Bergmann, Sven; Mooser, Vincent; Chaturvedi, Nish; Frayling, Timothy M; Islam, Muhammad; Jafar, Tazeen H; Erdmann, Jeanette; Kulkarni, Smita R; Bornstein, Stefan R; Grässler, Jürgen; Groop, Leif; Voight, Benjamin F; Kettunen, Johannes; Howard, Philip; Taylor, Andrew; Guarrera, Simonetta; Ricceri, Fulvio; Emilsson, Valur; Plump, Andrew; Barroso, Inês; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Weder, Alan B; Hunt, Steven C; Sun, Yan V; Bergman, Richard N; Collins, Francis S; Bonnycastle, Lori L; Scott, Laura J; Stringham, Heather M; Peltonen, Leena; Perola, Markus; Vartiainen, Erkki; Brand, Stefan-Martin; Staessen, Jan A; Wang, Thomas J; Burton, Paul R; Soler Artigas, Maria; Dong, Yanbin; Snieder, Harold; Wang, Xiaoling; Zhu, Haidong; Lohman, Kurt K; Rudock, Megan E; Heckbert, Susan R; Smith, Nicholas L; Wiggins, Kerri L; Doumatey, Ayo; Shriner, Daniel; Veldre, Gudrun; Viigimaa, Margus; Kinra, Sanjay; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Tripathy, Vikal; Langefeld, Carl D; Rosengren, Annika; Thelle, Dag S; Corsi, Anna Maria; Singleton, Andrew; Forrester, Terrence; Hilton, Gina; McKenzie, Colin A; Salako, Tunde; Iwai, Naoharu; Kita, Yoshikuni; Ogihara, Toshio; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Okamura, Tomonori; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Umemura, Satoshi; Eyheramendy, Susana; Meitinger, Thomas; Wichmann, H-Erich; Cho, Yoon Shin; Kim, Hyung-Lae; Lee, Jong-Young; Scott, James; Sehmi, Joban S; Zhang, Weihua; Hedblad, Bo; Nilsson, Peter; Smith, George Davey; Wong, Andrew; Narisu, Narisu; Stančáková, Alena; Raffel, Leslie J; Yao, Jie; Kathiresan, Sekar; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Schwartz, Stephen M; Ikram, M Arfan; Longstreth, W T; Mosley, Thomas H; Seshadri, Sudha; Shrine, Nick R G; Wain, Louise V; Morken, Mario A; Swift, Amy J; Laitinen, Jaana; Prokopenko, Inga; Zitting, Paavo; Cooper, Jackie A; Humphries, Steve E; Danesh, John; Rasheed, Asif; Goel, Anuj; Hamsten, Anders; Watkins, Hugh; Bakker, Stephan J L; van Gilst, Wiek H; Janipalli, Charles S; Mani, K Radha; Yajnik, Chittaranjan S; Hofman, Albert; Mattace-Raso, Francesco U S; Oostra, Ben A; Demirkan, Ayse; Isaacs, Aaron; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Lakatta, Edward G; Orru, Marco; Scuteri, Angelo; Ala-Korpela, Mika; Kangas, Antti J; Lyytikäinen, Leo-Pekka; Soininen, Pasi; Tukiainen, Taru; Würtz, Peter; Ong, Rick Twee-Hee; Dörr, Marcus; Kroemer, Heyo K; Völker, Uwe; Völzke, Henry; Galan, Pilar; Hercberg, Serge; Lathrop, Mark; Zelenika, Diana; Deloukas, Panos; Mangino, Massimo; Spector, Tim D; Zhai, Guangju; Meschia, James F; Nalls, Michael A; Sharma, Pankaj; Terzic, Janos; Kumar, M V Kranthi; Denniff, Matthew; Zukowska-Szczechowska, Ewa; Wagenknecht, Lynne E; Fowkes, F Gerald R; Charchar, Fadi J; Schwarz, Peter E H; Hayward, Caroline; Guo, Xiuqing; Rotimi, Charles; Bots, Michiel L; Brand, Eva; Samani, Nilesh J; Polasek, Ozren; Talmud, Philippa J; Nyberg, Fredrik; Kuh, Diana; Laan, Maris; Hveem, Kristian; Palmer, Lyle J; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Casas, Juan P; Mohlke, Karen L; Vineis, Paolo; Raitakari, Olli; Ganesh, Santhi K; Wong, Tien Y; Tai, E Shyong; Cooper, Richard S; Laakso, Markku; Rao, Dabeeru C; Harris, Tamara B; Morris, Richard W; Dominiczak, Anna F; Kivimaki, Mika; Marmot, Michael G; Miki, Tetsuro; Saleheen, Danish; Chandak, Giriraj R; Coresh, Josef; Navis, Gerjan; Salomaa, Veikko; Han, Bok-Ghee; Zhu, Xiaofeng; Kooner, Jaspal S; Melander, Olle; Ridker, Paul M; Bandinelli, Stefania; Gyllensten, Ulf B; Wright, Alan F; Wilson, James F; Ferrucci, Luigi; Farrall, Martin; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Pramstaller, Peter P; Elosua, Roberto; Soranzo, Nicole; Sijbrands, Eric J G; Altshuler, David; Loos, Ruth J F; Shuldiner, Alan R; Gieger, Christian; Meneton, Pierre; Uitterlinden, Andre G; Wareham, Nicholas J; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Rotter, Jerome I; Rettig, Rainer; Uda, Manuela; Strachan, David P; Witteman, Jacqueline C M; Hartikainen, Anna-Liisa; Beckmann, Jacques S; Boerwinkle, Eric; Vasan, Ramachandran S; Boehnke, Michael; Larson, Martin G; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Psaty, Bruce M; Abecasis, Gonçalo R; Chakravarti, Aravinda; Elliott, Paul; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Newton-Cheh, Christopher; Levy, Daniel; Caulfield, Mark J; Johnson, Toby

2011-09-11

Blood pressure is a heritable trait influenced by several biological pathways and responsive to environmental stimuli. Over one billion people worldwide have hypertension (≥140 mm Hg systolic blood pressure or  ≥90 mm Hg diastolic blood pressure). Even small increments in blood pressure are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. This genome-wide association study of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which used a multi-stage design in 200,000 individuals of European descent, identified sixteen novel loci: six of these loci contain genes previously known or suspected to regulate blood pressure (GUCY1A3-GUCY1B3, NPR3-C5orf23, ADM, FURIN-FES, GOSR2, GNAS-EDN3); the other ten provide new clues to blood pressure physiology. A genetic risk score based on 29 genome-wide significant variants was associated with hypertension, left ventricular wall thickness, stroke and coronary artery disease, but not kidney disease or kidney function. We also observed associations with blood pressure in East Asian, South Asian and African ancestry individuals. Our findings provide new insights into the genetics and biology of blood pressure, and suggest potential novel therapeutic pathways for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Genetic exchange versus genetic differentiation in a medium-sized inversion of Drosophila: the A2/Ast arrangements of Drosophila subobscura.

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Nóbrega, Clévio; Khadem, Mahnaz; Aguadé, Montserrat; Segarra, Carmen

2008-08-01

Chromosomal inversion polymorphism affects nucleotide variation at loci associated with inversions. In Drosophila subobscura, a species with a rich chromosomal inversion polymorphism and the largest recombinational map so far reported in the Drosophila genus, extensive genetic structure of nucleotide variation was detected in the segment affected by the O(3) inversion, a moderately sized inversion at Muller's element E. Indeed, a strong genetic differentiation all over O(3) and no evidence of a higher genetic exchange in the center of the inversion than at breakpoints were detected. In order to ascertain, whether other polymorphic and differently sized inversions of D. subobscura also exhibited a strong genetic structure, nucleotide variation in 5 gene regions (P236, P275, P150, Sxl, and P125) located along the A(2) inversion was analyzed in A(st) and A(2) chromosomes of D. subobscura. A(2) is a medium-sized inversion at Muller's element A and forms a single inversion loop in heterokaryotypes. The lower level of variation in A(2) relative to A(st) and the significant excess of low-frequency variants at polymorphic sites indicate that nucleotide variation at A(2) is not at mutation-drift equilibrium. The closest region to an inversion breakpoint, P236, exhibits the highest level of genetic differentiation (F(ST)) and of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between arrangements and variants at nucleotide polymorphic sites. The remaining 4 regions show a higher level of genetic exchange between A(2) and A(st) chromosomes than P236, as revealed by F(ST) and LD estimates. However, significant genetic differentiation between the A(st) and A(2) arrangements was detected not only at P236 but also in the other 4 regions separated from the nearest breakpoint by 1.2-2.9 Mb. Therefore, the extent of genetic exchange between arrangements has not been high enough to homogenize nucleotide variation in the center of the A(2) inversion. A(2) can be considered a typical successful inversion

Association Analysis of Genetic Variants with Type 2 Diabetes in a Mongolian Population in China

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Haihua Bai

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The large scale genome wide association studies (GWAS have identified approximately 80 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs conferring susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (T2D. However, most of these loci have not been replicated in diverse populations and much genetic heterogeneity has been observed across ethnic groups. We tested 28 SNPs previously found to be associated with T2D by GWAS in a Mongolian sample of Northern China (497 diagnosed with T2D and 469 controls for association with T2D and diabetes related quantitative traits. We replicated T2D association of 11 SNPs, namely, rs7578326 (IRS1, rs1531343 (HMGA2, rs8042680 (PRC1, rs7578597 (THADA, rs1333051 (CDKN2, rs6723108 (TMEM163, rs163182 and rs2237897 (KCNQ1, rs1387153 (MTNR1B, rs243021 (BCL11A, and rs10229583 (PAX4 in our sample. Further, we showed that risk allele of the strongest T2D associated SNP in our sample, rs757832 (IRS1, is associated with increased level of TG. We observed substantial difference of T2D risk allele frequency between the Mongolian sample and the 1000G Caucasian sample for a few SNPs, including rs6723108 (TMEM163 whose risk allele reaches near fixation in the Mongolian sample. Further study of genetic architecture of these variants in susceptibility of T2D is needed to understand the role of these variants in heterogeneous populations.

Common genetic variants in the 9p21 region and their associations with multiple tumours.

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Gu, F; Pfeiffer, R M; Bhattacharjee, S; Han, S S; Taylor, P R; Berndt, S; Yang, H; Sigurdson, A J; Toro, J; Mirabello, L; Greene, M H; Freedman, N D; Abnet, C C; Dawsey, S M; Hu, N; Qiao, Y-L; Ding, T; Brenner, A V; Garcia-Closas, M; Hayes, R; Brinton, L A; Lissowska, J; Wentzensen, N; Kratz, C; Moore, L E; Ziegler, R G; Chow, W-H; Savage, S A; Burdette, L; Yeager, M; Chanock, S J; Chatterjee, N; Tucker, M A; Goldstein, A M; Yang, X R

2013-04-02

The chromosome 9p21.3 region has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple cancers. We systematically examined up to 203 tagging SNPs of 22 genes on 9p21.3 (19.9-32.8 Mb) in eight case-control studies: thyroid cancer, endometrial cancer (EC), renal cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer (CRC), colorectal adenoma (CA), oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), gastric cardia adenocarcinoma and osteosarcoma (OS). We used logistic regression to perform single SNP analyses for each study separately, adjusting for study-specific covariates. We combined SNP results across studies by fixed-effect meta-analyses and a newly developed subset-based statistical approach (ASSET). Gene-based P-values were obtained by the minP method using the Adaptive Rank Truncated Product program. We adjusted for multiple comparisons by Bonferroni correction. Rs3731239 in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors 2A (CDKN2A) was significantly associated with ESCC (P=7 × 10(-6)). The CDKN2A-ESCC association was further supported by gene-based analyses (Pgene=0.0001). In the meta-analyses by ASSET, four SNPs (rs3731239 in CDKN2A, rs615552 and rs573687 in CDKN2B and rs564398 in CDKN2BAS) showed significant associations with ESCC and EC (PASSET (P=0.007). Our data indicate that genetic variants in CDKN2A, and possibly nearby genes, may be associated with ESCC and several other tumours, further highlighting the importance of 9p21.3 genetic variants in carcinogenesis.

Personal exposure to PM2.5, genetic variants and DNA damage: a multi-center population-based study in Chinese.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Minjie; Sun, Chongqi; Chen, Weihong; Jin, Guangfu; Gong, Jianhang; Zhu, Meng; Yuan, Jing; Dai, Juncheng; Wang, Meilin; Pan, Yun; Song, Yuanchao; Ding, Xiaojie; Guo, Xuejiang; Du, Mulong; Xia, Yankai; Kan, Haidong; Zhang, Zhengdong; Hu, Zhibin; Wu, Tangchun; Shen, Hongbing

2015-06-15

Exposure to particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5) may result in DNA damage, a major culprit in mutagenesis and environmental toxicity. DNA damage levels may vary among individuals simultaneously exposed to PM2.5, however, the genetic determinants are still unclear. To explore whether PM2.5 exposure and genetic variants contribute to the alteration in DNA damage, we recruited 328 subjects from three independent cohorts (119 from Zhuhai, 123 from Wuhan and 86 from Tianjin) in southern, central and northern China with different PM2.5 exposure levels. Personal 24-h PM2.5 exposure levels and DNA damage levels of peripheral blood lymphocytes were evaluated. Genotyping were performed using Illumina Human Exome BeadChip with 241,305 single nucleotide variants (SNVs). The DNA damage levels are consistent with the PM2.5 exposure levels of each cohort. A total of 35 SNVs were consistently associated with DNA damage levels among the three cohorts with pooled P values less than 1.00×10(-3) after adjustment for age, gender, smoking status and PM2.5 exposure levels, of which, 18 SNVs together with gender and PM2.5 exposure levels were independent factors contributing to DNA damage. Gene-based test revealed 3 genes significantly associated with DNA damage levels (P=5.11×10(-3) for POLH, P=2.88×10(-3) for RIT2 and P=2.29×10(-2) for CNTN4). Gene ontology (GO) analyses indicated that the identified variants were significantly enriched in DNA damage response pathway. Our findings highlight the importance of genetic variation as well as personal PM2.5 exposure in modulating individual DNA damage levels. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Childhood Abuse Experiences and the COMT and MTHFR Genetic Variants Associated With Male Sexual Orientation in the Han Chinese Populations: A Case-Control Study.

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Qin, Jia-Bi; Zhao, Guang-Lu; Wang, Feng; Cai, Yu-Mao; Lan, Li-Na; Yang, Lin; Feng, Tie-Jian

2018-01-01

Although it is widely acknowledged that genetic and environmental factors are involved in the development of male homosexuality, the causes are not fully understood. To explore the association and interaction of childhood abuse experiences and genetic variants of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genes with the development of male homosexuality. A case-control study of 537 exclusively homosexual men and 583 exclusively heterosexual men was conducted, with data collected from March 2013 to August 2015. Data were analyzed using χ 2 tests and logistic regression models. Sociodemographic characteristics, childhood abuse experiences, and polymorphisms of COMT at rs4680, rs4818, and rs6267 and MTHFR at rs1801133. More frequent occurrence of physical (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.78), emotional (aOR = 2.07), and sexual (aOR = 2.53) abuse during childhood was significantly associated with the development of male homosexuality. The polymorphisms of MTHFR at rs1801133 and COMT at rs4818 also were significantly associated with the development of male homosexuality in the homozygote comparisons (T/T vs C/C at rs1801133, aOR = 1.68; G/G vs C/C at rs4818, aOR = 1.75). In addition, significant interaction effects between childhood abuse experiences and the COMT and MTHFR genetic variants on the development of male homosexuality were found. This is the first time that an association of childhood abuse, COMT and MTHFR genetic variants, and their interactions with development of male homosexuality was exhaustively explored, which could help provide new insight into the etiology of male homosexuality. Because homosexual men are a relatively obscure population, it was impossible to select the study participants by random sampling, which could lead to selection bias. In addition, because this was a case-control study, recall bias was inevitable, and we could not verify causality. Childhood abuse and the COMT and MTHFR genetic

Genotype-Phenotype Characterization of Novel Variants in Six Italian Patients with Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy.

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Iarossi, Giancarlo; Bertelli, Matteo; Maltese, Paolo Enrico; Gusson, Elena; Marchini, Giorgio; Bruson, Alice; Benedetti, Sabrina; Volpetti, Sabrina; Catena, Gino; Buzzonetti, Luca; Ziccardi, Lucia

2017-01-01

Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a complex disorder characterized by incomplete development of the retinal vasculature. Here, we report the results obtained on the spectrum of genetic variations and correlated phenotypes found in a cohort of Italian FEVR patients. Eight probands (age range 7-19 years) were assessed by genetic analysis and comprehensive age-appropriate ophthalmic examination. Genetic testing investigated the genes most widely associated in literature with FEVR: FZD4 , LRP5 , TSPAN12 , and NDP . Clinical and genetic evaluations were extended to relatives of probands positive to genetic testing. Six out of eight probands (75%) showed a genetic variation probably related to the phenotype. We identified four novel genetic variants, one variant already described in association with Norrie disease and one previously described linked to autosomal dominant FEVR. Pedigree analysis of patients led to the classification of four autosomal dominant cases of FEVR (caused by FZD4 and TSPAN12 variants) and two X-linked FEVR probands ( NDP variants). None of the patients showed variants in the LRP5 gene. This study represents the largest cohort study in Italian FEVR patients. Our findings are in agreement with the previous literature confirming that FEVR is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous retinal disorder, even when it manifests in the same family.

Genotype-Phenotype Characterization of Novel Variants in Six Italian Patients with Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy

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Giancarlo Iarossi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR is a complex disorder characterized by incomplete development of the retinal vasculature. Here, we report the results obtained on the spectrum of genetic variations and correlated phenotypes found in a cohort of Italian FEVR patients. Eight probands (age range 7–19 years were assessed by genetic analysis and comprehensive age-appropriate ophthalmic examination. Genetic testing investigated the genes most widely associated in literature with FEVR: FZD4, LRP5, TSPAN12, and NDP. Clinical and genetic evaluations were extended to relatives of probands positive to genetic testing. Six out of eight probands (75% showed a genetic variation probably related to the phenotype. We identified four novel genetic variants, one variant already described in association with Norrie disease and one previously described linked to autosomal dominant FEVR. Pedigree analysis of patients led to the classification of four autosomal dominant cases of FEVR (caused by FZD4 and TSPAN12 variants and two X-linked FEVR probands (NDP variants. None of the patients showed variants in the LRP5 gene. This study represents the largest cohort study in Italian FEVR patients. Our findings are in agreement with the previous literature confirming that FEVR is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous retinal disorder, even when it manifests in the same family.

Comprehensive genotyping in dyslipidemia: mendelian dyslipidemias caused by rare variants and Mendelian randomization studies using common variants.

