Lithium pharmacogenetics. Two decades of studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-82
Author(s):  
Maciej D. Sobczak ◽  
Joanna M. Pawlak

Pharmacogenetic research aims to elucidate associations of genetic variants and individual effects of pharmacotherapy. Personalised expected response to medications might be useful in prognosis for polygenetically determined disorders. In bipolar disorder (BP), that is partly hereditary polygenic disorder, a subgroup of patients excellently responding to lithium prophylaxis was described. During the last 20 years molecular technology allowed to investigate genome of patients treated with lithium and candidate association studies characterised them more precisely than clinical features. The role of several neurotransmitters’ pathways, second messengers, neuroprotection involved genes and clock genes associations were discovered. Further laboratory technics development enables us to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and polygenic risk score (PRS) analyses. We aimed to review research on genes involved in lithium treatment efficacy and safety. PubMed for English papers, articles published in Polish and reference lists from full-text available papers were searched. Pharmacogenetic findings for lithium treatment effects might help develop new personalised strategies and consequently better symptom reduction. So far, chronicity and recurrent course of bipolar disorder impair the functioning of numerous patients and strongly increase the risk of suicide.

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 287
Author(s):  
Courtney M. Vecera ◽  
Gabriel R. Fries ◽  
Lokesh R. Shahani ◽  
Jair C. Soares ◽  
Rodrigo Machado-Vieira

Despite being the most widely studied mood stabilizer, researchers have not confirmed a mechanism for lithium’s therapeutic efficacy in Bipolar Disorder (BD). Pharmacogenomic applications may be clinically useful in the future for identifying lithium-responsive patients and facilitating personalized treatment. Six genome-wide association studies (GWAS) reviewed here present evidence of genetic variations related to lithium responsivity and side effect expression. Variants were found on genes regulating the glutamate system, including GAD-like gene 1 (GADL1) and GRIA2 gene, a mutually-regulated target of lithium. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) discovered on SESTD1 may account for lithium’s exceptional ability to permeate cell membranes and mediate autoimmune and renal effects. Studies also corroborated the importance of epigenetics and stress regulation on lithium response, finding variants on long, non-coding RNA genes and associations between response and genetic loading for psychiatric comorbidities. Overall, the precision medicine model of stratifying patients based on phenotype seems to derive genotypic support of a separate clinical subtype of lithium-responsive BD. Results have yet to be expounded upon and should therefore be interpreted with caution.


Author(s):  
Navnit S. Makaram ◽  
Stuart H. Ralston

Abstract Purpose of Review To provide an overview of the role of genes and loci that predispose to Paget’s disease of bone and related disorders. Recent Findings Studies over the past ten years have seen major advances in knowledge on the role of genetic factors in Paget’s disease of bone (PDB). Genome wide association studies have identified six loci that predispose to the disease whereas family based studies have identified a further eight genes that cause PDB. This brings the total number of genes and loci implicated in PDB to fourteen. Emerging evidence has shown that a number of these genes also predispose to multisystem proteinopathy syndromes where PDB is accompanied by neurodegeneration and myopathy due to the accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates, emphasising the importance of defects in autophagy in the pathogenesis of PDB. Summary Genetic factors play a key role in the pathogenesis of PDB and the studies in this area have identified several genes previously not suspected to play a role in bone metabolism. Genetic testing coupled to targeted therapeutic intervention is being explored as a way of halting disease progression and improving outcome before irreversible skeletal damage has occurred.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Dichgans ◽  
Nathalie Beaufort ◽  
Stephanie Debette ◽  
Christopher D. Anderson

The field of medical and population genetics in stroke is moving at a rapid pace and has led to unanticipated opportunities for discovery and clinical applications. Genome-wide association studies have highlighted the role of specific pathways relevant to etiologically defined subtypes of stroke and to stroke as a whole. They have further offered starting points for the exploration of novel pathways and pharmacological strategies in experimental systems. Mendelian randomization studies continue to provide insights in the causal relationships between exposures and outcomes and have become a useful tool for predicting the efficacy and side effects of drugs. Additional applications that have emerged from recent discoveries include risk prediction based on polygenic risk scores and pharmacogenomics. Among the topics currently moving into focus is the genetics of stroke outcome. While still at its infancy, this field is expected to boost the development of neuroprotective agents. We provide a brief overview on recent progress in these areas.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 490-500
Author(s):  
A. O. Konradi

