Metabolomics datasets in the Born in Bradford cohort

Metabolomics is the quantification of small molecules, commonly known as metabolites. Collectively, these metabolites and their interactions within a biological system are known as the metabolome. The metabolome is a unique area of study, capturing influences from both genotype and environment. The availability of high-throughput technologies for quantifying large numbers of metabolites, as well as lipids and lipoprotein particles, has enabled detailed investigation of human metabolism in large-scale epidemiological studies. The Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort includes 12,453 women who experienced 13,776 pregnancies recruited between 2007-2011, their partners and their offspring. In this data note, we describe the metabolomic data available in BiB, profiled during pregnancy, in cord blood and during early life in the offspring. These include two platforms of metabolomic profiling: nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. The maternal measures, taken at 26-28 weeks’ gestation, can provide insight into the metabolome during pregnancy and how it relates to maternal and offspring health. The offspring cord blood measurements provide information on the fetal metabolome. These measures, alongside maternal pregnancy measures, can be used to explore how they may influence outcomes. The infant measures (taken around ages 12 and 24 months) provide a snapshot of the early life metabolome during a key phase of nutrition, environmental exposures, growth, and development. These metabolomic data can be examined alongside the BiB cohorts’ extensive phenotype data from questionnaires, medical, educational and social record linkage, and other ‘omics data.

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The systematic use of metabolomic epidemiology, biobanks, and electronic medical records for precision medicine initiatives in asthma: findings suggest new guidelines to optimize treatment

10.21203/rs.3.rs-268507/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Priyadarshini Kachroo ◽

Isobel Stewart ◽

Rachel Kelly ◽

Meryl Stav ◽

Kevin Mendez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Precision Medicine ◽

Electronic Medical Records ◽

Medical Records ◽

Large Scale ◽

Inhaled Corticosteroids ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Metabolomic Profiling ◽

New Guidelines ◽

Prevalent Asthma

Abstract The application of large-scale metabolomic profiling provides new opportunities to realize the potential of omics-based precision medicine with regard to asthma. We leveraged over 14,000 individuals from four distinct epidemiological studies. We identified and independently replicated seventeen steroid metabolites that were significantly reduced in individuals with prevalent asthma. Importantly steroid levels were reduced among all individuals with asthma regardless of medication use; however, the largest reduction was associated with inhaled corticosteroids use (ICS) that was further confirmed in a four-year ICS clinical trial. Cortisol levels extracted from electronic medical records confirmed that cortisol is reduced among asthmatics taking ICS over the entire 24-hour period, compared with all other groups. Clinical-grade adrenal suppression in asthmatics on ICS, resulting from substantial reductions in steroid metabolites, represents a larger public health problem than previously recognized. Regular cortisol testing may identify at-risk individuals, enabling personalized treatment modifications and improving overall patient care.

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Biological embedding in mental health: An epigenomic perspective

Biochemistry and Cell Biology ◽

10.1139/bcb-2012-0070 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 91 (1) ◽

pp. 14-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Aya Sasaki ◽

Wilfred C. de Vega ◽

Patrick O. McGowan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Early Life ◽

Large Scale ◽

Life Experience ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Postnatal Life ◽

High Plasticity ◽

Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽

Environmental Signals ◽

Early Life Experience

Human epidemiological studies and studies of animal models provide many examples by which early life experiences influence health in a long-term manner, a concept known as biological embedding. Such experiences can have profound impacts during periods of high plasticity in prenatal and early postnatal life. Epigenetic mechanisms influence gene function in the absence of changes in gene sequence. In contrast to the relative stability of gene sequences, epigenetic mechanisms appear, at least to some extent, responsive to environmental signals. To date, a few examples appear to clearly link early social experiences to epigenetic changes in pathways relevant for mental health in adulthood. Our recent work using high-throughput epigenomic techniques points to large-scale changes in gene pathways in addition to candidate genes involved in the response to psychosocial stress and neuroplasticity. Elucidation of which pathways are epigenetically labile under what conditions will enable a more complete understanding of how the epigenome can mediate environmental interactions with the genome that are relevant for mental health. In this mini-review, we provide examples of nascent research into the influence of early life experience on mental health outcomes, discuss evidence of epigenetic mechanisms that may underlie these effects, and describe challenges for research in this area.