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Tada, Hayato; Kawashiri, Masa-Aki; Yamagishi, Masakazu

2017-04-01

Dyslipidemias, especially hyper-low-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, are important causal risk factors for coronary artery disease. Comprehensive genotyping using the 'next-generation sequencing' technique has facilitated the investigation of Mendelian dyslipidemias, in addition to Mendelian randomization studies using common genetic variants associated with plasma lipids and coronary artery disease. The beneficial effects of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol-lowering therapies on coronary artery disease have been verified by many randomized controlled trials over the years, and subsequent genetic studies have supported these findings. More recently, Mendelian randomization studies have preceded randomized controlled trials. When the on-target/off-target effects of rare variants and common variants exhibit the same direction, novel drugs targeting molecules identified by investigations of rare Mendelian lipid disorders could be promising. Such a strategy could aid in the search for drug discovery seeds other than those for dyslipidemias.

Genetics Home Reference: Ohdo syndrome, Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson variant

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... SBBYS variant Ohdo syndrome, Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson variant Printable PDF Open All Close All Enable ... collapse boxes. Description The Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson (SBBYS) variant of Ohdo syndrome is a rare ...

Significant Locus and Metabolic Genetic Correlations Revealed in Genome-Wide Association Study of Anorexia Nervosa.

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Duncan, Laramie; Yilmaz, Zeynep; Gaspar, Helena; Walters, Raymond; Goldstein, Jackie; Anttila, Verneri; Bulik-Sullivan, Brendan; Ripke, Stephan; Thornton, Laura; Hinney, Anke; Daly, Mark; Sullivan, Patrick F; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Breen, Gerome; Bulik, Cynthia M

2017-09-01

The authors conducted a genome-wide association study of anorexia nervosa and calculated genetic correlations with a series of psychiatric, educational, and metabolic phenotypes. Following uniform quality control and imputation procedures using the 1000 Genomes Project (phase 3) in 12 case-control cohorts comprising 3,495 anorexia nervosa cases and 10,982 controls, the authors performed standard association analysis followed by a meta-analysis across cohorts. Linkage disequilibrium score regression was used to calculate genome-wide common variant heritability (single-nucleotide polymorphism [SNP]-based heritability [h 2 SNP ]), partitioned heritability, and genetic correlations (r g ) between anorexia nervosa and 159 other phenotypes. Results were obtained for 10,641,224 SNPs and insertion-deletion variants with minor allele frequencies >1% and imputation quality scores >0.6. The h 2 SNP of anorexia nervosa was 0.20 (SE=0.02), suggesting that a substantial fraction of the twin-based heritability arises from common genetic variation. The authors identified one genome-wide significant locus on chromosome 12 (rs4622308) in a region harboring a previously reported type 1 diabetes and autoimmune disorder locus. Significant positive genetic correlations were observed between anorexia nervosa and schizophrenia, neuroticism, educational attainment, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and significant negative genetic correlations were observed between anorexia nervosa and body mass index, insulin, glucose, and lipid phenotypes. Anorexia nervosa is a complex heritable phenotype for which this study has uncovered the first genome-wide significant locus. Anorexia nervosa also has large and significant genetic correlations with both psychiatric phenotypes and metabolic traits. The study results encourage a reconceptualization of this frequently lethal disorder as one with both psychiatric and metabolic etiology.

Chromosome 9p21 genetic variants are associated with myocardial infarction but not with ischemic stroke in a Taiwanese population.

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Lin, Hsiu-Fen; Tsai, Pei-Chien; Liao, Yi-Chu; Lin, Tsung-Hsien; Tai, Chih-Ta; Juo, Suh-Hang Hank; Lin, Ruey-Tay

2011-08-01

Genetic variants on chromosome 9p21 confer a robust risk for coronary artery disease but inconsistent risk for stroke. This study investigated whether such genetic variants exert differential risks on myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic stroke in a Taiwanese population. The study recruited 425 MI patients, 687 patients with ischemic stroke, and 1377 healthy controls. Four key single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 9p21 were genotyped. Multivariate permutation analyses demonstrated that the risk T allele of rs1333040 and G allele of rs2383207 were associated with MI (P = 0.045 and 0.002, respectively). Subjects with the rs2383207 GG genotype had a 1.85-fold (P = 0.021) risk for MI when compared with the subjects with the AA genotype. Further analysis showed that significant results only exist in the young MI group (stroke (adjusted P ranged from 0.097 to 0.540). Haplotype analysis showed global P values of 0.032 for MI and 0.290 for stroke. Genetic variations in the 9p21 region are associated with MI but not with stroke in a Taiwanese population. Early-onset MI was more likely to carry the risk genotypes of 9p21 SNPs.

Asymmetry in family history implicates nonstandard genetic mechanisms: application to the genetics of breast cancer.

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Clarice R Weinberg

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies typically target inherited autosomal variants, but less studied genetic mechanisms can play a role in complex disease. Sex-linked variants aside, three genetic phenomena can induce differential risk in maternal versus paternal lineages of affected individuals: 1. maternal effects, reflecting the maternal genome's influence on prenatal development; 2. mitochondrial variants, which are inherited maternally; 3. autosomal genes, whose effects depend on parent of origin. We algebraically show that small asymmetries in family histories of affected individuals may reflect much larger genetic risks acting via those mechanisms. We apply these ideas to a study of sisters of women with breast cancer. Among 5,091 distinct families of women reporting that exactly one grandmother had breast cancer, risk was skewed toward maternal grandmothers (p<0.0001, especially if the granddaughter was diagnosed between age 45 and 54. Maternal genetic effects, mitochondrial variants, or variant genes with parent-of-origin effects may influence risk of perimenopausal breast cancer.

Genetic study of the BRAF gene reveals new variants and high frequency of the V600E mutation among Iranian ameloblastoma patients.

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Soltani, Maryam; Tabatabaiefar, Mohammad Amin; Mohsenifar, Zhaleh; Pourreza, Mohammad Reza; Moridnia, Abbas; Shariati, Laleh; Razavi, Seyyed Mohammad

2018-01-01

Ameloblastoma is a benign, slow-growing and locally invasive tumor. It is one of the most prevalent odontogenic tumors, with an incidence rate of 1% of all oral tumors and approximately 18% of odontogenic tumors. A group of genes have been investigated in patients with ameloblastoma. The BRAF V600E mutation has been implicated as the most common mutation in ameloblastoma. The presence or absence of this mutation has been associated with several clinicopathological properties, including location, age at diagnosis, histology, and prognosis. Although some populations have been investigated so far, little data are available on the Iranian population. The current research was launched to study the BRAF V600E mutation among a cohort of Iranian patients with ameloblastoma. In this clinicopathological and molecular biology study, a total of 19 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues were studied. DNA extraction was performed, followed by PCR-sequencing of exons 10 and 15 of the BRAF gene to identify mutations. In silico analysis was performed for the identified variants. Results were analyzed by T test, Chi-square, and Fisher's exact test. Totally, 12 of 19 samples (63%) harbored the p. V600E hotspot mutation. In addition, we identified several variants, two of which were novel. The c.1769T>G (p. V590G) and c.1751C>T (p.L584F) as the novel variants showed a possible damaging effect by in silico analysis. No variant was found within exon 10. Our study confirms the role of BRAF mutations in ameloblastoma in the Iranian patients studied. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Association Study of Common Genetic Variants and HIV-1 Acquisition in 6,300 Infected Cases and 7,200 Controls

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Ripke, Stephan; van den Berg, Leonard; Buchbinder, Susan; Carrington, Mary; Cossarizza, Andrea; Dalmau, Judith; Deeks, Steven G.; Delaneau, Olivier; De Luca, Andrea; Goedert, James J.; Haas, David; Herbeck, Joshua T.; Kathiresan, Sekar; Kirk, Gregory D.; Lambotte, Olivier; Luo, Ma; Mallal, Simon; van Manen, Daniëlle; Martinez-Picado, Javier; Meyer, Laurence; Miro, José M.; Mullins, James I.; Obel, Niels; O'Brien, Stephen J.; Pereyra, Florencia; Plummer, Francis A.; Poli, Guido; Qi, Ying; Rucart, Pierre; Sandhu, Manj S.; Shea, Patrick R.; Schuitemaker, Hanneke; Theodorou, Ioannis; Vannberg, Fredrik; Veldink, Jan; Walker, Bruce D.; Weintrob, Amy; Winkler, Cheryl A.; Wolinsky, Steven; Telenti, Amalio; Goldstein, David B.; de Bakker, Paul I. W.; Zagury, Jean-François; Fellay, Jacques

2013-01-01

Multiple genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed in HIV-1 infected individuals, identifying common genetic influences on viral control and disease course. Similarly, common genetic correlates of acquisition of HIV-1 after exposure have been interrogated using GWAS, although in generally small samples. Under the auspices of the International Collaboration for the Genomics of HIV, we have combined the genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data collected by 25 cohorts, studies, or institutions on HIV-1 infected individuals and compared them to carefully matched population-level data sets (a list of all collaborators appears in Note S1 in Text S1). After imputation using the 1,000 Genomes Project reference panel, we tested approximately 8 million common DNA variants (SNPs and indels) for association with HIV-1 acquisition in 6,334 infected patients and 7,247 population samples of European ancestry. Initial association testing identified the SNP rs4418214, the C allele of which is known to tag the HLA-B*57:01 and B*27:05 alleles, as genome-wide significant (p = 3.6×10−11). However, restricting analysis to individuals with a known date of seroconversion suggested that this association was due to the frailty bias in studies of lethal diseases. Further analyses including testing recessive genetic models, testing for bulk effects of non-genome-wide significant variants, stratifying by sexual or parenteral transmission risk and testing previously reported associations showed no evidence for genetic influence on HIV-1 acquisition (with the exception of CCR5Δ32 homozygosity). Thus, these data suggest that genetic influences on HIV acquisition are either rare or have smaller effects than can be detected by this sample size. PMID:23935489

Association study of common genetic variants and HIV-1 acquisition in 6,300 infected cases and 7,200 controls.

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Paul J McLaren

Full Text Available Multiple genome-wide association studies (GWAS have been performed in HIV-1 infected individuals, identifying common genetic influences on viral control and disease course. Similarly, common genetic correlates of acquisition of HIV-1 after exposure have been interrogated using GWAS, although in generally small samples. Under the auspices of the International Collaboration for the Genomics of HIV, we have combined the genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP data collected by 25 cohorts, studies, or institutions on HIV-1 infected individuals and compared them to carefully matched population-level data sets (a list of all collaborators appears in Note S1 in Text S1. After imputation using the 1,000 Genomes Project reference panel, we tested approximately 8 million common DNA variants (SNPs and indels for association with HIV-1 acquisition in 6,334 infected patients and 7,247 population samples of European ancestry. Initial association testing identified the SNP rs4418214, the C allele of which is known to tag the HLA-B*57:01 and B*27:05 alleles, as genome-wide significant (p = 3.6 × 10⁻¹¹. However, restricting analysis to individuals with a known date of seroconversion suggested that this association was due to the frailty bias in studies of lethal diseases. Further analyses including testing recessive genetic models, testing for bulk effects of non-genome-wide significant variants, stratifying by sexual or parenteral transmission risk and testing previously reported associations showed no evidence for genetic influence on HIV-1 acquisition (with the exception of CCR5Δ32 homozygosity. Thus, these data suggest that genetic influences on HIV acquisition are either rare or have smaller effects than can be detected by this sample size.

Genome-Wide Association Meta-Analyses to Identify Common Genetic Variants Associated with Hallux Valgus in Caucasian and African Americans

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Yi-Hsiang; Liu, Youfang; Hannan, Marian T.; Maixner, William; Smith, Shad B.; Diatchenko, Luda; Golightly, Yvonne M.; Menz, Hylton B.; Kraus, Virginia B.; Doherty, Michael; Wilson, A.G.; Jordan, Joanne M.

2016-01-01

Objective Hallux valgus (HV) affects ~36% of Caucasian adults. Although considered highly heritable, the underlying genetic determinants are unclear. We conducted the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) aimed to identify genetic variants associated with HV. Methods HV was assessed in 3 Caucasian cohorts (n=2,263, n=915, and n=1,231 participants, respectively). In each cohort, a GWAS was conducted using 2.5M imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Mixed-effect regression with the additive genetic model adjusted for age, sex, weight and within-family correlations was used for both sex-specific and combined analyses. To combine GWAS results across cohorts, fixed-effect inverse-variance meta-analyses were used. Following meta-analyses, top-associated findings were also examined in an African American cohort (n=327). Results The proportion of HV variance explained by genome-wide genotyped SNPs was 50% in men and 48% in women. A higher proportion of genetic determinants of HV was sex-specific. The most significantly associated SNP in men was rs9675316 located on chr17q23-a24 near the AXIN2 gene (p=5.46×10−7); the most significantly associated SNP in women was rs7996797 located on chr13q14.1-q14.2 near the ESD gene (p=7.21×10−7). Genome-wide significant SNP-by-sex interaction was found for SNP rs1563374 located on chr11p15.1 near the MRGPRX3 gene (interaction p-value =4.1×10−9). The association signals diminished when combining men and women. Conclusion Findings suggest that the potential pathophysiological mechanisms of HV are complex and strongly underlined by sex-specific interactions. The identified genetic variants imply contribution of biological pathways observed in osteoarthritis as well as new pathways, influencing skeletal development and inflammation. PMID:26337638

Effect of CLU genetic variants on cerebrospinal fluid and neuroimaging markers in healthy, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease cohorts

OpenAIRE

Tan, Lin; Wang, Hui-Fu; Tan, Meng-Shan; Tan, Chen-Chen; Zhu, Xi-Chen; Miao, Dan; Yu, Wan-Jiang; Jiang, Teng; Tan, Lan; Yu, Jin-Tai; Weiner, Michael W.; Aisen, Paul; Petersen, Ronald; Jack, Clifford R.; Jagust, William

2016-01-01

The Clusterin (CLU) gene, also known as apolipoprotein J (ApoJ), is currently the third most associated late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) risk gene. However, little was known about the possible effect of CLU genetic variants on AD pathology in brain. Here, we evaluated the interaction between 7 CLU SNPs (covering 95% of genetic variations) and the role of CLU in β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition, AD-related structure atrophy, abnormal glucose metabolism on neuroimaging and CSF markers to clarify ...

Causal Genetic Variation Underlying Metabolome Differences.

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Swain-Lenz, Devjanee; Nikolskiy, Igor; Cheng, Jiye; Sudarsanam, Priya; Nayler, Darcy; Staller, Max V; Cohen, Barak A

2017-08-01

An ongoing challenge in biology is to predict the phenotypes of individuals from their genotypes. Genetic variants that cause disease often change an individual's total metabolite profile, or metabolome. In light of our extensive knowledge of metabolic pathways, genetic variants that alter the metabolome may help predict novel phenotypes. To link genetic variants to changes in the metabolome, we studied natural variation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae We used an untargeted mass spectrometry method to identify dozens of metabolite Quantitative Trait Loci (mQTL), genomic regions containing genetic variation that control differences in metabolite levels between individuals. We mapped differences in urea cycle metabolites to genetic variation in specific genes known to regulate amino acid biosynthesis. Our functional assays reveal that genetic variation in two genes, AUA1 and ARG81 , cause the differences in the abundance of several urea cycle metabolites. Based on knowledge of the urea cycle, we predicted and then validated a new phenotype: sensitivity to a particular class of amino acid isomers. Our results are a proof-of-concept that untargeted mass spectrometry can reveal links between natural genetic variants and metabolome diversity. The interpretability of our results demonstrates the promise of using genetic variants underlying natural differences in the metabolome to predict novel phenotypes from genotype. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

Genetic variants and early cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence phenotypes in adolescents.

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Jennifer O'Loughlin

Full Text Available While the heritability of cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence (ND is well-documented, the contribution of specific genetic variants to specific phenotypes has not been closely examined. The objectives of this study were to test the associations between 321 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs that capture common genetic variation in 24 genes, and early smoking and ND phenotypes in novice adolescent smokers, and to assess if genetic predictors differ across these phenotypes.In a prospective study of 1294 adolescents aged 12-13 years recruited from ten Montreal-area secondary schools, 544 participants who had smoked at least once during the 7-8 year follow-up provided DNA. 321 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in 24 candidate genes were tested for an association with number of cigarettes smoked in the past 3 months, and with five ND phenotypes (a modified version of the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire, the ICD-10 and three clusters of ND symptoms representing withdrawal symptoms, use of nicotine for self-medication, and a general ND/craving symptom indicator.The pattern of SNP-gene associations differed across phenotypes. Sixteen SNPs in seven genes (ANKK1, CHRNA7, DDC, DRD2, COMT, OPRM1, SLC6A3 (also known as DAT1 were associated with at least one phenotype with a p-value <0.01 using linear mixed models. After permutation and FDR adjustment, none of the associations remained statistically significant, although the p-values for the association between rs557748 in OPRM1 and the ND/craving and self-medication phenotypes were both 0.076.Because the genetic predictors differ, specific cigarette smoking and ND phenotypes should be distinguished in genetic studies in adolescents. Fifteen of the 16 top-ranked SNPs identified in this study were from loci involved in dopaminergic pathways (ANKK1/DRD2, DDC, COMT, OPRM1, and SLC6A3.Dopaminergic pathways may be salient during early smoking and the development of ND.

33 CFR 125.15 - Access to waterfront facilities, and port and harbor areas, including vessels and harbor craft...

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2010-07-01

..., and port and harbor areas, including vessels and harbor craft therein. 125.15 Section 125.15....15 Access to waterfront facilities, and port and harbor areas, including vessels and harbor craft....09 to those waterfront facilities, and port and harbor areas, including vessels and harbor craft...

Genetic Diversity within Alphaherpesviruses: Characterization of a Novel Variant of Herpes Simplex Virus 2.

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Burrel, Sonia; Désiré, Nathalie; Marlet, Julien; Dacheux, Laurent; Seang, Sophie; Caumes, Eric; Bourhy, Hervé; Agut, Henri; Boutolleau, David

2015-12-01

Very low levels of variability have been reported for the herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) genome. We recently described a new genetic variant of HSV-2 (HSV-2v) characterized by a much higher degree of variability for the UL30 gene (DNA polymerase) than observed for the HG52 reference strain. Retrospective screening of 505 clinical isolates of HSV-2 by a specific real-time PCR assay targeting the UL30 gene led to the identification of 13 additional HSV-2v isolates, resulting in an overall prevalence of 2.8%. Phylogenetic analyses on the basis of microsatellite markers and gene sequences showed clear differences between HSV-2v and classical HSV-2. Thirteen of the 14 patients infected with HSV-2v originated from West or Central Africa, and 9 of these patients were coinfected with HIV. These results raise questions about the origin of this new virus. Preliminary results suggest that HSV-2v may have acquired genomic segments from chimpanzee alphaherpesvirus (ChHV) by recombination. This article deals with the highly topical question of the origin of this new HSV-2 variant identified in patients with HIV coinfection originating mostly from West or Central Africa. HSV-2v clearly differed from classical HSV-2 isolates in phylogenetic analyses and may be linked to simian ChHV. This new HSV-2 variant highlights the possible occurrence of recombination between human and simian herpesviruses under natural conditions, potentially presenting greater challenges for the future. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Heritability and genetic basis of protein level variation in an outbred population.

