scholarly journals A Genome-Wide Association Study of spontaneous preterm birth in a European population

F1000Research ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilfred Wu ◽  
Erin A S Clark ◽  
Tracy A Manuck ◽  
M Sean Esplin ◽  
Michael W Varner ◽  
...  

Background: Preterm birth is defined as a birth prior to 37 completed weeks’ gestation. It affects more than 10% of all births worldwide, and is the leading cause of neonatal mortality in non-anomalous newborns. Even if the preterm newborn survives, there is an increased risk of lifelong morbidity. Despite the magnitude of this public health problem, the etiology of spontaneous preterm birth is not well understood. Previous studies suggest that genetics is an important contributing factor. We therefore employed a genome-wide association approach to explore possible fetal genetic variants that may be associated with spontaneous preterm birth.Methods: We obtained preterm birth phenotype and genotype data from the National Center for Biotechnology Information Genotypes and Phenotypes Database (study accession phs000103.v1.p1). This dataset contains participants collected by the Danish National Birth Cohort and includes 1000 preterm births and 1000 term births as controls. Whole genomes were genotyped on the Illumina Human660W-Quad_v1_A platform, which contains more than 500,000 markers. After data quality control, we performed genome-wide association studies for the 22 autosomal chromosomes.Results: No single nucleotide polymorphism reached genome-wide significance after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing.Conclusion: We found no evidence of genetic association with spontaneous preterm birth in this European population. Approaches that facilitate detection of both common and rare genetic variants, such as evaluation of high-risk pedigrees and genome sequencing, may be more successful in identifying genes associated with spontaneous preterm birth.

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 3182
Author(s):  
Kyohei Furukawa ◽  
Maki Igarashi ◽  
Huijuan Jia ◽  
Shun Nogawa ◽  
Kaoru Kawafune ◽  
...  

Several genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have reported the association between genetic variants and the habitual consumption of foods and drinks; however, no association data are available regarding the consumption of black tea. The present study aimed to identify genetic variants associated with black tea consumption in 12,258 Japanese participants. Data on black tea consumption were collected by a self-administered questionnaire, and genotype data were obtained from a single nucleotide polymorphism array. In the discovery GWAS, two loci met suggestive significance (p < 1.0 × 10−6). Three genetic variants (rs2074356, rs144504271, and rs12231737) at 12q24 locus were also significantly associated with black tea consumption in the replication stage (p < 0.05) and during the meta-analysis (p < 5.0 × 10−8). The association of rs2074356 with black tea consumption was slightly attenuated by the additional adjustment for alcohol drinking frequency. In conclusion, genetic variants at the 12q24 locus were associated with black tea consumption in Japanese populations, and the association is at least partly mediated by alcohol drinking frequency.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye-Won Cho ◽  
Hyun-Seok Jin ◽  
Yong-Bin Eom