The article reviews monogenic forms of hypertension, data on the role of heredity of essential hypertension and candidate genes, as well as genome-wide association studies. Modern approach for the role of genetics is driven by implementation of new technologies and their productivity. High performance speed of new technologies like genome-wide association studies provide data for better knowledge of genetic markers of hypertension. The major goal nowadays for research is to reveal molecular pathways of blood pressure regulation, which can help to move from populational to individual level of understanding of pathogenesis and treatment targets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 135 (15) ◽  
pp. 1929-1944
Author(s):  
Ezekiel Gonzalez-Fernandez ◽  
Yedan Liu ◽  
Alexander P. Auchus ◽  
Fan Fan ◽  
Richard J. Roman

Abstract The accumulation of extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) and intracellular hyperphosphorylated τ proteins in the brain are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Much of the research into the pathogenesis of AD has focused on the amyloid or τ hypothesis. These hypotheses propose that Aβ or τ aggregation is the inciting event in AD that leads to downstream neurodegeneration, inflammation, brain atrophy and cognitive impairment. Multiple drugs have been developed and are effective in preventing the accumulation and/or clearing of Aβ or τ proteins. However, clinical trials examining these therapeutic agents have failed to show efficacy in preventing or slowing the progression of the disease. Thus, there is a need for fresh perspectives and the evaluation of alternative therapeutic targets in this field. Epidemiology studies have revealed significant overlap between cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis and stroke to the development of cognitive impairment. This strong correlation has given birth to a renewed focus on vascular contributions to AD and related dementias. However, few genes and mechanisms have been identified. 20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) is a potent vasoconstrictor that plays a complex role in hypertension, autoregulation of cerebral blood flow and blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity. Multiple human genome-wide association studies have linked mutations in the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4A (CYP4A) genes that produce 20-HETE to hypertension and stroke. Most recently, genetic variants in the enzymes that produce 20-HETE have also been linked to AD in human population studies. This review examines the emerging role of 20-HETE in AD and related dementias.


2021 ◽  
pp. ASN.2020111599
Author(s):  
Zhi Yu ◽  
Jin Jin ◽  
Adrienne Tin ◽  
Anna Köttgen ◽  
Bing Yu ◽  
...  

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed numerous loci for kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR). The relationship of polygenic predictors of eGFR, risk of incident adverse kidney outcomes, and the plasma proteome is not known. Methods: We developed a genome-wide polygenic risk score (PRS) for eGFR by applying the LDpred algorithm to summary statistics generated from a multiethnic meta-analysis of CKDGen Consortium GWAS (N=765,348) and UK Biobank GWAS (90% of the cohort; N=451,508), followed by best parameter selection using the remaining 10% of UK Biobank (N=45,158). We then tested the association of the PRS in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study (N=8,866) with incident chronic kidney disease, kidney failure, and acute kidney injury. We also examined associations between the PRS and 4,877 plasma proteins measured at at middle age and older adulthood and evaluated mediation of PRS associations by eGFR. Results: The developed PRS showed significant associations with all outcomes with hazard ratios (95% CI) per 1 SD lower PRS ranged from 1.06 (1.01, 1.11) to 1.33 (1.28, 1.37). The PRS was significantly associated with 132 proteins at both time points. The strongest associations were with cystatin-C, collagen alpha-1(XV) chain, and desmocollin-2. Most proteins were higher at lower kidney function, except for 5 proteins including testican-2. Most correlations of the genetic PRS with proteins were mediated by eGFR. Conclusions: A PRS for eGFR is now sufficiently strong to capture risk for a spectrum of incident kidney diseases and broadly influences the plasma proteome, primarily mediated by eGFR.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nagahide Takahashi ◽  
Hanae Tainaka ◽  
Tomoko Nishimura ◽  
Taeko Harada ◽  
Akemi Okumura ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundPostpartum depression (PPD) is a common and highly heritabledisorder in the postnatal period of new mothers. The development of PPD is shown to affectneurodevelopment in children and recent evidence suggests thatthe trajectory of PPDisalso associated with children’s neurodevelopment and mental conditions. Thus, early identification and intervention for individuals at high risk of PPD are urgently needed.Additionally, it is not clear whether genetic factors affect thetrajectory of PPD. Therefore, using a polygenic risk score (PRS) approach, we investigated if PRS for depression (Depression-PRS) and bipolar disorder (Bipolar-PRS) are associated with the development and clinical course of PPD.Methods Usingrecent large genome-wide association studies(GWAS) of depression and bipolar disorder as discovery cohorts, we calculatedDepression-PRS and Bipolar-PRS in each individual. Then, we investigated the possible association between Depression-PRS and Bipolar-PRS with the development andtrajectory of PPD insubjects from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for mothers and children (n = 136). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale. Gene-set enrichment analyses were used to identify pathways underlying these conditions. ResultsDepression-PRS was significantly higher in subjects with PPD than in those without PPD(t = -3.283, P = 0.002)and logistic analysis showed that Depression-PRS significantly increases therisk of developing PPD(OR [SE] = 2.274 [0.585], P = 0.002). Furthermore, Depression-PRS was positively associated with continuity of PPD (β [SE]=1.621 [0.672]; P = 0.032).Gene-set enrichment analyses revealed that pathways such as“response to hormone”(β[SE] -2.285[1.002], P < 0.001) and “epigenetic regulation”(β[SE] 2.831 [1.317], P < 0.001) were involved in the continuity of PPD. ConclusionThese preliminary findings indicate that the genetic component plays an important role not only in the development but also inthe continuity of PPD. A polygenic risk score approach could be useful to identify subjects at risk for PPD, especially for persistent PPD,who needcareful monitoring and intervention after delivery.