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Parts, Leopold; Liu, Yi-Chun; Tekkedil, Manu M; Steinmetz, Lars M; Caudy, Amy A; Fraser, Andrew G; Boone, Charles; Andrews, Brenda J; Rosebrock, Adam P

2014-08-01

The genetic basis of heritable traits has been studied for decades. Although recent mapping efforts have elucidated genetic determinants of transcript levels, mapping of protein abundance has lagged. Here, we analyze levels of 4084 GFP-tagged yeast proteins in the progeny of a cross between a laboratory and a wild strain using flow cytometry and high-content microscopy. The genotype of trans variants contributed little to protein level variation between individual cells but explained >50% of the variance in the population's average protein abundance for half of the GFP fusions tested. To map trans-acting factors responsible, we performed flow sorting and bulk segregant analysis of 25 proteins, finding a median of five protein quantitative trait loci (pQTLs) per GFP fusion. Further, we find that cis-acting variants predominate; the genotype of a gene and its surrounding region had a large effect on protein level six times more frequently than the rest of the genome combined. We present evidence for both shared and independent genetic control of transcript and protein abundance: More than half of the expression QTLs (eQTLs) contribute to changes in protein levels of regulated genes, but several pQTLs do not affect their cognate transcript levels. Allele replacements of genes known to underlie trans eQTL hotspots confirmed the correlation of effects on mRNA and protein levels. This study represents the first genome-scale measurement of genetic contribution to protein levels in single cells and populations, identifies more than a hundred trans pQTLs, and validates the propagation of effects associated with transcript variation to protein abundance. © 2014 Parts et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Genetic variants at 1p11.2 and breast cancer risk: a two-stage study in Chinese women.

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Yue Jiang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS have identified several breast cancer susceptibility loci, and one genetic variant, rs11249433, at 1p11.2 was reported to be associated with breast cancer in European populations. To explore the genetic variants in this region associated with breast cancer in Chinese women, we conducted a two-stage fine-mapping study with a total of 1792 breast cancer cases and 1867 controls. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs including rs11249433 in a 277 kb region at 1p11.2 were selected and genotyping was performed by using TaqMan® OpenArray™ Genotyping System for stage 1 samples (878 cases and 900 controls. In stage 2 (914 cases and 967 controls, three SNPs (rs2580520, rs4844616 and rs11249433 were further selected and genotyped for validation. The results showed that one SNP (rs2580520 located at a predicted enhancer region of SRGAP2 was consistently associated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer in a recessive genetic model [Odds Ratio (OR  =  1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI  =  1.16-2.36 for stage 2 samples; OR  =  1.51, 95% CI  =  1.16-1.97 for combined samples, respectively]. However, no significant association was observed between rs11249433 and breast cancer risk in this Chinese population (dominant genetic model in combined samples: OR  =  1.20, 95% CI  =  0.92-1.57. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Genotypes of rs2580520 at 1p11.2 suggest that Chinese women may have different breast cancer susceptibility loci, which may contribute to the development of breast cancer in this population.

Association of Multiple Genetic Variants with the Extension and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease

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Simone Cristina Pinto Matheus Fischer

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS is a condition that, when associated with ischemic heart disease and cardiovascular events, can be influenced by genetic variants and determine more severe coronary atherosclerosis. Objectives: To examine the contribution of genetic polymorphisms to the extension and severity of coronary disease in subjects with MS and recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS. Methods: Patients (n = 116, 68% males aged 56 (9 years, with criteria for MS, were prospectively enrolled to the study during the hospitalization period after an ACS. Clinical and laboratory parameters, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, adiponectin, endothelial function, and the Gensini score were assessed. Polymorphisms of paraoxonase-1 (PON-1, methylenotetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ENOS, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R, apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3, lipoprotein lipase (LPL were analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR technique, followed by the identification of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP, and a genetic score was calculated. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used, as appropriate. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Polymorphisms of PON-1, MTHFR and ENOS were not in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The DD genotype of LPL was associated with higher severity and greater extension of coronary lesions. Genetic score tended to be higher in patients with Gensini score < P50 (13.7 ± 1.5 vs. 13.0 ± 1.6, p = 0.066, with an inverse correlation between genetic and Gensini scores (R = -0.194, p = 0.078. Conclusions: The LPL polymorphism contributed to the severity of coronary disease in patients with MS and recent ACS. Combined polymorphisms were associated with the extension of coronary disease, and the lower the genetic score the more severe the disease.

Stroke genetics: prospects for personalized medicine

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Markus Hugh S

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Epidemiologic evidence supports a genetic predisposition to stroke. Recent advances, primarily using the genome-wide association study approach, are transforming what we know about the genetics of multifactorial stroke, and are identifying novel stroke genes. The current findings are consistent with different stroke subtypes having different genetic architecture. These discoveries may identify novel pathways involved in stroke pathogenesis, and suggest new treatment approaches. However, the already identified genetic variants explain only a small proportion of overall stroke risk, and therefore are not currently useful in predicting risk for the individual patient. Such risk prediction may become a reality as identification of a greater number of stroke risk variants that explain the majority of genetic risk proceeds, and perhaps when information on rare variants, identified by whole-genome sequencing, is also incorporated into risk algorithms. Pharmacogenomics may offer the potential for earlier implementation of 'personalized genetic' medicine. Genetic variants affecting clopidogrel and warfarin metabolism may identify non-responders and reduce side-effects, but these approaches have not yet been widely adopted in clinical practice.

A Case of New Familiar Genetic Variant of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease-2: A Case Study.

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Litvinchuk, Tetiana; Tao, Yunxia; Singh, Ruchi; Vasylyeva, Tetyana L

2015-01-01

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by renal cyst formation due to mutations in genes coding for polycystin-1 [PKD1 (85-90% of cases), on ch 16p13.3] and polycystin-2 [PKD2 (10-15% of cases), on ch 4q13-23] and PKD3 gene (gene unmapped). It is also associated with TSC2/PKD1 contiguous gene syndrome. ADPKD is usually inherited, but new mutations without a family history occur in approximately 10% of the cases. A 17-year-old boy was followed up for bilateral cystic kidney disease, hypertension, and obesity since he was 13 years old. The diagnosis was an accidental finding during abdominal CT at age 13 to rule out appendicitis. A renal ultrasonogram also demonstrated a multiple bilateral cysts. Because of parental history of bilateral renal cysts, PKD1 and PKD2, genetic testing was ordered. Results showed, PKD2 variant 1:3 bp deletion of TGT; nucleotide position: 1602-1604; codon position: 512-513; mRNA reading frame maintained. The same mutation was later identified in his father. A smaller number of patients have a defect in the PKD2 locus on chromosome 4 (resulting in PKD2 disease). There are no known published cases on this familiar genetic variant of ADPKD-2 cystic kidney disease. In this case, the disease is present unusually early in life.

Comparison of statistical tests for association between rare variants and binary traits.

OpenAIRE

Bacanu, SA; Nelson, MR; Whittaker, JC

2012-01-01

: Genome-wide association studies have found thousands of common genetic variants associated with a wide variety of diseases and other complex traits. However, a large portion of the predicted genetic contribution to many traits remains unknown. One plausible explanation is that some of the missing variation is due to the effects of rare variants. Nonetheless, the statistical analysis of rare variants is challenging. A commonly used method is to contrast, within the same region (gene), the fr...

Genetic and bioinformatics analysis of four novel GCK missense variants detected in Caucasian families with GCK-MODY phenotype.

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Costantini, S; Malerba, G; Contreas, G; Corradi, M; Marin Vargas, S P; Giorgetti, A; Maffeis, C

2015-05-01

Heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in the glucokinase (GCK) gene cause maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) subtype GCK (GCK-MODY/MODY2). GCK sequencing revealed 16 distinct mutations (13 missense, 1 nonsense, 1 splice site, and 1 frameshift-deletion) co-segregating with hyperglycaemia in 23 GCK-MODY families. Four missense substitutions (c.718A>G/p.Asn240Asp, c.757G>T/p.Val253Phe, c.872A>C/p.Lys291Thr, and c.1151C>T/p.Ala384Val) were novel and a founder effect for the nonsense mutation (c.76C>T/p.Gln26*) was supposed. We tested whether an accurate bioinformatics approach could strengthen family-genetic evidence for missense variant pathogenicity in routine diagnostics, where wet-lab functional assays are generally unviable. In silico analyses of the novel missense variants, including orthologous sequence conservation, amino acid substitution (AAS)-pathogenicity predictors, structural modeling and splicing predictors, suggested that the AASs and/or the underlying nucleotide changes are likely to be pathogenic. This study shows how a careful bioinformatics analysis could provide effective suggestions to help molecular-genetic diagnosis in absence of wet-lab validations. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Population Based Study of the Genetic Association between Catecholamine Gene Variants and Spontaneous Low-Frequency Fluctuations in Reaction Time.

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Jojanneke A Bastiaansen

Full Text Available The catecholamines dopamine and noradrenaline have been implicated in spontaneous low-frequency fluctuations in reaction time, which are associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD and subclinical attentional problems. The molecular genetic substrates of these behavioral phenotypes, which reflect frequency ranges of intrinsic neuronal oscillations (Slow-4: 0.027-0.073 Hz; Slow-5: 0.010-0.027 Hz, have not yet been investigated. In this study, we performed regression analyses with an additive model to examine associations between low-frequency fluctuations in reaction time during a sustained attention task and genetic markers across 23 autosomal catecholamine genes in a large young adult population cohort (n = 964, which yielded greater than 80% power to detect a small effect size (f(2 = 0.02 and 100% power to detect a small/medium effect size (f(2 = 0.15. At significance levels corrected for multiple comparisons, none of the gene variants were associated with the magnitude of low-frequency fluctuations. Given the study's strong statistical power and dense coverage of the catecholamine genes, this either indicates that associations between low-frequency fluctuation measures and catecholamine gene variants are absent or that they are of very small effect size. Nominally significant associations were observed between variations in the alpha-2A adrenergic receptor gene (ADRA2A and the Slow-5 band. This is in line with previous reports of an association between ADRA2A gene variants and general reaction time variability during response selection tasks, but the specific association of these gene variants and low-frequency fluctuations requires further confirmation. Pharmacological challenge studies could in the future provide convergent evidence for the noradrenergic modulation of both general and time sensitive measures of intra-individual variability in reaction time.

Combinations of genetic data in a study of oral cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mellerup, Erling Thyge; Møller, Gert Lykke; Mondal, Pinaki

2015-01-01

In the single locus strategy a number of genetic variants are analyzed, in order to find variants that are distributed significantly different between controls and patients. A supplementary strategy is to analyze combinations of genetic variants. A combination that is the genetic basis...... for a polygenic disorder will not occur in in control persons genetically unrelated to patients, so the strategy is to analyze combinations of genetic variants present exclusively in patients. In a previous study of oral cancer and leukoplakia 325 SNPs were analyzed. This study has been supplemented...

Evaluation of common genetic variants in 82 candidate genes as risk factors for neural tube defects

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Pangilinan, Faith

2012-08-02

AbstractBackgroundNeural tube defects (NTDs) are common birth defects (~1 in 1000 pregnancies in the US and Europe) that have complex origins, including environmental and genetic factors. A low level of maternal folate is one well-established risk factor, with maternal periconceptional folic acid supplementation reducing the occurrence of NTD pregnancies by 50-70%. Gene variants in the folate metabolic pathway (e.g., MTHFR rs1801133 (677 C > T) and MTHFD1 rs2236225 (R653Q)) have been found to increase NTD risk. We hypothesized that variants in additional folate\\/B12 pathway genes contribute to NTD risk.MethodsA tagSNP approach was used to screen common variation in 82 candidate genes selected from the folate\\/B12 pathway and NTD mouse models. We initially genotyped polymorphisms in 320 Irish triads (NTD cases and their parents), including 301 cases and 341 Irish controls to perform case–control and family based association tests. Significantly associated polymorphisms were genotyped in a secondary set of 250 families that included 229 cases and 658 controls. The combined results for 1441 SNPs were used in a joint analysis to test for case and maternal effects.ResultsNearly 70 SNPs in 30 genes were found to be associated with NTDs at the p < 0.01 level. The ten strongest association signals (p-value range: 0.0003–0.0023) were found in nine genes (MFTC, CDKN2A, ADA, PEMT, CUBN, GART, DNMT3A, MTHFD1 and T (Brachyury)) and included the known NTD risk factor MTHFD1 R653Q (rs2236225). The single strongest signal was observed in a new candidate, MFTC rs17803441 (OR = 1.61 [1.23-2.08], p = 0.0003 for the minor allele). Though nominally significant, these associations did not remain significant after correction for multiple hypothesis testing.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, with respect to sample size and scope of evaluation of candidate polymorphisms, this is the largest NTD genetic association study reported to date. The scale of the study and the

Evaluation of common genetic variants in 82 candidate genes as risk factors for neural tube defects

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Pangilinan Faith

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Neural tube defects (NTDs are common birth defects (~1 in 1000 pregnancies in the US and Europe that have complex origins, including environmental and genetic factors. A low level of maternal folate is one well-established risk factor, with maternal periconceptional folic acid supplementation reducing the occurrence of NTD pregnancies by 50-70%. Gene variants in the folate metabolic pathway (e.g., MTHFR rs1801133 (677 C > T and MTHFD1 rs2236225 (R653Q have been found to increase NTD risk. We hypothesized that variants in additional folate/B12 pathway genes contribute to NTD risk. Methods A tagSNP approach was used to screen common variation in 82 candidate genes selected from the folate/B12 pathway and NTD mouse models. We initially genotyped polymorphisms in 320 Irish triads (NTD cases and their parents, including 301 cases and 341 Irish controls to perform case–control and family based association tests. Significantly associated polymorphisms were genotyped in a secondary set of 250 families that included 229 cases and 658 controls. The combined results for 1441 SNPs were used in a joint analysis to test for case and maternal effects. Results Nearly 70 SNPs in 30 genes were found to be associated with NTDs at the p MFTC, CDKN2A, ADA, PEMT, CUBN, GART, DNMT3A, MTHFD1 and T (Brachyury and included the known NTD risk factor MTHFD1 R653Q (rs2236225. The single strongest signal was observed in a new candidate, MFTC rs17803441 (OR = 1.61 [1.23-2.08], p = 0.0003 for the minor allele. Though nominally significant, these associations did not remain significant after correction for multiple hypothesis testing. Conclusions To our knowledge, with respect to sample size and scope of evaluation of candidate polymorphisms, this is the largest NTD genetic association study reported to date. The scale of the study and the stringency of correction are likely to have contributed to real associations failing to survive

Validation of variants in SLC28A3 and UGT1A6 as genetic markers predictive of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visscher, H.; Ross, C. J. D.; Rassekh, S. R.; Sandor, G. S. S.; Caron, H. N.; van Dalen, E. C.; Kremer, L. C.; van der Pal, H. J.; Rogers, P. C.; Rieder, M. J.; Carleton, B. C.; Hayden, M. R.; Hayden, Michael; Carleton, Bruce; Ross, Colin; MacLeod, Stuart; Wasserman, Wyeth; Mitton, Craig; Smith, Anne; Hildebrand, Claudette; Pastrana, Lucila Castro; Ghannadan, Reza; Rassekh, Rod; Lim, Jonathan; Carter, Catherine; Miao, Fudan; Visscher, Henk; Pussegoda, Kusala; Higginson, Michelle; Butland, Stefanie; Yazdanpanah, Mojgan; Nijssen-Jordan, Cheri; Johnson, David; Verbeek, Linda; Kaczowka, Rick; Stevenson, Patti; Grundy, Paul; Stobart, Kent; Wilson, Bev; Desai, Sunil; Spavor, Maria; Churcher, Linda; Chow, Terence; Hall, Kevin; Honcharik, Nick; Israels, Sara; Chan, Shanna; Garnham, Byron; Staub, Michelle; Rieder, Michael; Malkin, Becky; Portwine, Carol; Cranston, Amy; Koren, Gideon; Ito, Shinya; Nathan, Paul; Greenberg, Mark; Bournissen, Facundo Garcia; Inoue, Miho; Sakaguchi, Sachi; Tanaka, Toshihiro; Fujii, Hisaki; Ogawa, Mina; Ingram, Ryoko; Kamiya, Taro; Karande, Smita; Silva, Mariana; Willing, Stephanie; Vaillancourt, Régis; Elliott-Miller, Pat; Johnston, Donna; Mankoo, Herpreet; Wong, Elaine; Wilson, Brenda; O'Connor, Lauren; Maher, Maurica; Bussières, Jean-Francois; Lebel, Denis; Barret, Pierre; Closon, Aurélie; Dubé, Marie-Pierre; Phillips, Michael; Jabado, Nada; Santo, Anelise Espirito; Nagy, Martine; Avard, Denise; Murray, Margaret; Boliver, Darlene; Tiller, Marilyn

2013-01-01

The use of anthracyclines as effective antineoplastic drugs is limited by the occurrence of cardiotoxicity. Multiple genetic variants predictive of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (ACT) in children were recently identified. The current study was aimed to assess replication of these findings in

Three new genetic loci (R1210C in CFH, variants in COL8A1 and RAD51B are independently related to progression to advanced macular degeneration.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johanna M Seddon

Full Text Available To assess the independent impact of new genetic variants on conversion to advanced stages of AMD, controlling for established risk factors, and to determine the contribution of genes in predictive models.In this prospective longitudinal study of 2765 individuals, 777 subjects progressed to neovascular disease (NV or geographic atrophy (GA in either eye over 12 years. Recently reported genetic loci were assessed for their independent effects on incident advanced AMD after controlling for 6 established loci in 5 genes, and demographic, behavioral, and macular characteristics. New variants which remained significantly related to progression were then added to a final multivariate model to assess their independent effects. The contribution of genes to risk models was assessed using reclassification tables by determining risk within cross-classified quintiles for alternative models.THREE NEW GENETIC VARIANTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO PROGRESSION: rare variant R1210C in CFH (hazard ratio (HR 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-5.3, P = 0.01, and common variants in genes COL8A1 (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.5, P = 0.02 and RAD51B (HR 0.8, 95% CI 0.60-0.97, P = 0.03. The area under the curve statistic (AUC was significantly higher for the 9 gene model (.884 vs the 0 gene model (.873, P = .01. AUC's for the 9 vs 6 gene models were not significantly different, but reclassification analyses indicated significant added information for more genes, with adjusted odds ratios (OR for progression within 5 years per one quintile increase in risk score of 2.7, P<0.001 for the 9 vs 6 loci model, and OR 3.5, P<0.001 for the 9 vs. 0 gene model. Similar results were seen for NV and GA.Rare variant CFH R1210C and common variants in COL8A1 and RAD51B plus six genes in previous models contribute additional predictive information for advanced AMD beyond macular and behavioral phenotypes.

