scholarly journals Identification of 370 loci for age at onset of sexual and reproductive behaviour, highlighting common aetiology with reproductive biology, externalizing behaviour and longevity

Author(s):  
Melinda C. Mills ◽  
Felix C. Tropf ◽  
David M. Brazel ◽  
Natalie van Zuydam ◽  
Ahmad Vaez ◽  
...  

AbstractThe timing of reproductive behaviour – age at first sexual intercourse (AFS) and age at first birth (AFB) – has implications for reproductive health, adolescent development and evolutionary fitness. In the largest genome-wide association study to date (AFS, N=387,338; AFB, N=542,901), we identify 370 independent signals, 11 which are sex-specific, with a 5-6% polygenic score prediction. Heritability shifted from 10% for those born in 1940 to 23% for the 1965 birth cohort. Using Genomic SEM, we show that signals are largely driven by the genetics of reproductive biology and externalizing behaviour. This is supported by extensive biological follow-up that isolates key genes related to follicle stimulating hormone (FSHB), implantation (ESR1), infertility (endometriosis, spontaneous abortion) and spermatid differentiation, morphogenesis and binding (KLF17, ZPBP). Later AFB is protective against later-life disease (type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular) and associated with longevity. Those from higher childhood socioeconomic circumstances and polygenic scores in the highest deciles (90%+) experience markedly later reproductive onset. Results are relevant for interventions in teenage sexual, reproductive and mental health, deepen our understanding of the drivers of later-life health and longevity, and fuel infertility and functional follow-up experiments.

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (12) ◽  
pp. e2005753118
Author(s):  
Aditya Ambati ◽  
Ryan Hillary ◽  
Smaranda Leu-Semenescu ◽  
Hanna M. Ollila ◽  
Ling Lin ◽  
...  

Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) is a rare disorder characterized by severe episodic hypersomnia, with cognitive impairment accompanied by apathy or disinhibition. Pathophysiology is unknown, although imaging studies indicate decreased activity in hypothalamic/thalamic areas during episodes. Familial occurrence is increased, and risk is associated with reports of a difficult birth. We conducted a worldwide case−control genome-wide association study in 673 KLS cases collected over 14 y, and ethnically matched 15,341 control individuals. We found a strong genome-wide significant association (rs71947865, Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.48, P = 8.6 × 10−9) within the 3′region of TRANK1 gene locus, previously associated with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Strikingly, KLS cases with rs71947865 variant had significantly increased reports of a difficult birth. As perinatal outcomes have dramatically improved over the last 40 y, we further stratified our sample by birth years and found that recent cases had a significantly reduced rs71947865 association. While the rs71947865 association did not replicate in the entire follow-up sample of 171 KLS cases, rs71947865 was significantly associated with KLS in the subset follow-up sample of 59 KLS cases who reported birth difficulties (OR = 1.54, P = 0.01). Genetic liability of KLS as explained by polygenic risk scores was increased (pseudo R2 = 0.15; P < 2.0 × 10−22 at P = 0.5 threshold) in the follow-up sample. Pathway analysis of genetic associations identified enrichment of circadian regulation pathway genes in KLS cases. Our results suggest links between KLS, circadian regulation, and bipolar disorder, and indicate that the TRANK1 polymorphisms in conjunction with reported birth difficulties may predispose to KLS.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally N. Adebamowo ◽  
Adebowale A Adeyemo ◽  
Charles N Rotimi ◽  
Olayinka Olaniyan ◽  
Richard B. Offiong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Genetic factors may influence the susceptibility to high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection and persistence. We conducted the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify variants associated with cervical hrHPV infection and persistence. Methods: Participants were 517 Nigerian women evaluated at baseline and 6 months follow-up visits for HPV. HPV was characterized using SPF10/LiPA25. hrHPV infection was positive if at least one carcinogenic HPV genotype was detected in a sample provided at the baseline visit and persistent if at least one carcinogenic HPV genotype was detected in each of the samples provided at the baseline and follow-up visits. Genotyping was done using the Illumina Multi-Ethnic Genotyping Array (MEGA) and imputation was done using the African Genome Resources Haplotype Reference Panel. Association analysis was done under additive genetic models adjusted for age, HIV status and the first principal component (PC) of the genotypes. Results: The mean (±SD) age of the study participants was 38 (±8) years, 48% were HIV negative, 24% were hrHPV positive and 10% had persistent hrHPV infections. The top three variants associated with hrHPV infections were intronic variants clustered in KLF12 (all OR: 7.06, p=1.43 x 10-6). The top variants associated with cervical hrHPV persistence were in DAP(OR: 6.86, p=7.15 x 10-8), NR5A2(OR: 3.65, p=2.03 x 10-7) and MIR365-2(OR: 7.71, p=2.63 x 10-7) gene regions. Conclusions: This exploratory GWAS yielded novel candidate risk loci for cervical hrHPV infection and persistence. The identified loci have biological annotation and functional data supporting their role in hrHPV infection and persistence. Given our limited sample size, larger discovery and replication studies are warranted to further characterize the reported associations.