Most previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants associated with anthropometric traits. However, most of the evidence were reported in European populations. Anthropometric traits such as height and body fat distribution are significantly affected by gender and genetic factors. Here we performed GWAS involving 64,193 Koreans to identify the genetic factors associated with anthropometric phenotypes including height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio. We found nine novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 59 independent genetic signals in genomic regions that were reported previously. Of the 19 SNPs reported previously, eight genetic variants at RP11-513I15.6 and one genetic variant at the RP11-977G19.10 region and six Asian-specific genetic variants were newly found. We compared our findings with those of previous studies in other populations. Five overlapping genetic regions (PAN2, ANKRD52, RNF41, HGMA1, and C6orf106) had been reported previously but none of the SNPs were independently identified in the current study. Seven of the nine newly found novel loci associated with height in women revealed a statistically significant skeletal expression of quantitative trait loci. Our study provides additional insight into the genetic effects of anthropometric phenotypes in East Asians.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hang-Rai Kim ◽  
Sang-Hyuk Jung ◽  
Jaeho Kim ◽  
Hyemin Jang ◽  
Sung Hoon Kang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a number of genetic variants for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, most GWAS were conducted in individuals of European ancestry, and non-European populations are still underrepresented in genetic discovery efforts. Here, we performed GWAS to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with amyloid β (Aβ) positivity using a large sample of Korean population. Methods One thousand four hundred seventy-four participants of Korean ancestry were recruited from multicenters in South Korea. Discovery dataset consisted of 1190 participants (383 with cognitively unimpaired [CU], 330 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment [aMCI], and 477 with AD dementia [ADD]) and replication dataset consisted of 284 participants (46 with CU, 167 with aMCI, and 71 with ADD). GWAS was conducted to identify SNPs associated with Aβ positivity (measured by amyloid positron emission tomography). Aβ prediction models were developed using the identified SNPs. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis was conducted for the identified SNPs. Results In addition to APOE, we identified nine SNPs on chromosome 7, which were associated with a decreased risk of Aβ positivity at a genome-wide suggestive level. Of these nine SNPs, four novel SNPs (rs73375428, rs2903923, rs3828947, and rs11983537) were associated with a decreased risk of Aβ positivity (p < 0.05) in the replication dataset. In a meta-analysis, two SNPs (rs7337542 and rs2903923) reached a genome-wide significant level (p < 5.0 × 10−8). Prediction performance for Aβ positivity increased when rs73375428 were incorporated (area under curve = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.74–0.76) in addition to clinical factors and APOE genotype. Cis-eQTL analysis demonstrated that the rs73375428 was associated with decreased expression levels of FGL2 in the brain. Conclusion The novel genetic variants associated with FGL2 decreased risk of Aβ positivity in the Korean population. This finding may provide a candidate therapeutic target for AD, highlighting the importance of genetic studies in diverse populations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuquan Rao ◽  
Yao Yao ◽  
Daniel E. Bauer

AbstractGenome-wide association studies (GWAS) have uncovered thousands of genetic variants that influence risk for human diseases and traits. Yet understanding the mechanisms by which these genetic variants, mainly noncoding, have an impact on associated diseases and traits remains a significant hurdle. In this review, we discuss emerging experimental approaches that are being applied for functional studies of causal variants and translational advances from GWAS findings to disease prevention and treatment. We highlight the use of genome editing technologies in GWAS functional studies to modify genomic sequences, with proof-of-principle examples. We discuss the challenges in interrogating causal variants, points for consideration in experimental design and interpretation of GWAS locus mechanisms, and the potential for novel therapeutic opportunities. With the accumulation of knowledge of functional genetics, therapeutic genome editing based on GWAS discoveries will become increasingly feasible.


Author(s):  
Jianhua Wang ◽  
Dandan Huang ◽  
Yao Zhou ◽  
Hongcheng Yao ◽  
Huanhuan Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revolutionized the field of complex trait genetics over the past decade, yet for most of the significant genotype-phenotype associations the true causal variants remain unknown. Identifying and interpreting how causal genetic variants confer disease susceptibility is still a big challenge. Herein we introduce a new database, CAUSALdb, to integrate the most comprehensive GWAS summary statistics to date and identify credible sets of potential causal variants using uniformly processed fine-mapping. The database has six major features: it (i) curates 3052 high-quality, fine-mappable GWAS summary statistics across five human super-populations and 2629 unique traits; (ii) estimates causal probabilities of all genetic variants in GWAS significant loci using three state-of-the-art fine-mapping tools; (iii) maps the reported traits to a powerful ontology MeSH, making it simple for users to browse studies on the trait tree; (iv) incorporates highly interactive Manhattan and LocusZoom-like plots to allow visualization of credible sets in a single web page more efficiently; (v) enables online comparison of causal relations on variant-, gene- and trait-levels among studies with different sample sizes or populations and (vi) offers comprehensive variant annotations by integrating massive base-wise and allele-specific functional annotations. CAUSALdb is freely available at http://mulinlab.org/causaldb.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 1063-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. S. Yudin ◽  
N. L. Podkolodnyy ◽  
T. A. Agarkova ◽  
E. V. Ignatieva