Common variants of OPA1 conferring genetic susceptibility to leprosy in Han Chinese from Southwest China.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Yang-Lin; Zhang, Deng-Feng; Wang, Dong; Li, Yu-Ye; Yao, Yong-Gang

2015-11-01

Leprosy is an ancient chronic infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Onset of leprosy was highly affected by host nutritional condition and energy production, (partially) due to genomic loss and parasitic life style of M. leprae. The optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) gene plays an essential role in mitochondria, which function in cellular energy supply and innate immunity. To investigate the potential involvement of OPA1 in leprosy. We analyzed 7 common genetic variants of OPA1 in 1110 Han Chinese subjects with and without leprosy, followed by mRNA expression profiling and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. We observed positive associations between OPA1 variants rs9838374 (Pgenotypic=0.003) and rs414237 (Pgenotypic=0.002) with lepromatous leprosy. expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis showed that the leprosy-related risk allele C of rs414237 is correlated with lower OPA1 mRNA expression level. Indeed, we identified a decrease of OPA1 mRNA expression in both with patients and cellular model of leprosy. In addition, the PPI analysis showed that OPA1 protein was actively involved in the interaction network of M. leprae induced differentially expressed genes. Our results indicated that OPA1 variants confer risk of leprosy and may affect OPA1 expression, mitochondrial function and antimicrobial pathways. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic variants and traits related to insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin resistance and their interaction with lifestyles on postmenopausal colorectal cancer risk.

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Su Yon Jung

Full Text Available Genetic variants and traits in metabolic signaling pathways may interact with lifestyle factors such as obesity, physical activity, and exogenous estrogen (E, influencing postmenopausal colorectal cancer (CRC risk, but these interrelated pathways are not fully understood. In this case-cohort study, we examined 33 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in genes related to insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I/ insulin resistance (IR traits and signaling pathways, using data from 704 postmenopausal women in Women's Health Initiative Observation ancillary studies. Stratifying by the lifestyle modifiers, we assessed the effects of IGF-I/IR traits (fasting total and free IGF-I, IGF binding protein-3, insulin, glucose, and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance on CRC risk as a mediator or influencing factor. Six SNPs in the INS, IGF-I, and IGFBP3 genes were associated with CRC risk, and those associations differed between non-obese/active and obese/inactive women and between E nonusers and users. Roughly 30% of the cancer risk due to the SNP was mediated by IGF-I/IR traits. Likewise, carriers of 11 SNPs in the IRS1 and AKT1/2 genes (signaling pathway-related genetic variants had different associations with CRC risk between strata, and the proportion of the SNP-cancer association explained by traits varied from 30% to 50%. Our findings suggest that IGF-I/IR genetic variants interact with obesity, physical activity, and exogenous E, altering postmenopausal CRC risk, through IGF-I/IR traits, but also through different pathways. Unraveling gene-phenotype-lifestyle interactions will provide data on potential genetic targets in clinical trials for cancer prevention and intervention strategies to reduce CRC risk.

TERT gene harbors multiple variants associated with pancreatic cancer susceptibility

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Campa, D.; Rizzato, C.; Stolzenberg-Solomon, R.; Pacetti, P.; Vodička, Pavel; Cleary, S.P.; Capurso, G.; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H. B.; Werner, J.; Gazouli, M.; Butterbach, K.; Ivanauskas, A.; Giese, N.; Petersen, G. M.; Fogar, P.; Wang, Z.; Bassi, C.; Ryska, M.; Theodoropoulos, G.E.; Kooperberg, Ch.; Li, D.; Greenhalf, W.; Pasquali, C.; Hackert, T.; Fuchs, Ch.S.; Mohelníková-Duchoňová, B.; Sperti, C.; Funel, N.; Dieffenbach, A.K.; Wareham, N.J.; Buring, J.; Holcátová, I.; Costello, E.; Zambon, C.F.; Kupcinskas, J.; Risch, H.A.; Kraft, P.; Bracci, P.M.; Pezzilli, R.; Olson, S.H.; Sesso, H. D.; Hartge, P.; Strobel, O.; Malecka-Panas, E.; Visvanathan, K.; Arslan, A. A.; Pedrazzoli, S.; Souček, P.; Gioffreda, D.; Key, T.J.; Talar-Wojnarowska, R.; Scarpa, A.; Mambrini, A.; Jacobs, E.J.; Jamroziak, K.; Klein, A.; Tavano, F.; Bambi, F.; Landi, S.; Austin, M. A.; Vodičková, Ludmila; Brenner, H.; Chanock, S. J.; Fave, G.D.; Piepoli, A.; Cantore, M.; Zheng, W.; Wolpin, B.M.; Amundadottir, L. T.; Canzian, F.

2015-01-01

Roč. 137, č. 9 (2015), s. 2175-2183 ISSN 0020-7136 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP301/12/1734 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : pancreatic cancer * polymorphisms * telomerase * susceptibility Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 5.531, year: 2015

Assessing interactions between the associations of common genetic susceptibility variants, reproductive history and body mass index with breast cancer risk in the breast cancer association consortium: a combined case-control study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milne, Roger L; Gaudet, Mia M; Spurdle, Amanda B

2010-01-01

Several common breast cancer genetic susceptibility variants have recently been identified. We aimed to determine how these variants combine with a subset of other known risk factors to influence breast cancer risk in white women of European ancestry using case-control studies participating...

Semantic prioritization of novel causative genomic variants

KAUST Repository

Boudellioua, Imene

2017-04-17

Discriminating the causative disease variant(s) for individuals with inherited or de novo mutations presents one of the main challenges faced by the clinical genetics community today. Computational approaches for variant prioritization include machine learning methods utilizing a large number of features, including molecular information, interaction networks, or phenotypes. Here, we demonstrate the PhenomeNET Variant Predictor (PVP) system that exploits semantic technologies and automated reasoning over genotype-phenotype relations to filter and prioritize variants in whole exome and whole genome sequencing datasets. We demonstrate the performance of PVP in identifying causative variants on a large number of synthetic whole exome and whole genome sequences, covering a wide range of diseases and syndromes. In a retrospective study, we further illustrate the application of PVP for the interpretation of whole exome sequencing data in patients suffering from congenital hypothyroidism. We find that PVP accurately identifies causative variants in whole exome and whole genome sequencing datasets and provides a powerful resource for the discovery of causal variants.

Semantic prioritization of novel causative genomic variants

KAUST Repository

Boudellioua, Imene; Mohamad Razali, Rozaimi; Kulmanov, Maxat; Hashish, Yasmeen; Bajic, Vladimir B.; Goncalves-Serra, Eva; Schoenmakers, Nadia; Gkoutos, Georgios V.; Schofield, Paul N.; Hoehndorf, Robert

2017-01-01

Discriminating the causative disease variant(s) for individuals with inherited or de novo mutations presents one of the main challenges faced by the clinical genetics community today. Computational approaches for variant prioritization include machine learning methods utilizing a large number of features, including molecular information, interaction networks, or phenotypes. Here, we demonstrate the PhenomeNET Variant Predictor (PVP) system that exploits semantic technologies and automated reasoning over genotype-phenotype relations to filter and prioritize variants in whole exome and whole genome sequencing datasets. We demonstrate the performance of PVP in identifying causative variants on a large number of synthetic whole exome and whole genome sequences, covering a wide range of diseases and syndromes. In a retrospective study, we further illustrate the application of PVP for the interpretation of whole exome sequencing data in patients suffering from congenital hypothyroidism. We find that PVP accurately identifies causative variants in whole exome and whole genome sequencing datasets and provides a powerful resource for the discovery of causal variants.

POU4F3 mutation screening in Japanese hearing loss patients: Massively parallel DNA sequencing-based analysis identified novel variants associated with autosomal dominant hearing loss.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomohiro Kitano

Full Text Available A variant in a transcription factor gene, POU4F3, is responsible for autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hereditary hearing loss, DFNA15. To date, 14 variants, including a whole deletion of POU4F3, have been reported to cause HL in various ethnic groups. In the present study, genetic screening for POU4F3 variants was carried out for a large series of Japanese hearing loss (HL patients to clarify the prevalence and clinical characteristics of DFNA15 in the Japanese population. Massively parallel DNA sequencing of 68 target candidate genes was utilized in 2,549 unrelated Japanese HL patients (probands to identify genomic variations responsible for HL. The detailed clinical features in patients with POU4F3 variants were collected from medical charts and analyzed. Novel 12 POU4F3 likely pathogenic variants (six missense variants, three frameshift variants, and three nonsense variants were successfully identified in 15 probands (2.5% among 602 families exhibiting autosomal dominant HL, whereas no variants were detected in the other 1,947 probands with autosomal recessive or inheritance pattern unknown HL. To obtain the audiovestibular configuration of the patients harboring POU4F3 variants, we collected audiograms and vestibular symptoms of the probands and their affected family members. Audiovestibular phenotypes in a total of 24 individuals from the 15 families possessing variants were characterized by progressive HL, with a large variation in the onset age and severity with or without vestibular symptoms observed. Pure-tone audiograms indicated the most prevalent configuration as mid-frequency HL type followed by high-frequency HL type, with asymmetry observed in approximately 20% of affected individuals. Analysis of the relationship between age and pure-tone average suggested that individuals with truncating variants showed earlier onset and slower progression of HL than did those with non-truncating variants. The present study showed that variants

Association of Genetic Variants With Response to Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorés-Motta, Laura; Riaz, Moeen; Grunin, Michelle; Corominas, Jordi; van Asten, Freekje; Pauper, Marc; Leenders, Mathieu; Richardson, Andrea J; Muether, Philipp; Cree, Angela J; Griffiths, Helen L; Pham, Connie; Belanger, Marie-Claude; Meester-Smoor, Magda A; Ali, Manir; Heid, Iris M; Fritsche, Lars G; Chakravarthy, Usha; Gale, Richard; McKibbin, Martin; Inglehearn, Chris F; Schlingemann, Reinier O; Omar, Amer; Chen, John; Koenekoop, Robert K; Fauser, Sascha; Guymer, Robyn H; Hoyng, Carel B; de Jong, Eiko K; Lotery, Andrew J; Mitchell, Paul; den Hollander, Anneke I; Baird, Paul N; Chowers, Itay

2018-05-31

Visual acuity (VA) outcomes differ considerably among patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs. Identification of pharmacogenetic associations may help clinicians understand the mechanisms underlying this variability as well as pave the way for personalized treatment in nAMD. To identify genetic factors associated with variability in the response to anti-VEGF therapy for patients with nAMD. In this multicenter genome-wide association study, 678 patients with nAMD with genome-wide genotyping data were included in the discovery phase; 1380 additional patients with nAMD were genotyped for selected common variants in the replication phase. All participants received 3 monthly injections of bevacizumab or ranibizumab. Clinical data were evaluated for inclusion/exclusion criteria from October 2014 to October 2015, followed by data analysis from October 2015 to February 2016. For replication cohort genotyping, clinical data collection and analysis (including meta-analysis) was performed from March 2016 to April 2017. Change in VA after the loading dose of 3 monthly anti-VEGF injections compared with baseline. Of the 2058 included patients, 1210 (58.8%) were women, and the mean (SD) age across all cohorts was 78 (7.4) years. Patients included in the discovery cohort and most of the patients in the replication cohorts were of European descent. The mean (SD) baseline VA was 51.3 (20.3) Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) score letters, and the mean (SD) change in VA after the loading dose of 3 monthly injections was a gain of 5.1 (13.9) ETDRS score letters (ie, 1-line gain). Genome-wide single-variant analyses of common variants revealed 5 independent loci that reached a P value less than 10 × 10-5. After replication and meta-analysis of the lead variants, rs12138564 located in the CCT3 gene remained nominally associated with a better treatment outcome (ETDRS letter

Prevalence of deleterious germline variants in risk genes including BRCA1/2 in consecutive ovarian cancer patients (AGO-TR-1.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philipp Harter

of 31.6% (36.0% versus 11.4% (17.6% and histologic subtype of high grade serous ovarian cancer versus other showed a prevalence of deleterious variants of 23.2% (29.1% and 10.2% (14.8%, respectively. Testing only for BRCA1/2 would miss in our series more than 5% of the patients with a deleterious variant in established risk genes.26.4% of all patients harbor at least one deleterious variant in established risk genes. The threshold of 10% mutation rate which is accepted for reimbursement by health care providers in Germany was observed in all subgroups analyzed and neither age at primary diagnosis nor histo-type or family history sufficiently enough could identify a subgroup not eligible for genetic counselling and testing. Genetic testing should therefore be offered to every patient with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer and limiting testing to BRCA1/2 seems to be not sufficient.

The genetic validation of heterogeneity in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsutsumi, Atsushi; Glatt, Stephen J; Kanazawa, Tetsufumi; Kawashige, Seiya; Uenishi, Hiroyuki; Hokyo, Akira; Kaneko, Takao; Moritani, Makiko; Kikuyama, Hiroki; Koh, Jun; Matsumura, Hitoshi; Yoneda, Hiroshi

2011-10-07

Schizophrenia is a heritable disorder, however clear genetic architecture has not been detected. To overcome this state of uncertainty, the SZGene database has been established by including all published case-control genetic association studies appearing in peer-reviewed journals. In the current study, we aimed to determine if genetic variants strongly suggested by SZGene are associated with risk of schizophrenia in our case-control samples of Japanese ancestry. In addition, by employing the additive model for aggregating the effect of seven variants, we aimed to verify the genetic heterogeneity of schizophrenia diagnosed by an operative diagnostic manual, the DSM-IV. Each positively suggested genetic polymorphism was ranked according to its p-value, then the seven top-ranked variants (p Japanese population. It is also important to aggregate the updated positive variants in the SZGene database when the replication work is conducted.

Protein variants in Hiroshima and Nagasaki: tales of two cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Neel, J V; Satoh, C; Smouse, P; Asakawa, J; Takahashi, N; Goriki, K; Fujita, M; Kageoka, T; Hazama, R

1988-12-01

The results of 1,465,423 allele product determinations based on blood samples from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, involving 30 different proteins representing 32 different gene products, are analyzed in a variety of ways, with the following conclusions: (1) Sibships and their parents are included in the sample. Our analysis reveals that statistical procedures designed to reduce the sample to equivalent independent genomes do not in population comparisons compensate for the familial cluster effect of rare variants. Accordingly, the data set was reduced to one representative of each sibship (937,427 allele products). (2) Both chi 2-type contrasts and a genetic distance measure (delta) reveal that rare variants (P less than .01) are collectively as effective as polymorphisms in establishing genetic differences between the two cities. (3) We suggest that rare variants that individually exhibit significant intercity differences are probably the legacy of tribal private polymorphisms that occurred during prehistoric times. (4) Despite the great differences in the known histories of the two cities, both the overall frequency of rare variants and the number of different rare variants are essentially identical in the two cities. (5) The well-known differences in locus variability are confirmed, now after adjustment for sample size differences for the various locus products; in this large series we failed to detect variants at only three of 29 loci for which sample size exceeded 23,000. (6) The number of alleles identified per locus correlates positively with subunit molecular weight. (7) Loci supporting genetic polymorphisms are characterized by more rare variants than are loci at which polymorphisms were not encountered. (8) Loci whose products do not appear to be essential for health support more variants than do loci the absence of whose product is detrimental to health. (9) There is a striking excess of rare variants over the expectation under the neutral mutation

Genetic analysis of Kruppel-like zinc finger 11 variants in 5864 Danish individuals: potential effect on insulin resistance and modified signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 binding by promoter variant -1659G>C

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gutiérrez-Aguilar, Ruth; Froguel, Philippe; Hamid, Yasmin H

2008-01-01

CONTEXT: The transcription factor Krüppel-like zinc finger 11 (KLF11) has been suggested to contribute to genetic risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Our previous results showed that four KLF11 variants, in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD block including +185 A>G/Gln62Arg and -1659 G>C) were...

Assessing interactions between the associations of common genetic susceptibility variants, reproductive history and body mass index with breast cancer risk in the breast cancer association consortium: a combined case-control study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milne, Roger L; Gaudet, Mia M; Spurdle, Amanda B

2010-01-01

Several common breast cancer genetic susceptibility variants have recently been identified. We aimed to determine how these variants combine with a subset of other known risk factors to influence breast cancer risk in white women of European ancestry using case-control studies participating in th...

Coastal Harbors Modeling Facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Coastal Harbors Modeling Facility is used to aid in the planning of harbor development and in the design and layout of breakwaters, absorbers, etc.. The goal is...

A genome-wide approach accounting for body mass index identifies genetic variants influencing fasting glycemic traits and insulin resistance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Manning, Alisa K; Hivert, Marie-France; Scott, Robert A

2012-01-01

pathways might be uncovered by accounting for differences in body mass index (BMI) and potential interactions between BMI and genetic variants. We applied a joint meta-analysis approach to test associations with fasting insulin and glucose on a genome-wide scale. We present six previously unknown loci...... associated with fasting insulin at P triglyceride and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, suggesting a role for these loci...

Sun Exposure, Vitamin D Receptor Genetic Variants, and Risk of Breast Cancer in the Agricultural Health Study

Science.gov (United States)

Satagopan, Jaya; Sima, Camelia S.; Orlow, Irene; Mujumdar, Urvi; Coble, Joseph; Roy, Pampa; Yoo, Sarah; Sandler, Dale P.; Alavanja, Michael C.