Circulation ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 124 (25) ◽  
pp. 2855-2864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. O'Donnell ◽  
Maryam Kavousi ◽  
Albert V. Smith ◽  
Sharon L.R. Kardia ◽  
Mary F. Feitosa ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (22) ◽  
pp. E4970-E4979 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. DiPrete ◽  
Casper A. P. Burik ◽  
Philipp D. Koellinger

Identifying causal effects in nonexperimental data is an enduring challenge. One proposed solution that recently gained popularity is the idea to use genes as instrumental variables [i.e., Mendelian randomization (MR)]. However, this approach is problematic because many variables of interest are genetically correlated, which implies the possibility that many genes could affect both the exposure and the outcome directly or via unobserved confounding factors. Thus, pleiotropic effects of genes are themselves a source of bias in nonexperimental data that would also undermine the ability of MR to correct for endogeneity bias from nongenetic sources. Here, we propose an alternative approach, genetic instrumental variable (GIV) regression, that provides estimates for the effect of an exposure on an outcome in the presence of pleiotropy. As a valuable byproduct, GIV regression also provides accurate estimates of the chip heritability of the outcome variable. GIV regression uses polygenic scores (PGSs) for the outcome of interest which can be constructed from genome-wide association study (GWAS) results. By splitting the GWAS sample for the outcome into nonoverlapping subsamples, we obtain multiple indicators of the outcome PGSs that can be used as instruments for each other and, in combination with other methods such as sibling fixed effects, can address endogeneity bias from both pleiotropy and the environment. In two empirical applications, we demonstrate that our approach produces reasonable estimates of the chip heritability of educational attainment (EA) and show that standard regression and MR provide upwardly biased estimates of the effect of body height on EA.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (4S_Part_15) ◽  
pp. P471-P471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Harold ◽  
Paul Hollingworth ◽  
Marian Hamshere ◽  
Peter Holmans ◽  
Richard Abraham ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 209 (3) ◽  
pp. 236-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan R. I. Coleman ◽  
Kathryn J. Lester ◽  
Robert Keers ◽  
Susanna Roberts ◽  
Charles Curtis ◽  
...  

BackgroundAnxiety disorders are common, and cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) is a first-line treatment. Candidate gene studies have suggested a genetic basis to treatment response, but findings have been inconsistent.AimsTo perform the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of psychological treatment response in children with anxiety disorders (n = 980).MethodPresence and severity of anxiety was assessed using semi-structured interview at baseline, on completion of treatment (post-treatment), and 3 to 12 months after treatment completion (follow-up). DNA was genotyped using the Illumina Human Core Exome-12v1.0 array. Linear mixed models were used to test associations between genetic variants and response (change in symptom severity) immediately post-treatment and at 6-month follow-up.ResultsNo variants passed a genome-wide significance threshold (P=5×10–8) in either analysis. Four variants met criteria for suggestive significance (P<5×10–6) in association with response post-treatment, and three variants in the 6-month follow-up analysis.ConclusionsThis is the first genome-wide therapygenetic study. It suggests no common variants of very high effect underlie response to CBT. Future investigations should maximise power to detect single-variant and polygenic effects by using larger, more homogeneous cohorts.


2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 959-965 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jezabel Varadé ◽  
Manuel Comabella ◽  
Miguel A Ortiz ◽  
Rafael Arroyo ◽  
Oscar Fernández ◽  
...  

Background and objectives: Ten genes previously showing different evidence of association with multiple sclerosis have been selected to validate. Methods: Eleven polymorphisms were genotyped with the iPLEX™ Sequenom in a well-powered collection of Spanish origin including 2863 multiple sclerosis cases and 2930 controls. Results: Replication extended to the following polymorphisms: PKN2 (rs305217), GTF2B (rs7538427), EPHA4 (rs1517440), YTHDF3 (rs12115114), ANKFN1 (rs17758761) and PTPRM (rs4798571), which did not reach the threshold of significance in a follow-up of the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) conducted in multiple sclerosis; TMEM39A (rs1132200), which appeared as a newly identified susceptibility gene in the same study; a gene previously reaching GWAS significance in Italy, CBLB (rs9657904); IL12B (rs6887695, rs10045431), a susceptibility gene shared by diverse autoimmune diseases and, finally, another gene showing inconclusive association with multiple sclerosis, CNR1 (rs1049353). Conclusions: Pooled analysis corroborated the effect on MS predisposition of three genes: TMEM39A [rs1132200: pM-H=0.001; ORM-H (95% CI)= 0.84 (0.75–0.93)], IL12B [rs6887695: pM-H=0.03; ORM-H (95% CI)= 1.09 (1.01–1.17)] and CBLB [rs9657904: pM-H=0.01; ORM-H (95% CI)= 0.89 (0.81–0.97)].


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin W. Domingue ◽  
Hexuan Liu ◽  
Aysu Okbay ◽  
Daniel W. Belsky

AbstractExperience of stressful life events is associated with risk of depression. Yet many exposed individuals do not become depressed. A controversial hypothesis is that genetic factors influence vulnerability to depression following stress. This hypothesis is most commonly tested with a “diathesis-stress” model, in which genes confer excess vulnerability. We tested an alternative model, in which genes may buffer against the depressogenic effects of life stress. We measured the hypothesized genetic buffer using a polygenic score derived from a published genome-wide association study (GWAS) of subjective wellbeing. We tested if married older adults who had higher polygenic scores were less vulnerable to depressive symptoms following the death of their spouse as compared to age-peers who had also lost their spouse and who had lower polygenic scores. We analyzed data from N=9,453 non-Hispanic white adults in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a population-representative longitudinal study of older adults in the United States. HRS adults with higher wellbeing polygenic scores experienced fewer depressive symptoms during follow-up. Those who survived death of their spouses during follow-up (n=1,829) experienced a sharp increase in depressive symptoms following the death and returned toward baseline over the following two years. Having a higher polygenic score buffered against increased depressive symptoms following a spouse's death. Effects were small and clinical relevance is uncertain, although polygenic score analyses may provide clues to behavioral pathways that can serve as therapeutic targets. Future studies of gene-environment interplay in depression may benefit from focus on genetics discovered for putative protective factors.


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