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Computer Analyses in Preventive Health Research

Methods of Information in Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1636287 ◽

1967 ◽

Vol 06 (01) ◽

pp. 8-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

M. F. Collen

Keyword(s):

Medical Research ◽

Preventive Medicine ◽

Health Research ◽

Large Scale ◽

Preventive Health ◽

New Era ◽

Large Numbers ◽

Normal Test ◽

Computer Analyses

The utilization of an automated multitest laboratory as a data acquisition center and of a computer for trie data processing and analysis permits large scale preventive medical research previously not feasible. Normal test values are easily generated for the particular population studied. Long-term epidemiological research on large numbers of persons becomes practical. It is our belief that the advent of automation and computers has introduced a new era of preventive medicine.

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Early-life Health and Lifetime Outcomes: Evidence from the Large-scale Schistosomiasis Eradication in China

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3469380 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Chao Liu ◽

Gordon Liu

Keyword(s):

Early Life ◽

Large Scale

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Lack of an association between gallstone disease and bilirubin levels with risk of colorectal cancer: a Mendelian randomisation analysis

British Journal of Cancer ◽

10.1038/s41416-020-01211-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Richard Culliford ◽

Alex J. Cornish ◽

Philip J. Law ◽

Susan M. Farrington ◽

Kimmo Palin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Large Scale ◽

Causal Effect ◽

Gallstone Disease ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Mendelian Randomisation ◽

Linear Relationships ◽

Potential Risk Factors ◽

The Relationship ◽

Circulating Levels

Abstract Background Epidemiological studies of the relationship between gallstone disease and circulating levels of bilirubin with risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) have been inconsistent. To address possible confounding and reverse causation, we examine the relationship between these potential risk factors and CRC using Mendelian randomisation (MR). Methods We used two-sample MR to examine the relationship between genetic liability to gallstone disease and circulating levels of bilirubin with CRC in 26,397 patients and 41,481 controls. We calculated the odds ratio per genetically predicted SD unit increase in log bilirubin levels (ORSD) for CRC and tested for a non-zero causal effect of gallstones on CRC. Sensitivity analysis was applied to identify violations of estimator assumptions. Results No association between either gallstone disease (P value = 0.60) or circulating levels of bilirubin (ORSD = 1.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.96–1.03, P value = 0.90) with CRC was shown. Conclusions Despite the large scale of this study, we found no evidence for a causal relationship between either circulating levels of bilirubin or gallstone disease with risk of developing CRC. While the magnitude of effect suggested by some observational studies can confidently be excluded, we cannot exclude the possibility of smaller effect sizes and non-linear relationships.

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Multimorbidity clusters in patients with chronic obstructive airway diseases in the EpiChron Cohort

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-83964-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jonás Carmona-Pírez ◽

Beatriz Poblador-Plou ◽

Ignatios Ioakeim-Skoufa ◽

Francisca González-Rubio ◽

Luis Andrés Gimeno-Feliú ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Large Scale ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

High Morbidity ◽

Airway Diseases ◽

Obstructive Sleep ◽

Obstructive Airway Diseases

AbstractChronic obstructive airway diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, rhinitis, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are amongst the most common treatable and preventable chronic conditions with high morbidity burden and mortality risk. We aimed to explore the existence of multimorbidity clusters in patients with such diseases and to estimate their prevalence and impact on mortality. We conducted an observational retrospective study in the EpiChron Cohort (Aragon, Spain), selecting all patients with a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis, asthma, COPD, and/or OSA. The study population was stratified by age (i.e., 15–44, 45–64, and ≥ 65 years) and gender. We performed cluster analysis, including all chronic conditions recorded in primary care electronic health records and hospital discharge reports. More than 75% of the patients had multimorbidity (co-existence of two or more chronic conditions). We identified associations of dermatologic diseases with musculoskeletal disorders and anxiety, cardiometabolic diseases with mental health problems, and substance use disorders with neurologic diseases and neoplasms, amongst others. The number and complexity of the multimorbidity clusters increased with age in both genders. The cluster with the highest likelihood of mortality was identified in men aged 45 to 64 years and included associations between substance use disorder, neurologic conditions, and cancer. Large-scale epidemiological studies like ours could be useful when planning healthcare interventions targeting patients with chronic obstructive airway diseases and multimorbidity.