2013-01-01

Background: Epidemiologic evidence suggests a negative relation between sunlight exposure and breast cancer risk. The hypothesized mechanism is sunlight-induced cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D. Objectives: Our goal was to examine sun exposure and its interaction with vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene variants on breast cancer risk. Methods: We examined sun exposure and breast cancer incidence among 31,021 private pesticide applicators’ wives, including 578 cases, enrolled in the prospective Agricultural Health Study cohort and followed 8.6 years on average. We estimated interactions between sun exposure, VDR variants, and breast cancer in a nested case–control study comprising 293 cases and 586 matched controls. Information on sun exposure was obtained by questionnaire at cohort enrollment. Relative risks were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression for the cohort data and conditional logistic regression for the nested case–control data. Results: We observed a small decrease in breast cancer risk in association with usual sun exposure of ≥ 1 hr/day (versus sun exposure may be associated with reduced risk of breast cancer, but we did not find clear evidence of modification by VDR variants. Larger studies are warranted, particularly among populations in whom low levels of usual sun exposure can be more precisely characterized. Citation: Engel LS, Satagopan J, Sima CS, Orlow I, Mujumdar U, Coble J, Roy P, Yoo S, Sandler DP, Alavanja MC. 2014. Sun exposure, vitamin D receptor genetic variants, and risk of breast cancer in the Agricultural Health Study. Environ Health Perspect 122:165–171; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1206274 PMID:24252436

Three new genetic loci (R1210C in CFH, variants in COL8A1 and RAD51B) are independently related to progression to advanced macular degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Seddon, Johanna M; Reynolds, Robyn; Yu, Yi; Rosner, Bernard

2014-01-01

To assess the independent impact of new genetic variants on conversion to advanced stages of AMD, controlling for established risk factors, and to determine the contribution of genes in predictive models. In this prospective longitudinal study of 2765 individuals, 777 subjects progressed to neovascular disease (NV) or geographic atrophy (GA) in either eye over 12 years. Recently reported genetic loci were assessed for their independent effects on incident advanced AMD after controlling for 6 established loci in 5 genes, and demographic, behavioral, and macular characteristics. New variants which remained significantly related to progression were then added to a final multivariate model to assess their independent effects. The contribution of genes to risk models was assessed using reclassification tables by determining risk within cross-classified quintiles for alternative models. THREE NEW GENETIC VARIANTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO PROGRESSION: rare variant R1210C in CFH (hazard ratio (HR) 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-5.3, P = 0.01), and common variants in genes COL8A1 (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.5, P = 0.02) and RAD51B (HR 0.8, 95% CI 0.60-0.97, P = 0.03). The area under the curve statistic (AUC) was significantly higher for the 9 gene model (.884) vs the 0 gene model (.873), P = .01. AUC's for the 9 vs 6 gene models were not significantly different, but reclassification analyses indicated significant added information for more genes, with adjusted odds ratios (OR) for progression within 5 years per one quintile increase in risk score of 2.7, Padvanced AMD beyond macular and behavioral phenotypes.

Identification of a functional enhancer variant within the chronic pancreatitis-associated SPINK1 c.101A>G (p.Asn34Ser)-containing haplotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Boulling, Arnaud; Masson, Emmanuelle; Zou, Wen-Bin; Paliwal, Sumit; Wu, Hao; Issarapu, Prachand; Bhaskar, Seema; Génin, Emmanuelle; Cooper, David N; Li, Zhao-Shen; Chandak, Giriraj R; Liao, Zhuan; Chen, Jian-Min; Férec, Claude

2017-08-01

The haplotype harboring the SPINK1 c.101A>G (p.Asn34Ser) variant (also known as rs17107315:T>C) represents the most important heritable risk factor for idiopathic chronic pancreatitis identified to date. The causal variant contained within this risk haplotype has however remained stubbornly elusive. Herein, we set out to resolve this enigma by employing a hypothesis-driven approach. First, we searched for variants in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) with rs17107315:T>C using HaploReg v4.1. Second, we identified two candidate SNPs by visual inspection of sequences spanning all 25 SNPs found to be in LD with rs17107315:T>C, guided by prior knowledge of pancreas-specific transcription factors and their cognate binding sites. Third, employing a novel cis-regulatory module (CRM)-guided approach to further filter the two candidate SNPs yielded a solitary candidate causal variant. Finally, combining data from phylogenetic conservation and chromatin accessibility, cotransfection transactivation experiments, and population genetic studies, we suggest that rs142703147:C>A, which disrupts a PTF1L-binding site within an evolutionarily conserved HNF1A-PTF1L CRM located ∼4 kb upstream of the SPINK1 promoter, contributes to the aforementioned chronic pancreatitis risk haplotype. Further studies are required not only to improve the characterization of this functional SNP but also to identify other functional components that might contribute to this high-risk haplotype. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The MLH1 c.1852_1853delinsGC (p.K618A variant in colorectal cancer: genetic association study in 18,723 individuals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Abulí

Full Text Available Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent neoplasms and an important cause of mortality in the developed world. Mendelian syndromes account for about 5% of the total burden of CRC, being Lynch syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis the most common forms. Lynch syndrome tumors develop mainly as a consequence of defective DNA mismatch repair associated with germline mutations in MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2. A significant proportion of variants identified by screening these genes correspond to missense or noncoding changes without a clear pathogenic consequence, and they are designated as "variants of uncertain significance", being the c.1852_1853delinsGC (p.K618A variant in the MLH1 gene a clear example. The implication of this variant as a low-penetrance risk variant for CRC was assessed in the present study by performing a case-control study within a large cohort from the COGENT consortium-COST Action BM1206 including 18,723 individuals (8,055 colorectal cancer cases and 10,668 controls and a case-only genotype-phenotype correlation with several clinical and pathological characteristics restricted to the Epicolon cohort. Our results showed no involvement of this variant as a low-penetrance variant for colorectal cancer genetic susceptibility and no association with any clinical and pathological characteristics including family history for this neoplasm or Lynch syndrome.

Genetic variants and multiple myeloma risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martino, Alessandro; Campa, Daniele; Jurczyszyn, Artur

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Genetic background plays a role in multiple myeloma susceptibility. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) associated with genetic susceptibility to multiple myeloma were identified in the last years, but only a few of them were validated in independent studies. METHODS...... with multiple myeloma risk (P value range, 0.055-0.981), possibly with the exception of the SNP rs2227667 (SERPINE1) in women. CONCLUSIONS: We can exclude that the selected polymorphisms are major multiple myeloma risk factors. IMPACT: Independent validation studies are crucial to identify true genetic risk...

Genetic Variants in CD44 and MAT1A Confer Susceptibility to Acute Skin Reaction in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mumbrekar, Kamalesh Dattaram; Bola Sadashiva, Satish Rao [Department of Radiation Biology and Toxicology, School of Life Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka (India); Kabekkodu, Shama Prasada [Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka (India); Fernandes, Donald Jerard [Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Shirdi Saibaba Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, Karnataka (India); Vadhiraja, Bejadi Manjunath [Department of Radiation Oncology, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka (India); Suga, Tomo; Shoji, Yoshimi; Nakayama, Fumiaki; Imai, Takashi [Advanced Radiation Biology Research Program, Research Center for Charged Particle Therapy, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba (Japan); Satyamoorthy, Kapaettu, E-mail: ksatyamoorthy@yahoo.com [Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka (India)

2017-01-01

Purpose: Heterogeneity in radiation therapy (RT)-induced normal tissue toxicity is observed in 10% of cancer patients, limiting the therapeutic outcomes. In addition to treatment-related factors, normal tissue adverse reactions also manifest from genetic alterations in distinct pathways majorly involving DNA damage–repair genes, inflammatory cytokine genes, cell cycle regulation, and antioxidant response. Therefore, the common sequence variants in these radioresponsive genes might modify the severity of normal tissue toxicity, and the identification of the same could have clinical relevance as a predictive biomarker. Methods and Materials: The present study was conducted in a cohort of patients with breast cancer to evaluate the possible associations between genetic variants in radioresponsive genes described previously and the risk of developing RT-induced acute skin adverse reactions. We tested 22 genetic variants reported in 18 genes (ie, NFE2L2, OGG1, NEIL3, RAD17, PTTG1, REV3L, ALAD, CD44, RAD9A, TGFβR3, MAD2L2, MAP3K7, MAT1A, RPS6KB2, ZNF830, SH3GL1, BAX, and XRCC1) using TaqMan assay-based real-time polymerase chain reaction. At the end of RT, the severity of skin damage was scored, and the subjects were dichotomized as nonoverresponders (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group grade <2) and overresponders (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group grade ≥2) for analysis. Results: Of the 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms studied, the rs8193 polymorphism lying in the micro-RNA binding site of 3′-UTR of CD44 was significantly (P=.0270) associated with RT-induced adverse skin reactions. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis showed significant (P=.0107) gene–gene interactions between MAT1A and CD44. Furthermore, an increase in the total number of risk alleles was associated with increasing occurrence of overresponses (P=.0302). Conclusions: The genetic polymorphisms in radioresponsive genes act as genetic modifiers of acute normal tissue toxicity

Characterization of a rare variant (c.2635-2A>G) of the MSH2 gene in a family with Lynch syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Cariola, Filomena; Disciglio, Vittoria; Valentini, Anna M; Lotesoriere, Claudio; Fasano, Candida; Forte, Giovanna; Russo, Luciana; Di Carlo, Antonio; Guglielmi, Floranna; Manghisi, Andrea; Lolli, Ivan; Caruso, Maria L; Simone, Cristiano

2018-04-01

Lynch syndrome is caused by germline mutations in one of the mismatch repair genes ( MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2) or in the EPCAM gene. Lynch syndrome is defined on the basis of clinical, pathological, and genetic findings. Accordingly, the identification of predisposing genes allows for accurate risk assessment and tailored screening protocols. Here, we report a family case with three family members manifesting the Lynch syndrome phenotype, all of which harbor the rare variant c.2635-2A>G affecting the splice site consensus sequence of intron 15 of the MSH2 gene. This mutation was previously described only in one family with Lynch syndrome, in which mismatch repair protein expression in tumor tissues was not assessed. In this study, we report for the first time the molecular characterization of the MSH2 c.2635-2A>G variant through in silico prediction analysis, microsatellite instability, and mismatch repair protein expression experiments on tumor tissues of Lynch syndrome patients. The potential effect of the splice site variant was revealed by three splicing prediction bioinformatics tools, which suggested the generation of a new cryptic splicing site. The potential pathogenic role of this variant was also revealed by the presence of microsatellite instability and the absence of MSH2/MSH6 heterodimer protein expression in the tumor cells of cancer tissues of the affected family members. We provide compelling evidence in favor of the pathogenic role of the MSH2 variant c.2635-2A>G, which could induce an alteration of the canonical splice site and consequently an aberrant form of the protein product (MSH2).

Interaction between polymorphisms of the Human Leukocyte Antigen and HPV-16 Variants on the risk of invasive cervical cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo Souza, Patricia S de; Maciag, Paulo C; Ribeiro, Karina B; Petzl-Erler, Maria Luiza; Franco, Eduardo L; Villa, Luisa L

2008-01-01

Persistent infection with oncogenic types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is the major risk factor for invasive cervical cancer (ICC), and non-European variants of HPV-16 are associated with an increased risk of persistence and ICC. HLA class II polymorphisms are also associated with genetic susceptibility to ICC. Our aim is to verify if these associations are influenced by HPV-16 variability. We characterized HPV-16 variants by PCR in 107 ICC cases, which were typed for HLA-DQA1, DRB1 and DQB1 genes and compared to 257 controls. We measured the magnitude of associations by logistic regression analysis. European (E), Asian-American (AA) and African (Af) variants were identified. Here we show that inverse association between DQB1*05 (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39–1.12]) and HPV-16 positive ICC in our previous report was mostly attributable to AA variant carriers (OR = 0.27; 95%CI: 0.10–0.75). We observed similar proportions of HLA DRB1*1302 carriers in E-P positive cases and controls, but interestingly, this allele was not found in AA cases (p = 0.03, Fisher exact test). A positive association with DRB1*15 was observed in both groups of women harboring either E (OR = 2.99; 95% CI: 1.13–7.86) or AA variants (OR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.00–5.46). There was an inverse association between DRB1*04 and ICC among women with HPV-16 carrying the 350T [83L] single nucleotide polymorphism in the E6 gene (OR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.08–0.96). An inverse association between DQB1*05 and cases carrying 350G (83V) variants was also found (OR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.15–0.89). Our results suggest that the association between HLA polymorphism and risk of ICC might be influenced by the distribution of HPV-16 variants

Functional assays for analysis of variants of uncertain significance in BRCA2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guidugli, Lucia; Carreira, Aura; Caputo, Sandrine M

2014-01-01

Missense variants in the BRCA2 gene are routinely detected during clinical screening for pathogenic mutations in patients with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer. These subtle changes frequently remain of unknown clinical significance because of the lack of genetic information that may...... of uncertain significance analyzed, and describe a validation set of (genetically) proven pathogenic and neutral missense variants to serve as a golden standard for the validation of each assay. Guidelines are proposed to enable implementation of laboratory-based methods to assess the impact of the variant...

Evaluation of regulatory genetic variants in POU5F1 and risk of congenital heart disease in Han Chinese.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yuan; Ding, Chenyue; Zhang, Kai; Ni, Bixian; Da, Min; Hu, Liang; Hu, Yuanli; Xu, Jing; Wang, Xiaowei; Chen, Yijiang; Mo, Xuming; Cui, Yugui; Shen, Hongbing; Sha, Jiahao; Liu, Jiayin; Hu, Zhibin

2015-10-28

OCT4 is a transcription factor of the POU family, which plays a key role in embryonic development and stem cell pluripotency. Previous studies have shown that Oct4 is required for cardiomyocyte differentiation in mice and its depletion could result in cardiac morphogenesis in embryo. However, whether the genetic variations in OCT4 coding gene, POU5F1, confer the predisposition to congenital heart disease (CHD) is unclear. This study sought to investigate the associations between low-frequency (defined here as having minor allele frequency (MAF) between 0.1%-5%) and rare (MAF below 0.1%) variants with potential function in POU5F1 and risk of CHD. We conducted association analysis in a two-stage case-control study with a total of 2,720 CHD cases and 3,331 controls in Chinese. The low-frequency variant rs3130933 was observed to be associated with a significantly increased risk of CHD [additive model: adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.15, adjusted P = 3.37 × 10(-6)]. Furthermore, luciferase activity assay showed that the variant A allele led to significantly lower expression levels as compared to the G allele. These findings indicate for the first time that low-frequency functional variant in POU5F1 may contribute to the risk of congenital heart malformations.

Evaluation of regulatory genetic variants in POU5F1 and risk of congenital heart disease in Han Chinese

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yuan; Ding, Chenyue; Zhang, Kai; Ni, Bixian; da, Min; Hu, Liang; Hu, Yuanli; Xu, Jing; Wang, Xiaowei; Chen, Yijiang; Mo, Xuming; Cui, Yugui; Shen, Hongbing; Sha, Jiahao; Liu, Jiayin; Hu, Zhibin

2015-10-01

OCT4 is a transcription factor of the POU family, which plays a key role in embryonic development and stem cell pluripotency. Previous studies have shown that Oct4 is required for cardiomyocyte differentiation in mice and its depletion could result in cardiac morphogenesis in embryo. However, whether the genetic variations in OCT4 coding gene, POU5F1, confer the predisposition to congenital heart disease (CHD) is unclear. This study sought to investigate the associations between low-frequency (defined here as having minor allele frequency (MAF) between 0.1%-5%) and rare (MAF below 0.1%) variants with potential function in POU5F1 and risk of CHD. We conducted association analysis in a two-stage case-control study with a total of 2,720 CHD cases and 3,331 controls in Chinese. The low-frequency variant rs3130933 was observed to be associated with a significantly increased risk of CHD [additive model: adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.15, adjusted P = 3.37 × 10-6]. Furthermore, luciferase activity assay showed that the variant A allele led to significantly lower expression levels as compared to the G allele. These findings indicate for the first time that low-frequency functional variant in POU5F1 may contribute to the risk of congenital heart malformations.

Genetics and epigenetics of obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, Blanca M; Keildson, Sarah; Lindgren, Cecilia M

2011-05-01

Obesity results from interactions between environmental and genetic factors. Despite a relatively high heritability of common, non-syndromic obesity (40-70%), the search for genetic variants contributing to susceptibility has been a challenging task. Genome wide association (GWA) studies have dramatically changed the pace of detection of common genetic susceptibility variants. To date, more than 40 genetic variants have been associated with obesity and fat distribution. However, since these variants do not fully explain the heritability of obesity, other forms of variation, such as epigenetics marks, must be considered. Epigenetic marks, or "imprinting", affect gene expression without actually changing the DNA sequence. Failures in imprinting are known to cause extreme forms of obesity (e.g. Prader-Willi syndrome), but have also been convincingly associated with susceptibility to obesity. Furthermore, environmental exposures during critical developmental periods can affect the profile of epigenetic marks and result in obesity. We review the most recent evidence for genetic and epigenetic mechanisms involved in the susceptibility and development of obesity. Only a comprehensive understanding of the underlying genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, and the metabolic processes they govern, will allow us to manage, and eventually prevent, obesity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Screening of whole genome sequences identified high-impact variants for stallion fertility.

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Schrimpf, Rahel; Gottschalk, Maren; Metzger, Julia; Martinsson, Gunilla; Sieme, Harald; Distl, Ottmar

2016-04-14

Stallion fertility is an economically important trait due to the increase of artificial insemination in horses. The availability of whole genome sequence data facilitates identification of rare high-impact variants contributing to stallion fertility. The aim of our study was to genotype rare high-impact variants retrieved from next-generation sequencing (NGS)-data of 11 horses in order to unravel harmful genetic variants in large samples of stallions. Gene ontology (GO) terms and search results from public databases were used to obtain a comprehensive list of human und mice genes predicted to participate in the regulation of male reproduction. The corresponding equine orthologous genes were searched in whole genome sequence data of seven stallions and four mares and filtered for high-impact genetic variants using SnpEFF, SIFT and Polyphen 2 software. All genetic variants with the missing homozygous mutant genotype were genotyped on 337 fertile stallions of 19 breeds using KASP genotyping assays or PCR-RFLP. Mixed linear model analysis was employed for an association analysis with de-regressed estimated breeding values of the paternal component of the pregnancy rate per estrus (EBV-PAT). We screened next generation sequenced data of whole genomes from 11 horses for equine genetic variants in 1194 human and mice genes involved in male fertility and linked through common gene ontology (GO) with male reproductive processes. Variants were filtered for high-impact on protein structure and validated through SIFT and Polyphen 2. Only those genetic variants were followed up when the homozygote mutant genotype was missing in the detection sample comprising 11 horses. After this filtering process, 17 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) were left. These SNPs were genotyped in 337 fertile stallions of 19 breeds using KASP genotyping assays or PCR-RFLP. An association analysis in 216 Hanoverian stallions revealed a significant association of the splice-site disruption variant

A power set-based statistical selection procedure to locate susceptible rare variants associated with complex traits with sequencing data.