Author(s):  
Denis Awany ◽  
Emile R Chimusa

Abstract As we observe the $70$th anniversary of the publication by Robertson that formalized the notion of ‘heritability’, geneticists remain puzzled by the problem of missing/hidden heritability, where heritability estimates from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) fall short of that from twin-based studies. Many possible explanations have been offered for this discrepancy, including existence of genetic variants poorly captured by existing arrays, dominance, epistasis and unaccounted-for environmental factors; albeit these remain controversial. We believe a substantial part of this problem could be solved or better understood by incorporating the host’s microbiota information in the GWAS model for heritability estimation and may also increase human traits prediction for clinical utility. This is because, despite empirical observations such as (i) the intimate role of the microbiome in many complex human phenotypes, (ii) the overlap between genetic variants associated with both microbiome attributes and complex diseases and (iii) the existence of heritable bacterial taxa, current GWAS models for heritability estimate do not take into account the contributory role of the microbiome. Furthermore, heritability estimate from twin-based studies does not discern microbiome component of the observed total phenotypic variance. Here, we summarize the concept of heritability in GWAS and microbiome-wide association studies, focusing on its estimation, from a statistical genetics perspective. We then discuss a possible statistical method to incorporate the microbiome in the estimation of heritability in host GWAS.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance J. H. C. M. van Laarhoven ◽  
Jessica van Setten ◽  
Joost A. van Herwaarden ◽  
Gerard Pasterkamp ◽  
Dominique P. V. de Kleijn ◽  
...  

AbstractRecent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have discovered ten genetic risk variants for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). To what extent these genetic variants contribute to the pathology of aneurysms is yet unknown. The present study aims to investigate whether genetic risk variants are associated with three clinical features: diameter of aneurysm sac, type of artery and aneurysm related-symptoms in aortic and peripheral aneurysm patients. Aneurysm tissue of 415 patients included in the Aneurysm-Express biobank was used. A best-fit polygenic risk score (PRS) based on previous GWAS effect estimates was modeled for each clinical phenotype. The best-fit PRS (including 272 variants at PT = 0.01015) showed a significant correlation with aneurysm diameter (R2 = 0.019, p = 0.001). No polygenic association was found with clinical symptoms or artery type. In addition, the ten genome-wide significant risk variants for AAA were tested individually, but no associations were observed with any of the clinical phenotypes. All models were corrected for confounders and data was normalized. In conclusion, a weighted PRS of AAA susceptibility explained 1.9% of the phenotypic variation (p = 0.001) in diameter in aneurysm patients. Given our limited sample size, future biobank collaborations need to confirm a potential causal role of susceptibility variants on aneurysmal disease initiation and progression.


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