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Cerebrospinal fluid metabolomics identifies 19 brain-related phenotype associations

Communications Biology ◽

10.1038/s42003-020-01583-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Daniel J. Panyard ◽

Kyeong Mo Kim ◽

Burcu F. Darst ◽

Yuetiva K. Deming ◽

Xiaoyuan Zhong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽

Drug Targets ◽

Large Scale ◽

Prediction Models ◽

Genome Wide Association ◽

Large Samples ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Metabolomic Data ◽

Related Phenotype ◽

Omic Data

AbstractThe study of metabolomics and disease has enabled the discovery of new risk factors, diagnostic markers, and drug targets. For neurological and psychiatric phenotypes, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is of particular importance. However, the CSF metabolome is difficult to study on a large scale due to the relative complexity of the procedure needed to collect the fluid. Here, we present a metabolome-wide association study (MWAS), which uses genetic and metabolomic data to impute metabolites into large samples with genome-wide association summary statistics. We conduct a metabolome-wide, genome-wide association analysis with 338 CSF metabolites, identifying 16 genotype-metabolite associations (metabolite quantitative trait loci, or mQTLs). We then build prediction models for all available CSF metabolites and test for associations with 27 neurological and psychiatric phenotypes, identifying 19 significant CSF metabolite-phenotype associations. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of MWAS to study omic data in scarce sample types.

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Multicenter Evaluation of an ELISA for the Detection of Cryptosporidium spp. Antigen in Clinical Human Stool Samples

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9020209 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 209

Author(s):

Romy Razakandrainibe ◽

Célia Mérat ◽

Nathalie Kapel ◽

Marc Sautour ◽

Karine Guyot ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Cryptosporidium Oocyst ◽

Clinical Importance ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Elisa Test ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Cryptosporidium Spp ◽

Stool Samples ◽

Conventional Microscopy ◽

Human Stool

Human cryptosporidiosis remains underdiagnosed, and rapid/accurate diagnosis is of clinical importance. Diagnosis of the Cryptosporidium oocyst in stool samples by conventional microscopy is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and requires skillful experience. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the usefulness of a coproantigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test in detecting Cryptosporidium spp. from fecal specimens. For this aim, we evaluated the performances of a commercial ELISA (CoproELISA Cryptosporidium kit, Savyon Diagnostics, Israel) for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. in random clinical stool samples through a multicenter study. The sensitivity and specificity for coproantigen ELISA were 98.86% and 94.32%, respectively. The coproantigen ELISA results indicate that the simple, rapid, reliable, and standardized immunoassay test is sensitive and specific for routine diagnosis, and may be useful for large-scale epidemiological studies of cryptosporidiosis.

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Development of a Radar Reflector Kit for Older Adults to Use to Signal Their Location and Needs in a Large-Scale Earthquake Disaster

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13101883 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 1883

Author(s):

Yuma Morisaki ◽

Makoto Fujiu ◽

Ryoichi Furuta ◽

Junichi Takayama

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Synthetic Aperture Radar ◽

Satellite Imagery ◽

Disaster Response ◽

Large Scale ◽

Synthetic Aperture ◽

Earthquake Disaster ◽

Large Numbers ◽

The World ◽

Vulnerable People

In Japan, older adults account for the highest proportion of the population of any country in the world. When large-scale earthquake disasters strike, large numbers of casualties are known to particularly occur among seniors. Many are physically or mentally vulnerable and require assistance during the different phases of disaster response, including rescue, evacuation, and living in an evacuation center. However, the growing number of older adults has made it difficult, after a disaster, to quickly gather information on their locations and assess their needs. The authors are developing a proposal to enable vulnerable people to signal their location and needs in the aftermath of a disaster to response teams by deploying radar reflectors that can be detected in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery. The purpose of this study was to develop a radar reflector kit that seniors could easily assemble in order to make this proposal feasible in practice. Three versions of the reflector were tested for detectability, and a sample of older adults was asked to assemble the kits and provide feedback regarding problems they encountered and regarding their interest in using the reflectors in the event of a large-scale disaster.

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