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Sun, Hokeun; Wang, Shuang

2014-08-15

Existing association methods for rare variants from sequencing data have focused on aggregating variants in a gene or a genetic region because of the fact that analysing individual rare variants is underpowered. However, these existing rare variant detection methods are not able to identify which rare variants in a gene or a genetic region of all variants are associated with the complex diseases or traits. Once phenotypic associations of a gene or a genetic region are identified, the natural next step in the association study with sequencing data is to locate the susceptible rare variants within the gene or the genetic region. In this article, we propose a power set-based statistical selection procedure that is able to identify the locations of the potentially susceptible rare variants within a disease-related gene or a genetic region. The selection performance of the proposed selection procedure was evaluated through simulation studies, where we demonstrated the feasibility and superior power over several comparable existing methods. In particular, the proposed method is able to handle the mixed effects when both risk and protective variants are present in a gene or a genetic region. The proposed selection procedure was also applied to the sequence data on the ANGPTL gene family from the Dallas Heart Study to identify potentially susceptible rare variants within the trait-related genes. An R package 'rvsel' can be downloaded from http://www.columbia.edu/∼sw2206/ and http://statsun.pusan.ac.kr. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of genetic variants previously associated with fasting glucose and insulin in the Diabetes Prevention Program.

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Jose C Florez

Full Text Available Common genetic variants have been recently associated with fasting glucose and insulin levels in white populations. Whether these associations replicate in pre-diabetes is not known. We extended these findings to the Diabetes Prevention Program, a clinical trial in which participants at high risk for diabetes were randomized to placebo, lifestyle modification or metformin for diabetes prevention. We genotyped previously reported polymorphisms (or their proxies in/near G6PC2, MTNR1B, GCK, DGKB, GCKR, ADCY5, MADD, CRY2, ADRA2A, FADS1, PROX1, SLC2A2, GLIS3, C2CD4B, IGF1, and IRS1 in 3,548 Diabetes Prevention Program participants. We analyzed variants for association with baseline glycemic traits, incident diabetes and their interaction with response to metformin or lifestyle intervention. We replicated associations with fasting glucose at MTNR1B (P<0.001, G6PC2 (P = 0.002 and GCKR (P = 0.001. We noted impaired β-cell function in carriers of glucose-raising alleles at MTNR1B (P<0.001, and an increase in the insulinogenic index for the glucose-raising allele at G6PC2 (P<0.001. The association of MTNR1B with fasting glucose and impaired β-cell function persisted at 1 year despite adjustment for the baseline trait, indicating a sustained deleterious effect at this locus. We also replicated the association of MADD with fasting proinsulin levels (P<0.001. We detected no significant impact of these variants on diabetes incidence or interaction with preventive interventions. The association of several polymorphisms with quantitative glycemic traits is replicated in a cohort of high-risk persons. These variants do not have a detectable impact on diabetes incidence or response to metformin or lifestyle modification in the Diabetes Prevention Program.

IL-13 and its genetic variants: effect on current asthma treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Townley, Robert G; Sapkota, Muna; Sapkota, Kiran

2011-12-01

Airway hyperresponsiveness is an essential part of the definition of asthma associated temporally with exposure to allergens, certain respiratory viruses, pollutants such as ozone, and certain organic chemicals. Interleukin-13 (IL-13) is implicated as a central regulator in immunoglobulin E (IgE) synthesis, mucus hypersecretion, airway hyperresponsiveness, and fibrosis. The importance of IL-13 in allergic disorders in humans is supported by consistent associations between tissue IL-13 levels and genetic variants in the IL-13 gene and asthma and related traits. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in IL-13 are associated with allergic phenotypes in several ethnically diverse populations. Glucocorticoids are anti-inflammatory medications often used as maintenance therapy in acute and chronic asthma; however, some patients with severe asthma are steroid resistant. IL-13 remains elevated in glucocorticoid insensitive asthma but not in glucocorticoid sensitive asthma. Thus targeting IL-13 and its associated receptors may be a therapeutic approach to the treatment of asthma and/or allergy. This review focuses on the role of IL-13 on airway hyperresponsiveness and corticosteroids resistant asthma both preclinically and clinically. © Discovery Medicine

Rare variants in RTEL1 are associated with familial interstitial pneumonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Cogan, Joy D; Kropski, Jonathan A; Zhao, Min; Mitchell, Daphne B; Rives, Lynette; Markin, Cheryl; Garnett, Errine T; Montgomery, Keri H; Mason, Wendi R; McKean, David F; Powers, Julia; Murphy, Elissa; Olson, Lana M; Choi, Leena; Cheng, Dong-Sheng; Blue, Elizabeth Marchani; Young, Lisa R; Lancaster, Lisa H; Steele, Mark P; Brown, Kevin K; Schwarz, Marvin I; Fingerlin, Tasha E; Schwartz, David A; Lawson, William E; Loyd, James E; Zhao, Zhongming; Phillips, John A; Blackwell, Timothy S

2015-03-15

Up to 20% of cases of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia cluster in families, comprising the syndrome of familial interstitial pneumonia (FIP); however, the genetic basis of FIP remains uncertain in most families. To determine if new disease-causing rare genetic variants could be identified using whole-exome sequencing of affected members from FIP families, providing additional insights into disease pathogenesis. Affected subjects from 25 kindreds were selected from an ongoing FIP registry for whole-exome sequencing from genomic DNA. Candidate rare variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing, and cosegregation analysis was performed in families, followed by additional sequencing of affected individuals from another 163 kindreds. We identified a potentially damaging rare variant in the gene encoding for regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) that segregated with disease and was associated with very short telomeres in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 1 of 25 families in our original whole-exome sequencing cohort. Evaluation of affected individuals in 163 additional kindreds revealed another eight families (4.7%) with heterozygous rare variants in RTEL1 that segregated with clinical FIP. Probands and unaffected carriers of these rare variants had short telomeres (RTEL1 function. Rare loss-of-function variants in RTEL1 represent a newly defined genetic predisposition for FIP, supporting the importance of telomere-related pathways in pulmonary fibrosis.

Human genetics of diabetic vascular complications

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Diabetic vascular complications (DVC) affecting several important organ systems of human body such as the cardiovascular system constitute a major public health problem. There is evidence demonstrating that genetic factors contribute to the risk of DVC genetic variants, structural variants, and epigenetic changes play ...

A novel k-mer set memory (KSM) motif representation improves regulatory variant prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yuchun; Tian, Kevin; Zeng, Haoyang; Guo, Xiaoyun; Gifford, David Kenneth

2018-04-13

The representation and discovery of transcription factor (TF) sequence binding specificities is critical for understanding gene regulatory networks and interpreting the impact of disease-associated noncoding genetic variants. We present a novel TF binding motif representation, the k -mer set memory (KSM), which consists of a set of aligned k -mers that are overrepresented at TF binding sites, and a new method called KMAC for de novo discovery of KSMs. We find that KSMs more accurately predict in vivo binding sites than position weight matrix (PWM) models and other more complex motif models across a large set of ChIP-seq experiments. Furthermore, KSMs outperform PWMs and more complex motif models in predicting in vitro binding sites. KMAC also identifies correct motifs in more experiments than five state-of-the-art motif discovery methods. In addition, KSM-derived features outperform both PWM and deep learning model derived sequence features in predicting differential regulatory activities of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) alleles. Finally, we have applied KMAC to 1600 ENCODE TF ChIP-seq data sets and created a public resource of KSM and PWM motifs. We expect that the KSM representation and KMAC method will be valuable in characterizing TF binding specificities and in interpreting the effects of noncoding genetic variations. © 2018 Guo et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Genetic complexity of fusidic acid-resistant small colony variants (SCV in Staphylococcus aureus.

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Jonas Lannergård

Full Text Available FusE mutants are fusidic acid-resistant small colony variants (SCVs of Staphylococcus aureus that can be selected with aminoglycosides. All FusE SCVs have mutations in rplF, encoding ribosomal protein L6. However, individual FusE mutants including some with the same mutation in rplF display auxotrophy for either hemin or menadione, suggesting that additional mutations are involved. Here we show that FusE SCVs can be divided into three genetic sub-groups and that some carry an additional mutation, in one of the genes required for hemin biosynthesis, or in one of the genes required for menadione biosynthesis. Reversion analysis and genome sequencing support the hypothesis that these combinations of mutations in the rplF, hem, and/or men genes can account for the SCV and auxotrophic phenotypes of FusE mutants.

Assessing the impact of a combined analysis of four common low-risk genetic variants on autism risk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carayol Jerome

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Autism is a complex disorder characterized by deficits involving communication, social interaction, and repetitive and restrictive patterns of behavior. Twin studies have shown that autism is strongly heritable, suggesting a strong genetic component. In other disease states with a complex etiology, such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease, combined analysis of multiple genetic variants in a genetic score has helped to identify individuals at high risk of disease. Genetic scores are designed to test for association of genetic markers with disease. Method The accumulation of multiple risk alleles markedly increases the risk of being affected, and compared with studying polymorphisms individually, it improves the identification of subgroups of individuals at greater risk. In the present study, we show that this approach can be applied to autism by specifically looking at a high-risk population of children who have siblings with autism. A two-sample study design and the generation of a genetic score using multiple independent genes were used to assess the risk of autism in a high-risk population. Results In both samples, odds ratios (ORs increased significantly as a function of the number of risk alleles, with a genetic score of 8 being associated with an OR of 5.54 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.45 to 12.49. The sensitivities and specificities for each genetic score were similar in both analyses, and the resultant area under the receiver operating characteristic curves were identical (0.59. Conclusions These results suggest that the accumulation of multiple risk alleles in a genetic score is a useful strategy for assessing the risk of autism in siblings of affected individuals, and may be better than studying single polymorphisms for identifying subgroups of individuals with significantly greater risk.

Identification of Nitrogen Consumption Genetic Variants in Yeast Through QTL Mapping and Bulk Segregant RNA-Seq Analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Cubillos, Francisco A; Brice, Claire; Molinet, Jennifer; Tisné, Sebastién; Abarca, Valentina; Tapia, Sebastián M; Oporto, Christian; García, Verónica; Liti, Gianni; Martínez, Claudio

2017-06-07

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is responsible for wine must fermentation. In this process, nitrogen represents a limiting nutrient and its scarcity results in important economic losses for the wine industry. Yeast isolates use different strategies to grow in poor nitrogen environments and their genomic plasticity enables adaptation to multiple habitats through improvements in nitrogen consumption. Here, we used a highly recombinant S. cerevisiae multi-parent population (SGRP-4X) derived from the intercross of four parental strains of different origins to identify new genetic variants responsible for nitrogen consumption differences during wine fermentation. Analysis of 165 fully sequenced F12 segregants allowed us to map 26 QTL in narrow intervals for 14 amino acid sources and ammonium, the majority of which represent genomic regions previously unmapped for these traits. To complement this strategy, we performed Bulk segregant RNA-seq (BSR-seq) analysis in segregants exhibiting extremely high and low ammonium consumption levels. This identified several QTL overlapping differentially expressed genes and refined the gene candidate search. Based on these approaches, we were able to validate ARO1 , PDC1 , CPS1 , ASI2 , LYP1 , and ALP1 allelic variants underlying nitrogen consumption differences between strains, providing evidence of many genes with small phenotypic effects. Altogether, these variants significantly shape yeast nitrogen consumption with important implications for evolution, ecological, and quantitative genomics. Copyright © 2017 Cubillos et al.

Identification of Nitrogen Consumption Genetic Variants in Yeast Through QTL Mapping and Bulk Segregant RNA-Seq Analyses

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Francisco A. Cubillos

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Saccharomyces cerevisiae is responsible for wine must fermentation. In this process, nitrogen represents a limiting nutrient and its scarcity results in important economic losses for the wine industry. Yeast isolates use different strategies to grow in poor nitrogen environments and their genomic plasticity enables adaptation to multiple habitats through improvements in nitrogen consumption. Here, we used a highly recombinant S. cerevisiae multi-parent population (SGRP-4X derived from the intercross of four parental strains of different origins to identify new genetic variants responsible for nitrogen consumption differences during wine fermentation. Analysis of 165 fully sequenced F12 segregants allowed us to map 26 QTL in narrow intervals for 14 amino acid sources and ammonium, the majority of which represent genomic regions previously unmapped for these traits. To complement this strategy, we performed Bulk segregant RNA-seq (BSR-seq analysis in segregants exhibiting extremely high and low ammonium consumption levels. This identified several QTL overlapping differentially expressed genes and refined the gene candidate search. Based on these approaches, we were able to validate ARO1, PDC1, CPS1, ASI2, LYP1, and ALP1 allelic variants underlying nitrogen consumption differences between strains, providing evidence of many genes with small phenotypic effects. Altogether, these variants significantly shape yeast nitrogen consumption with important implications for evolution, ecological, and quantitative genomics.

Investigation of the role of TCF4 rare sequence variants in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Basmanav, F Buket; Forstner, Andreas J; Fier, Heide; Herms, Stefan; Meier, Sandra; Degenhardt, Franziska; Hoffmann, Per; Barth, Sandra; Fricker, Nadine; Strohmaier, Jana; Witt, Stephanie H; Ludwig, Michael; Schmael, Christine; Moebus, Susanne; Maier, Wolfgang; Mössner, Rainald; Rujescu, Dan; Rietschel, Marcella; Lange, Christoph; Nöthen, Markus M; Cichon, Sven

2015-07-01

Transcription factor 4 (TCF4) is one of the most robust of all reported schizophrenia risk loci and is supported by several genetic and functional lines of evidence. While numerous studies have implicated common genetic variation at TCF4 in schizophrenia risk, the role of rare, small-sized variants at this locus-such as single nucleotide variants and short indels which are below the resolution of chip-based arrays requires further exploration. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between rare TCF4 sequence variants and schizophrenia. Exon-targeted resequencing was performed in 190 German schizophrenia patients. Six rare variants at the coding exons and flanking sequences of the TCF4 gene were identified, including two missense variants and one splice site variant. These six variants were then pooled with nine additional rare variants identified in 379 European participants of the 1000 Genomes Project, and all 15 variants were genotyped in an independent German sample (n = 1,808 patients; n = 2,261 controls). These data were then analyzed using six statistical methods developed for the association analysis of rare variants. No significant association (P power analyses suggest that further research into the possible involvement of rare TCF4 sequence variants in schizophrenia risk is warranted by the assessment of larger cohorts with higher statistical power to identify rare variant associations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The genetic validation of heterogeneity in schizophrenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moritani Makiko

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Schizophrenia is a heritable disorder, however clear genetic architecture has not been detected. To overcome this state of uncertainty, the SZGene database has been established by including all published case-control genetic association studies appearing in peer-reviewed journals. In the current study, we aimed to determine if genetic variants strongly suggested by SZGene are associated with risk of schizophrenia in our case-control samples of Japanese ancestry. In addition, by employing the additive model for aggregating the effect of seven variants, we aimed to verify the genetic heterogeneity of schizophrenia diagnosed by an operative diagnostic manual, the DSM-IV. Methods Each positively suggested genetic polymorphism was ranked according to its p-value, then the seven top-ranked variants (p Results No statistically significant deviation between cases and controls was observed in the genetic risk-index derived from all seven variants on the top-ranked polymorphisms. In fact, the average risk-index score in the schizophrenia group (6.5+/-1.57 was slightly lower than among controls (6.6+/-1.39. Conclusion The current work illustrates the difficulty in identifying universal and definitive risk-conferring polymorphisms for schizophrenia. Our employed number of samples was small, so we can not preclude the possibility that some or all of these variants are minor risk factors for schizophrenia in the Japanese population. It is also important to aggregate the updated positive variants in the SZGene database when the replication work is conducted.

Genetic association study of exfoliation syndrome identifies a protective rare variant at LOXL1 and five new susceptibility loci.

Science.gov (United States)