Selection by means of genetic markers is a promising approach to the eradication of infectious diseases in farm animals, especially in the absence of effective methods of treatment and prevention. Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is spread throughout the world and represents one of the biggest problems for the livestock production and food security in Russia. However, recent genome-wide association studies have shown that sensitivity/resistance to BLV is polygenic. The aim of this study was to create a catalog of cattle genes and genes of other mammalian species involved in the pathogenesis of BLV-induced infection and to perform gene prioritization using bioinformatics methods. Based on manually collected information from a range of open sources, a total of 446 genes were included in the catalog of cattle genes and genes of other mammals involved in the pathogenesis of BLV-induced infection. The following criteria were used to prioritize 446 genes from the catalog: (1) the gene is associated with leukemia according to a genome-wide association study; (2) the gene is associated with leukemia according to a case-control study; (3) the role of the gene in leukemia development has been studied using knockout mice; (4) protein-protein interactions exist between the gene-encoded protein and either viral particles or individual viral proteins; (5) the gene is annotated with Gene Ontology terms that are overrepresented for a given list of genes; (6) the gene participates in biological pathways from the KEGG or REACTOME databases, which are over-represented for a given list of genes; (7) the protein encoded by the gene has a high number of protein-protein interactions with proteins encoded by other genes from the catalog. Based on each criterion, a rank was assigned to each gene. Then the ranks were summarized and an overall rank was determined. Prioritization of 446 candidate genes allowed us to identify 5 genes of interest (TNF,LTB,BOLA-DQA1,BOLA-DRB3,ATF2), which can affect the sensitivity/resistance of cattle to leukemia.


2011 ◽  
Vol 40 (D1) ◽  
pp. D1047-D1054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mulin Jun Li ◽  
Panwen Wang ◽  
Xiaorong Liu ◽  
Ee Lyn Lim ◽  
Zhangyong Wang ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 166-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L Pulit ◽  
Charli Stoneman ◽  
Andrew P Morris ◽  
Andrew R Wood ◽  
Craig A Glastonbury ◽  
...  

Abstract More than one in three adults worldwide is either overweight or obese. Epidemiological studies indicate that the location and distribution of excess fat, rather than general adiposity, are more informative for predicting risk of obesity sequelae, including cardiometabolic disease and cancer. We performed a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of body fat distribution, measured by waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) adjusted for body mass index (WHRadjBMI), and identified 463 signals in 346 loci. Heritability and variant effects were generally stronger in women than men, and we found approximately one-third of all signals to be sexually dimorphic. The 5% of individuals carrying the most WHRadjBMI-increasing alleles were 1.62 times more likely than the bottom 5% to have a WHR above the thresholds used for metabolic syndrome. These data, made publicly available, will inform the biology of body fat distribution and its relationship with disease.


Genetics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 213 (4) ◽  
pp. 1225-1236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weimiao Wu ◽  
Zhong Wang ◽  
Ke Xu ◽  
Xinyu Zhang ◽  
Amei Amei ◽  
...  

Longitudinal phenotypes have been increasingly available in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and electronic health record-based studies for identification of genetic variants that influence complex traits over time. For longitudinal binary data, there remain significant challenges in gene mapping, including misspecification of the model for phenotype distribution due to ascertainment. Here, we propose L-BRAT (Longitudinal Binary-trait Retrospective Association Test), a retrospective, generalized estimating equation-based method for genetic association analysis of longitudinal binary outcomes. We also develop RGMMAT, a retrospective, generalized linear mixed model-based association test. Both tests are retrospective score approaches in which genotypes are treated as random conditional on phenotype and covariates. They allow both static and time-varying covariates to be included in the analysis. Through simulations, we illustrated that retrospective association tests are robust to ascertainment and other types of phenotype model misspecification, and gain power over previous association methods. We applied L-BRAT and RGMMAT to a genome-wide association analysis of repeated measures of cocaine use in a longitudinal cohort. Pathway analysis implicated association with opioid signaling and axonal guidance signaling pathways. Lastly, we replicated important pathways in an independent cocaine dependence case-control GWAS. Our results illustrate that L-BRAT is able to detect important loci and pathways in a genome scan and to provide insights into genetic architecture of cocaine use.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document