Aung, Tin; Ozaki, Mineo; Lee, Mei Chin; Schlötzer-Schrehardt, Ursula; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Mizoguchi, Takanori; Igo, Robert P; Haripriya, Aravind; Williams, Susan E; Astakhov, Yury S; Orr, Andrew C; Burdon, Kathryn P; Nakano, Satoko; Mori, Kazuhiko; Abu-Amero, Khaled; Hauser, Michael; Li, Zheng; Prakadeeswari, Gopalakrishnan; Bailey, Jessica N Cooke; Cherecheanu, Alina Popa; Kang, Jae H; Nelson, Sarah; Hayashi, Ken; Manabe, Shin-Ichi; Kazama, Shigeyasu; Zarnowski, Tomasz; Inoue, Kenji; Irkec, Murat; Coca-Prados, Miguel; Sugiyama, Kazuhisa; Järvelä, Irma; Schlottmann, Patricio; Lerner, S Fabian; Lamari, Hasnaa; Nilgün, Yildirim; Bikbov, Mukharram; Park, Ki Ho; Cha, Soon Cheol; Yamashiro, Kenji; Zenteno, Juan C; Jonas, Jost B; Kumar, Rajesh S; Perera, Shamira A; Chan, Anita S Y; Kobakhidze, Nino; George, Ronnie; Vijaya, Lingam; Do, Tan; Edward, Deepak P; de Juan Marcos, Lourdes; Pakravan, Mohammad; Moghimi, Sasan; Ideta, Ryuichi; Bach-Holm, Daniella; Kappelgaard, Per; Wirostko, Barbara; Thomas, Samuel; Gaston, Daniel; Bedard, Karen; Greer, Wenda L; Yang, Zhenglin; Chen, Xueyi; Huang, Lulin; Sang, Jinghong; Jia, Hongyan; Jia, Liyun; Qiao, Chunyan; Zhang, Hui; Liu, Xuyang; Zhao, Bowen; Wang, Ya-Xing; Xu, Liang; Leruez, Stéphanie; Reynier, Pascal; Chichua, George; Tabagari, Sergo; Uebe, Steffen; Zenkel, Matthias; Berner, Daniel; Mossböck, Georg; Weisschuh, Nicole; Hoja, Ursula; Welge-Luessen, Ulrich-Christoph; Mardin, Christian; Founti, Panayiota; Chatzikyriakidou, Anthi; Pappas, Theofanis; Anastasopoulos, Eleftherios; Lambropoulos, Alexandros; Ghosh, Arkasubhra; Shetty, Rohit; Porporato, Natalia; Saravanan, Vijayan; Venkatesh, Rengaraj; Shivkumar, Chandrashekaran; Kalpana, Narendran; Sarangapani, Sripriya; Kanavi, Mozhgan R; Beni, Afsaneh Naderi; Yazdani, Shahin; Lashay, Alireza; Naderifar, Homa; Khatibi, Nassim; Fea, Antonio; Lavia, Carlo; Dallorto, Laura; Rolle, Teresa; Frezzotti, Paolo; Paoli, Daniela; Salvi, Erika; Manunta, Paolo; Mori, Yosai; Miyata, Kazunori; Higashide, Tomomi; Chihara, Etsuo; Ishiko, Satoshi; Yoshida, Akitoshi; Yanagi, Masahide; Kiuchi, Yoshiaki; Ohashi, Tsutomu; Sakurai, Toshiya; Sugimoto, Takako; Chuman, Hideki; Aihara, Makoto; Inatani, Masaru; Miyake, Masahiro; Gotoh, Norimoto; Matsuda, Fumihiko; Yoshimura, Nagahisa; Ikeda, Yoko; Ueno, Morio; Sotozono, Chie; Jeoung, Jin Wook; Sagong, Min; Park, Kyu Hyung; Ahn, Jeeyun; Cruz-Aguilar, Marisa; Ezzouhairi, Sidi M; Rafei, Abderrahman; Chong, Yaan Fun; Ng, Xiao Yu; Goh, Shuang Ru; Chen, Yueming; Yong, Victor H K; Khan, Muhammad Imran; Olawoye, Olusola O; Ashaye, Adeyinka O; Ugbede, Idakwo; Onakoya, Adeola; Kizor-Akaraiwe, Nkiru; Teekhasaenee, Chaiwat; Suwan, Yanin; Supakontanasan, Wasu; Okeke, Suhanya; Uche, Nkechi J; Asimadu, Ifeoma; Ayub, Humaira; Akhtar, Farah; Kosior-Jarecka, Ewa; Lukasik, Urszula; Lischinsky, Ignacio; Castro, Vania; Grossmann, Rodolfo Perez; Sunaric Megevand, Gordana; Roy, Sylvain; Dervan, Edward; Silke, Eoin; Rao, Aparna; Sahay, Priti; Fornero, Pablo; Cuello, Osvaldo; Sivori, Delia; Zompa, Tamara; Mills, Richard A; Souzeau, Emmanuelle; Mitchell, Paul; Wang, Jie Jin; Hewitt, Alex W; Coote, Michael; Crowston, Jonathan G; Astakhov, Sergei Y; Akopov, Eugeny L; Emelyanov, Anton; Vysochinskaya, Vera; Kazakbaeva, Gyulli; Fayzrakhmanov, Rinat; Al-Obeidan, Saleh A; Owaidhah, Ohoud; Aljasim, Leyla Ali; Chowbay, Balram; Foo, Jia Nee; Soh, Raphael Q; Sim, Kar Seng; Xie, Zhicheng; Cheong, Augustine W O; Mok, Shi Qi; Soo, Hui Meng; Chen, Xiao Yin; Peh, Su Qin; Heng, Khai Koon; Husain, Rahat; Ho, Su-Ling; Hillmer, Axel M; Cheng, Ching-Yu; Escudero-Domínguez, Francisco A; González-Sarmiento, Rogelio; Martinon-Torres, Frederico; Salas, Antonio; Pathanapitoon, Kessara; Hansapinyo, Linda; Wanichwecharugruang, Boonsong; Kitnarong, Naris; Sakuntabhai, Anavaj; Nguyn, Hip X; Nguyn, Giang T T; Nguyn, Trình V; Zenz, Werner; Binder, Alexander; Klobassa, Daniela S; Hibberd, Martin L; Davila, Sonia; Herms, Stefan; Nöthen, Markus M; Moebus, Susanne; Rautenbach, Robyn M; Ziskind, Ari; Carmichael, Trevor R; Ramsay, Michele; Álvarez, Lydia; García, Montserrat; González-Iglesias, Héctor; Rodríguez-Calvo, Pedro P; Fernández-Vega Cueto, Luis; Oguz, Çilingir; Tamcelik, Nevbahar; Atalay, Eray; Batu, Bilge; Aktas, Dilek; Kasım, Burcu; Wilson, M Roy; Coleman, Anne L; Liu, Yutao; Challa, Pratap; Herndon, Leon; Kuchtey, Rachel W; Kuchtey, John; Curtin, Karen; Chaya, Craig J; Crandall, Alan; Zangwill, Linda M; Wong, Tien Yin; Nakano, Masakazu; Kinoshita, Shigeru; den Hollander, Anneke I; Vesti, Eija; Fingert, John H; Lee, Richard K; Sit, Arthur J; Shingleton, Bradford J; Wang, Ningli; Cusi, Daniele; Qamar, Raheel; Kraft, Peter; Pericak-Vance, Margaret A; Raychaudhuri, Soumya; Heegaard, Steffen; Kivelä, Tero; Reis, André; Kruse, Friedrich E; Weinreb, Robert N; Pasquale, Louis R; Haines, Jonathan L; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Jonasson, Fridbert; Allingham, R Rand; Milea, Dan; Ritch, Robert; Kubota, Toshiaki; Tashiro, Kei; Vithana, Eranga N; Micheal, Shazia; Topouzis, Fotis; Craig, Jamie E; Dubina, Michael; Sundaresan, Periasamy; Stefansson, Kari; Wiggs, Janey L; Pasutto, Francesca; Khor, Chiea Chuen

2017-07-01

Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is the most common known risk factor for secondary glaucoma and a major cause of blindness worldwide. Variants in two genes, LOXL1 and CACNA1A, have previously been associated with XFS. To further elucidate the genetic basis of XFS, we collected a global sample of XFS cases to refine the association at LOXL1, which previously showed inconsistent results across populations, and to identify new variants associated with XFS. We identified a rare protective allele at LOXL1 (p.Phe407, odds ratio (OR) = 25, P = 2.9 × 10 -14 ) through deep resequencing of XFS cases and controls from nine countries. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of XFS cases and controls from 24 countries followed by replication in 18 countries identified seven genome-wide significant loci (P < 5 × 10 -8 ). We identified association signals at 13q12 (POMP), 11q23.3 (TMEM136), 6p21 (AGPAT1), 3p24 (RBMS3) and 5q23 (near SEMA6A). These findings provide biological insights into the pathology of XFS and highlight a potential role for naturally occurring rare LOXL1 variants in disease biology.

The Impact of Genetic and Non-Genetic Factors on Warfarin Dose Prediction in MENA Region: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bader, Loulia Akram; Elewa, Hazem

2016-01-01

Warfarin is the most commonly used oral anticoagulant for the treatment and prevention of thromboembolic disorders. Pharmacogenomics studies have shown that variants in CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genes are strongly and consistently associated with warfarin dose variability. Although different populations from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region may share the same ancestry, it is still unclear how they compare in the genetic and non-genetic factors affecting their warfarin dosing. To explore the prevalence of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 variants in MENA, and the effect of these variants along with other non-genetic factors in predicting warfarin dose. In this systematic review, we included observational cross sectional and cohort studies that enrolled patients on stable warfarin dose and had the genetics and non-genetics factors associated with mean warfarin dose as the primary outcome. We searched PubMed, Medline, Scopus, PharmGKB, PHGKB, Google scholar and reference lists of relevant reviews. We identified 17 studies in eight different populations: Iranian, Israeli, Egyptian, Lebanese, Omani, Kuwaiti, Sudanese and Turkish. Most common genetic variant in all populations was the VKORC1 (-1639G>A), with a minor allele frequency ranging from 30% in Egyptians and up to 52% and 56% in Lebanese and Iranian, respectively. Variants in the CYP2C9 were less common, with the highest MAF for CYP2C9*2 among Iranians (27%). Variants in the VKORC1 and CYP2C9 were the most significant predictors of warfarin dose in all populations. Along with other genetic and non-genetic factors, they explained up to 63% of the dose variability in Omani and Israeli patients. Variants of VKORC1 and CYP2C9 are the strongest predictors of warfarin dose variability among the different populations from MENA. Although many of those populations share the same ancestry and are similar in their warfarin dose predictors, a population specific dosing algorithm is needed for the prospective estimation of warfarin

Canine parvovirus: the worldwide occurrence of antigenic variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Carla; Thompson, Gertrude

2016-09-01

The most important enteric virus infecting canids is canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2). CPV is the aetiologic agent of a contagious disease, mainly characterized by clinical gastroenteritis signs in younger dogs. CPV-2 emerged as a new virus in the late 1970s, which could infect domestic dogs, and became distributed in the global dog population within 2 years. A few years later, the virus's original type was replaced by a new genetic and antigenic variant, called CPV-2a. Around 1984 and 2000, virus variants with the single change to Asp or Glu in the VP2 residue 426 were detected (sometimes termed CPV-2b and -2c). The genetic and antigenic changes in the variants have also been correlated with changes in their host range; in particular, in the ability to replicate in cats and also host range differences in canine and other tissue culture cells. CPV-2 variants have been circulating among wild carnivores and have been well-documented in several countries around the world. Here, we have reviewed and summarized the current information about the worldwide distribution and evolution of CPV-2 variants since they emerged, as well as the host ranges they are associated with.

Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of epilepsy: a review

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Chen T

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Tian Chen,1,* Mohan Giri,2,* Zhenyi Xia,3 Yadu Nanda Subedi,2 Yan Li1 1Department of Health Management Center, Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 2National Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Ratopul, Gaushala, Kathmandu, Nepal; 3Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Epilepsy is a common episodic neurological disorder or condition characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures, and genetics seems to play a key role in its etiology. Early linkage studies have localized multiple loci that may harbor susceptibility genes to epilepsy, and mutational analyses have detected a number of mutations involved in both ion channel and nonion channel genes in patients with idiopathic epilepsy. Genome-wide studies of epilepsy have found copy number variants at 2q24.2-q24.3, 7q11.22, 15q11.2-q13.3, and 16p13.11-p13.2, some of which disrupt multiple genes, such as NRXN1, AUTS2, NLGN1, CNTNAP2, GRIN2A, PRRT2, NIPA2, and BMP5, implicated for neurodevelopmental disorders, including intellectual disability and autism. Unfortunately, only a few common genetic variants have been associated with epilepsy. Recent exome-sequencing studies have found some genetic mutations, most of which are located in nonion channel genes such as the LGI1, PRRT2, EFHC1, PRICKLE, RBFOX1, and DEPDC5 and in probands with rare forms of familial epilepsy, and some of these genes are involved with the neurodevelopment. Since epigenetics plays a role in neuronal function from embryogenesis and early brain development to tissue-specific gene expression, epigenetic regulation may contribute to the genetic mechanism of neurodevelopment through which a gene and the environment interacting with each other affect the development of epilepsy. This review focused on the analytic tools used to identify epilepsy and then provided a

22q11.2 deletion carriers and schizophrenia-associated novel variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Balan, S; Iwayama, Y; Toyota, T; Toyoshima, M; Maekawa, M; Yoshikawa, T

2014-01-01

The penetrance of schizophrenia risk in carriers of the 22q11.2 deletion is high but incomplete, suggesting the possibility of additional genetic defects. We performed whole exome sequencing on two individuals with 22q11.2 deletion, one with schizophrenia and the other who was psychosis-free. The results revealed novel genetic variants related to neuronal function exclusively in the person with schizophrenia (frameshift: KAT8, APOH and SNX31; nonsense: EFCAB11 and CLVS2). This study paves the way towards a more complete understanding of variant dose and genetic architecture in schizophrenia.

Common and Rare Variant Association Study for Plasma Lipids and Coronary Artery Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Tada, Hayato; Kawashiri, Masa-aki; Konno, Tetsuo; Yamagishi, Masakazu; Hayashi, Kenshi

2016-01-01

Blood lipid levels are highly heritable and modifiable risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD), and are the leading cause of death worldwide. These facts have motivated human genetic association studies that have the substantial potential to define the risk factors that are causal and to identify pathways and therapeutic targets for lipids and CAD.The success of the HapMap project that provided an extensive catalog of human genetic variations and the development of microarray based genotyping chips (typically containing variations with allele frequencies ＞ 5%) facilitated common variant association study (CVAS; formerly termed genome-wide association study, GWAS) identifying disease-associated variants in a genome-wide manner. To date, 157 loci associated with blood lipids and 46 loci with CAD have been successfully identified, accounting for approximately 12%-14% of heritability for lipids and 10% of heritability for CAD. However, there is yet a major challenge termed "missing heritability problem," namely the observation that loci detected by CVAS explain only a small fraction of the inferred genetic variations. To explain such missing portions, focuses in genetic association studies have shifted from common to rare variants. However, it is challenging to apply rare variant association study (RVAS) in an unbiased manner because such variants typically lack the sufficient number to be identified statistically.In this review, we provide a current understanding of the genetic architecture mostly derived from CVAS, and several updates on the progress and limitations of RVAS for lipids and CAD.

A guide for functional analysis of BRCA1 variants of uncertain significance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Millot, Gaël A; Carvalho, Marcelo A; Caputo, Sandrine M

2012-01-01

of these variants, the effect on protein function is unknown making it difficult to infer the consequences on risks of breast and ovarian cancers. Thus, many individuals undergoing genetic testing for BRCA1 mutations receive test results reporting a variant of uncertain clinical significance (VUS), leading...... to issues in risk assessment, counseling, and preventive care. Here, we describe functional assays for BRCA1 to directly or indirectly assess the impact of a variant on protein conformation or function and how these results can be used to complement genetic data to classify a VUS as to its clinical...

Genetic variants of STAT4 are associated with ankylosing spondylitis susceptibility and severity in a Chinese Han population

OpenAIRE

Liu, Zhixiang; Zhang, Peisen; Dong, Jie

2014-01-01

Objective: Genetic factors play an important role in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) etiology and signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) gene polymorphisms may be involved. The aim of this study was to test whether STAT4 variants were associated with susceptibility to AS in a Chinese population. Methods: A total of 175 subjects who were diagnosed as AS and 249 healthy age-matched controls were enrolled in the present study. The rs7574865 G/T SNP in STAT4 gene was genotyped in ...

Three-dimensional spatial analysis of missense variants in RTEL1 identifies pathogenic variants in patients with Familial Interstitial Pneumonia.

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Sivley, R Michael; Sheehan, Jonathan H; Kropski, Jonathan A; Cogan, Joy; Blackwell, Timothy S; Phillips, John A; Bush, William S; Meiler, Jens; Capra, John A

2018-01-23

Next-generation sequencing of individuals with genetic diseases often detects candidate rare variants in numerous genes, but determining which are causal remains challenging. We hypothesized that the spatial distribution of missense variants in protein structures contains information about function and pathogenicity that can help prioritize variants of unknown significance (VUS) and elucidate the structural mechanisms leading to disease. To illustrate this approach in a clinical application, we analyzed 13 candidate missense variants in regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1 (RTEL1) identified in patients with Familial Interstitial Pneumonia (FIP). We curated pathogenic and neutral RTEL1 variants from the literature and public databases. We then used homology modeling to construct a 3D structural model of RTEL1 and mapped known variants into this structure. We next developed a pathogenicity prediction algorithm based on proximity to known disease causing and neutral variants and evaluated its performance with leave-one-out cross-validation. We further validated our predictions with segregation analyses, telomere lengths, and mutagenesis data from the homologous XPD protein. Our algorithm for classifying RTEL1 VUS based on spatial proximity to pathogenic and neutral variation accurately distinguished 7 known pathogenic from 29 neutral variants (ROC AUC = 0.85) in the N-terminal domains of RTEL1. Pathogenic proximity scores were also significantly correlated with effects on ATPase activity (Pearson r = -0.65, p = 0.0004) in XPD, a related helicase. Applying the algorithm to 13 VUS identified from sequencing of RTEL1 from patients predicted five out of six disease-segregating VUS to be pathogenic. We provide structural hypotheses regarding how these mutations may disrupt RTEL1 ATPase and helicase function. Spatial analysis of missense variation accurately classified candidate VUS in RTEL1 and suggests how such variants cause disease. Incorporating

A compendium of genetic variant data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cardoso, Joao; Schöning, Lars Yannik; Herrgard, Markus

2014-01-01

database where the physiological characteristics of mutants can easily be queried. This database contains the experimental information sorted into normalized units. The aim of this repository is to become a golden-­standard of genetic variation information for microorganisms, providing standardized data......Laboratory strains are genetically unstable if exposed to selective pressure as encountered, for example, during molecular cloning, fermentation, or adaptive laboratory evolution experiments. This genetic variation is the consequence of an adaptation process of the microorganism to stress...... the effects of those variations, it is necessary to collect and sort this genomic information in an organized fashion, including all relevant physiological data (e.g., growth rate, metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, etc.). We propose a systematic way to collect heterogeneous datasets into a coherent...

Whole-Exome Sequencing Identifies One De Novo Variant in the FGD6 Gene in a Thai Family with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Chuphong Thongnak

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Autism spectrum disorder (ASD has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism is complex and it is unclear. Genetic testing such as microarray or sequencing was widely used to identify autism markers, but they are unsuccessful in several cases. The objective of this study is to identify causative variants of autism in two Thai families by using whole-exome sequencing technique. Whole-exome sequencing was performed with autism-affected children from two unrelated families. Each sample was sequenced on SOLiD 5500xl Genetic Analyzer system followed by combined bioinformatics pipeline including annotation and filtering process to identify candidate variants. Candidate variants were validated, and the segregation study with other family members was performed using Sanger sequencing. This study identified a possible causative variant for ASD, c.2951G>A, in the FGD6 gene. We demonstrated the potential for ASD genetic variants associated with ASD using whole-exome sequencing and a bioinformatics filtering procedure. These techniques could be useful in identifying possible causative ASD variants, especially in cases in which variants cannot be identified by other techniques.

A population-specific uncommon variant in GRIN3A associated with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Takata, Atsushi; Iwayama, Yoshimi; Fukuo, Yasuhisa; Ikeda, Masashi; Okochi, Tomo; Maekawa, Motoko; Toyota, Tomoko; Yamada, Kazuo; Hattori, Eiji; Ohnishi, Tetsuo; Toyoshima, Manabu; Ujike, Hiroshi; Inada, Toshiya; Kunugi, Hiroshi; Ozaki, Norio; Nanko, Shinichiro; Nakamura, Kazuhiko; Mori, Norio; Kanba, Shigenobu; Iwata, Nakao; Kato, Tadafumi; Yoshikawa, Takeo

2013-03-15

Genome-wide association studies have successfully identified several common variants showing robust association with schizophrenia. However, individually, these variants only produce a weak effect. To identify genetic variants with larger effect sizes, increasing attention is now being paid to uncommon and rare variants. From the 1000 Genomes Project data, we selected 47 candidate single nucleotide variants (SNVs), which were: 1) uncommon (minor allele frequency way to discover risk variants with larger effects. Copyright © 2013 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical laboratories collaborate to resolve differences in variant interpretations submitted to ClinVar.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Steven M; Dolinsky, Jill S; Knight Johnson, Amy E; Pesaran, Tina; Azzariti, Danielle R; Bale, Sherri; Chao, Elizabeth C; Das, Soma; Vincent, Lisa; Rehm, Heidi L

2017-10-01

Data sharing through ClinVar offers a unique opportunity to identify interpretation differences between laboratories. As part of a ClinGen initiative, four clinical laboratories (Ambry, GeneDx, Partners Healthcare Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, and University of Chicago Genetic Services Laboratory) collaborated to identify the basis of interpretation differences and to investigate if data sharing and reassessment resolve interpretation differences by analyzing a subset of variants. ClinVar variants with submissions from at least two of the four participating laboratories were compared. For a subset of identified differences, laboratories documented the basis for discordance, shared internal data, independently reassessed with the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics-Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG-AMP) guidelines, and then compared interpretations. At least two of the participating laboratories interpreted 6,169 variants in ClinVar, of which 88.3% were initially concordant. Laboratories reassessed 242/724 initially discordant variants, of which 87.2% (211) were resolved by reassessment with current criteria and/or internal data sharing; 12.8% (31) of reassessed variants remained discordant owing to differences in the application of the ACMG-AMP guidelines. Participating laboratories increased their overall concordance from 88.3 to 91.7%, indicating that sharing variant interpretations in ClinVar-thereby allowing identification of differences and motivation to resolve those differences-is critical to moving toward more consistent variant interpretations.Genet Med advance online publication 09 March 2017.

Complex genetic architecture of cardiac disease in a wild type inbred strain of Drosophila melanogaster.

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Zhi Zhang

Full Text Available Natural populations of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, segregate genetic variation that leads to cardiac disease phenotypes. One nearly isogenic line from a North Carolina peach orchard, WE70, is shown to harbor two genetically distinct heart phenotypes: elevated incidence of arrhythmias, and a dramatically constricted heart diameter in both diastole and systole, with resemblance to restrictive cardiomyopathy in humans. Assuming the source to be rare variants of large effect, we performed Bulked Segregant Analysis using genomic DNA hybridization to Affymetrix chips to detect single feature polymorphisms, but found that the mutant phenotypes are more likely to have a polygenic basis. Further mapping efforts revealed a complex architecture wherein the constricted cardiomyopathy phenotype was observed in individual whole chromosome substitution lines, implying that variants on both major autosomes are sufficient to produce the phenotype. A panel of 170 Recombinant Inbred Lines (RIL was generated, and a small subset of mutant lines selected, but these each complemented both whole chromosome substitutions, implying a non-additive (epistatic contribution to the "disease" phenotype. Low coverage whole genome sequencing was also used to attempt to map chromosomal regions contributing to both the cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia, but a polygenic architecture had to be again inferred to be most likely. These results show that an apparently simple rare phenotype can have a complex genetic basis that would be refractory to mapping by deep sequencing in pedigrees. We present this as a cautionary tale regarding assumptions related to attempts to map new disease mutations on the assumption that probands carry a single causal mutation.

Correlation of ophthalmic examination with carrier status in females potentially harboring a severe Norrie disease gene mutation.

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Khan, Arif O; Aldahmesh, Mohammed A; Meyer, Brian

2008-04-01

To correlate ophthalmic findings with carrier status for a severe Norrie disease (ND) gene mutation (C95F). Prospective interventional case series. Six potential carriers and 1 obligate carrier from a family harboring the mutation. An ophthalmologist blind to the pedigree performed a full ophthalmic examination for the 7 asymptomatic family members. A peripheral blood sample was collected from each for ND gene sequencing. Ophthalmic examination findings (with attention to the presence or absence of retinal findings) and results of ND gene sequencing. Three carriers were identified by molecular genetics, and all 3 of them had peripheral retinal abnormality. However, 3 of the 4 genetically identified noncarriers also exhibited peripheral retinal abnormality. Two of these noncarriers with retinal findings were the offspring of a confirmed noncarrier. The genetically identified noncarrier with a normal peripheral retinal examination was the daughter of an obligate carrier. The presence of peripheral retinal changes was not useful for carrier prediction in a family harboring ND. There are likely additional loci responsible for phenotypic expression.

[Genetic factors in myocardial infarction].

Science.gov (United States)

Hara, Masahiko; Sakata, Yasuhiko; Sato, Hiroshi

2013-02-01

One of the main mechanisms of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is plaque rupture or erosion followed by intraluminal thrombus formation and occlusion of the coronary arteries. Thus far, many underlying conditions or environmental factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking or obesity, as well as a family history of coronary artery diseases have been identified as risks for the onset of AMI. These risks suggest that AMI occurs due to interactions between underlying conditions and multiple genetic susceptibilities. For this reason, many target gene-disease association studies have been performed with the recent introduction of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that have further revealed new genetic susceptibilities for AMI. GWAS is a way to examine many common genetic variants in different individuals to see if any variant is associated with a trait in a case-control fashion, and typically focuses on associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and traits. SNP on chromosome 9p21 is one of the robust susceptibility variants for AMI which has been identified by many GWAS. In this review, we overview the methodology of GWAS, introduce genetic variants identified by GWAS as those with susceptibility for AMI, and describe the foresight of using GWAS to investigate genetic susceptibility to AMI.

Association Between a Genetic Variant Related to Glutamic Acid Metabolism and Coronary Heart Disease in Type 2 Diabetes

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Qibin; Prudente, Sabrina; Mendonca, Christine; Andreozzi, Francesco; di Pietro, Natalia; Sturma, Mariella; Novelli, Valeria; Mannino, Gaia Chiara; Formoso, Gloria; Gervino, Ernest V.; Hauser, Thomas H.; Muehlschlegel, Jochen D.; Niewczas, Monika A.; Krolewski, Andrzej S.; Biolo, Gianni; Pandolfi, Assunta; Rimm, Eric; Sesti, Giorgio; Trischitta, Vincenzo; Hu, Frank

2013-01-01

IMPORTANCE Diabetes is associated with an elevated risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Previous studies have suggested that the genetic factors predisposing to excess cardiovascular risk may be different in diabetic and non-diabetic participants. OBJECTIVE To identify genetic determinants of CHD that are specific to diabetic patients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We studied five independent sets of CHD cases and CHD-negative controls from the Nurses Health Study (NHS; enrolled in 1976 and followed through 2008), Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS; enrolled in 1986 and followed through 2008), Joslin Heart Study (enrolled in 2001-2008), Gargano Heart Study (enrolled in 2001-2008), and Catanzaro Study (enrolled in 2004-2010). Included were a total of 1,517 CHD cases and 2,671 CHD-negative controls, all with type 2 diabetes. Results in diabetic patients were compared with those in 737 non-diabetic CHD cases and 1,637 non-diabetic CHD-negative controls from the NHS and HPFS cohorts. EXPOSURE 2,543,016 common genetic variants occurring throughout the genome. MAIN OUTCOME CHD defined as fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass grafting, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, or angiographic evidence of significant stenosis of the coronary arteries. RESULTS We identified a variant on chromosome 1q25 (rs10911021) consistently associated with CHD risk among diabetic participants with an odds ratio of 1.36 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-1.51, P=2×10−8). No association between this variant and CHD was detected among non-diabetic participants (OR=0.99, P=0.89), consistent with a significant gene-by-diabetes interaction on CHD risk (P=2×10−4). As compared to protective allele homozygotes, rs10911021 risk allele homozygotes were characterized by a 32% decrease in the expression of the neighboring glutamate-ammonia ligase (GLUL) gene in human endothelial cells (P=0.0048). They also showed a decreased ratio between plasma

CDKL5 variants: Improving our understanding of a rare neurologic disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Hector, Ralph D; Kalscheuer, Vera M; Hennig, Friederike; Leonard, Helen; Downs, Jenny; Clarke, Angus; Benke, Tim A; Armstrong, Judith; Pineda, Mercedes; Bailey, Mark E S; Cobb, Stuart R

2017-12-01

To provide new insights into the interpretation of genetic variants in a rare neurologic disorder, CDKL5 deficiency, in the contexts of population sequencing data and an updated characterization of the CDKL5 gene. We analyzed all known potentially pathogenic CDKL5 variants by combining data from large-scale population sequencing studies with CDKL5 variants from new and all available clinical cohorts and combined this with computational methods to predict pathogenicity. The study has identified several variants that can be reclassified as benign or likely benign. With the addition of novel CDKL5 variants, we confirm that pathogenic missense variants cluster in the catalytic domain of CDKL5 and reclassify a purported missense variant as having a splicing consequence. We provide further evidence that missense variants in the final 3 exons are likely to be benign and not important to disease pathology. We also describe benign splicing and nonsense variants within these exons, suggesting that isoform hCDKL5_5 is likely to have little or no neurologic significance. We also use the available data to make a preliminary estimate of minimum incidence of CDKL5 deficiency. These findings have implications for genetic diagnosis, providing evidence for the reclassification of specific variants previously thought to result in CDKL5 deficiency. Together, these analyses support the view that the predominant brain isoform in humans (hCDKL5_1) is crucial for normal neurodevelopment and that the catalytic domain is the primary functional domain.

Co-inheritance of the rare β hemoglobin variants Hb Yaounde, Hb Görwihl and Hb City of Hope with other alterations in globin genes: impact in genetic counseling.

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Vinciguerra, Margherita; Passarello, Cristina; Leto, Filippo; Cassarà, Filippo; Cannata, Monica; Maggio, Aurelio; Giambona, Antonino

2015-04-01

Nearly 1183 different molecular defects of the globin genes leading to hemoglobin variants have been identified (http://globin.bx.psu.edu) over the past decades. The purpose of this study was to report three cases, never described in the literature, of co-inheritance of three β hemoglobin variants with other alterations in globin genes and to evaluate the clinical significance to conduct an appropriate genetic counseling. We report the molecular study performed in three probands and their families, sampling during the screening program conducted at the Laboratory for Molecular Prenatal Diagnosis of Hemoglobinopathies at Villa Sofia-Cervello Hospital in Palermo, Italy. This work allowed us to describe the co-inheritance of three rare β hemoglobin variants with other alterations in globin genes: the β hemoglobin variant Hb Yaounde [β134(H12)Val>Ala], found for the first time in combination with ααα(anti3.7) arrangement, and the β hemoglobin variants Hb Görwihl [β5(A2)Pro>Ala] and Hb City of Hope [β69(E13)Gly>Ser], found both in association with β(0) -thalassemia. The present work emphasizes the importance of a careful evaluation of the hematological data, especially in cases of atypical hematological parameters, to carry out an adequate and complete molecular study and to formulate an appropriate genetic counseling for couples at risk. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An automated microfluidic DNA microarray platform for genetic variant detection in inherited arrhythmic diseases.

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Huang, Shu-Hong; Chang, Yu-Shin; Juang, Jyh-Ming Jimmy; Chang, Kai-Wei; Tsai, Mong-Hsun; Lu, Tzu-Pin; Lai, Liang-Chuan; Chuang, Eric Y; Huang, Nien-Tsu

2018-03-12

In this study, we developed an automated microfluidic DNA microarray (AMDM) platform for point mutation detection of genetic variants in inherited arrhythmic diseases. The platform allows for automated and programmable reagent sequencing under precise conditions of hybridization flow and temperature control. It is composed of a commercial microfluidic control system, a microfluidic microarray device, and a temperature control unit. The automated and rapid hybridization process can be performed in the AMDM platform using Cy3 labeled oligonucleotide exons of SCN5A genetic DNA, which produces proteins associated with sodium channels abundant in the heart (cardiac) muscle cells. We then introduce a graphene oxide (GO)-assisted DNA microarray hybridization protocol to enable point mutation detection. In this protocol, a GO solution is added after the staining step to quench dyes bound to single-stranded DNA or non-perfectly matched DNA, which can improve point mutation specificity. As proof-of-concept we extracted the wild-type and mutant of exon 12 and exon 17 of SCN5A genetic DNA from patients with long QT syndrome or Brugada syndrome by touchdown PCR and performed a successful point mutation discrimination in the AMDM platform. Overall, the AMDM platform can greatly reduce laborious and time-consuming hybridization steps and prevent potential contamination. Furthermore, by introducing the reciprocating flow into the microchannel during the hybridization process, the total assay time can be reduced to 3 hours, which is 6 times faster than the conventional DNA microarray. Given the automatic assay operation, shorter assay time, and high point mutation discrimination, we believe that the AMDM platform has potential for low-cost, rapid and sensitive genetic testing in a simple and user-friendly manner, which may benefit gene screening in medical practice.

Characterization of form variants of Xenorhabdus luminescens.

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Gerritsen, L J; de Raay, G; Smits, P H

1992-01-01

From Xenorhabdus luminescens XE-87.3 four variants were isolated. One, which produced a red pigment and antibiotics, was luminescent, and could take up dye from culture media, was considered the primary form (XE-red). A pink-pigmented variant (XE-pink) differed from the primary form only in pigmentation and uptake of dye. Of the two other variants, one produced a yellow pigment and fewer antibiotics (XE-yellow), while the other did not produce a pigment or antibiotics (XE-white). Both were less luminescent, did not take up dye, and had small cell and colony sizes. These two variants were very unstable and shifted to the primary form after 3 to 5 days. It was not possible to separate the primary form and the white variant completely; subcultures of one colony always contained a few colonies of the other variant. The white variant was also found in several other X. luminescens strains. DNA fingerprints showed that all four variants are genetically identical and are therefore derivatives of the same parent. Protein patterns revealed a few differences among the four variants. None of the variants could be considered the secondary form. The pathogenicity of the variants decreased in the following order: XE-red, XE-pink, XE-yellow, and XE-white. The mechanism and function of this variability are discussed. Images PMID:1622273

A variational Bayes discrete mixture test for rare variant association.

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Logsdon, Benjamin A; Dai, James Y; Auer, Paul L; Johnsen, Jill M; Ganesh, Santhi K; Smith, Nicholas L; Wilson, James G; Tracy, Russell P; Lange, Leslie A; Jiao, Shuo; Rich, Stephen S; Lettre, Guillaume; Carlson, Christopher S; Jackson, Rebecca D; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Wurfel, Mark M; Nickerson, Deborah A; Tang, Hua; Reiner, Alexander P; Kooperberg, Charles

2014-01-01

Recently, many statistical methods have been proposed to test for associations between rare genetic variants and complex traits. Most of these methods test for association by aggregating genetic variations within a predefined region, such as a gene. Although there is evidence that "aggregate" tests are more powerful than the single marker test, these tests generally ignore neutral variants and therefore are unable to identify specific variants driving the association with phenotype. We propose a novel aggregate rare-variant test that explicitly models a fraction of variants as neutral, tests associations at the gene-level, and infers the rare-variants driving the association. Simulations show that in the practical scenario where there are many variants within a given region of the genome with only a fraction causal our approach has greater power compared to other popular tests such as the Sequence Kernel Association Test (SKAT), the Weighted Sum Statistic (WSS), and the collapsing method of Morris and Zeggini (MZ). Our algorithm leverages a fast variational Bayes approximate inference methodology to scale to exome-wide analyses, a significant computational advantage over exact inference model selection methodologies. To demonstrate the efficacy of our methodology we test for associations between von Willebrand Factor (VWF) levels and VWF missense rare-variants imputed from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Exome Sequencing project into 2,487 African Americans within the VWF gene. Our method suggests that a relatively small fraction (~10%) of the imputed rare missense variants within VWF are strongly associated with lower VWF levels in African Americans.

Association of common genetic variants with human skin color variation in Indian populations.

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Sarkar, Anujit; Nandineni, Madhusudan R

2018-01-01

Human skin color is one of the most conspicuously variable physical traits that has attracted the attention of physical anthropologists, social scientists and human geneticists. Although several studies have established the underlying genes and their variants affecting human skin color, they were mostly confined to Europeans and Africans and similar studies in Indian populations have been scanty. Studying the association between candidate genetic variants and skin color will help to validate previous findings and to better understand the molecular mechanism of skin color variation. In this study, 22 candidate SNPs from 12 genes were tested for association with skin color in 299 unrelated samples sourced from nine geographical locations in India. Our study establishes the association of 9 SNPs with the phenotype in Indian populations and could explain ∼31% of the variance in skin color. Haplotype analysis of chromosome 15 revealed a significant association of alleles G, A and C of SNPs rs1426654, rs11070627, and rs12913316, respectively, to the phenotype, and accounted for 17% of the variance. Latitude of the sampling location was also a significant factor, contributing to ∼19% of the variation observed in the samples. These observations support the findings that rs1426654 and rs4775730 located in SLC24A5, and rs11070627 and rs12913316 located in MYEF2 and CTXN2 genes respectively, are major contributors toward skin pigmentation and would aid in further unraveling the genotype-phenotype association in Indian populations. These findings can be utilized in forensic DNA applications for criminal investigations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ADULT VARIANT BARTTER’S SYNDROME- A CASE REPORT

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Ishwar Sidappa Hasabi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Bartter syndrome is a group of channelopathies with different genetic origins and molecular pathophysiologies, but sharing common feature of decreased tubular transport of sodium chloride in thick ascending loop of Henle (TAL, 1 although more common in antenatal group. Classic adult variant of Bartter syndrome is a rare entity. We hereby present a rare adult variant of classic Bartter syndrome.

Handling of human short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) variant proteins in transgenic mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kragh, Peter M; Pedersen, Christina B; Schmidt, Stine P

2007-01-01

Abstract To investigate the in vivo handling of human short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) variant proteins, three transgenic mouse lines were produced by pronuclear injection of cDNA encoding the wild-type, hSCAD-wt, and two disease causing folding variants hSCAD-319C > T and hSCAD-625G > A....... The transgenic mice were mated with an SCAD-deficient mouse strain (BALB/cByJ) and, in the second generation, three mouse lines were obtained without endogenous SCAD expression but harboring hSCAD-wt, hSCAD-319C > T, and hSCAD-625G > A transgenes, respectively. All three lines had expression of the transgene...... developed for any of the lines transgenic for the hSCAD folding variants. The indicated remarkable efficiency of the mouse protein quality control system in the degradation of SCAD folding variants should be further substantiated and investigated, since it might indicate ways to prevent disease...

New world bats harbor diverse influenza A viruses.

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Suxiang Tong

Full Text Available Aquatic birds harbor diverse influenza A viruses and are a major viral reservoir in nature. The recent discovery of influenza viruses of a new H17N10 subtype in Central American fruit bats suggests that other New World species may similarly carry divergent influenza viruses. Using consensus degenerate RT-PCR, we identified a novel influenza A virus, designated as H18N11, in a flat-faced fruit bat (Artibeus planirostris from Peru. Serologic studies with the recombinant H18 protein indicated that several Peruvian bat species were infected by this virus. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that, in some gene segments, New World bats harbor more influenza virus genetic diversity than all other mammalian and avian species combined, indicative of a long-standing host-virus association. Structural and functional analyses of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase indicate that sialic acid is not a ligand for virus attachment nor a substrate for release, suggesting a unique mode of influenza A virus attachment and activation of membrane fusion for entry into host cells. Taken together, these findings indicate that bats constitute a potentially important and likely ancient reservoir for a diverse pool of influenza viruses.

Genetic variants affecting cross-sectional lung function in adults show little or no effect on longitudinal lung function decline