| 1. |
- Lim, Elaine T, et al.
(author)
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Distribution and Medical Impact of Loss-of-Function Variants in the Finnish Founder Population.
- 2014
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In: PLoS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7404. ; 10:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Exome sequencing studies in complex diseases are challenged by the allelic heterogeneity, large number and modest effect sizes of associated variants on disease risk and the presence of large numbers of neutral variants, even in phenotypically relevant genes. Isolated populations with recent bottlenecks offer advantages for studying rare variants in complex diseases as they have deleterious variants that are present at higher frequencies as well as a substantial reduction in rare neutral variation. To explore the potential of the Finnish founder population for studying low-frequency (0.5-5%) variants in complex diseases, we compared exome sequence data on 3,000 Finns to the same number of non-Finnish Europeans and discovered that, despite having fewer variable sites overall, the average Finn has more low-frequency loss-of-function variants and complete gene knockouts. We then used several well-characterized Finnish population cohorts to study the phenotypic effects of 83 enriched loss-of-function variants across 60 phenotypes in 36,262 Finns. Using a deep set of quantitative traits collected on these cohorts, we show 5 associations (p<5×10-8) including splice variants in LPA that lowered plasma lipoprotein(a) levels (P = 1.5×10-117). Through accessing the national medical records of these participants, we evaluate the LPA finding via Mendelian randomization and confirm that these splice variants confer protection from cardiovascular disease (OR = 0.84, P = 3×10-4), demonstrating for the first time the correlation between very low levels of LPA in humans with potential therapeutic implications for cardiovascular diseases. More generally, this study articulates substantial advantages for studying the role of rare variation in complex phenotypes in founder populations like the Finns and by combining a unique population genetic history with data from large population cohorts and centralized research access to National Health Registers.
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| 2. |
- Strausz, Satu, et al.
(author)
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Genetic analysis of obstructive sleep apnoea discovers a strong association with cardiometabolic health
- 2021
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 57:5, s. 1-17
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is currently limited understanding of the genetic aetiology of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). We aimed to identify genetic loci associated with OSA risk, and to test if OSA and its comorbidities share a common genetic background. We conducted the first large-scale genome-wide association study of OSA using the FinnGen study (217 955 individuals) with 16 761 OSA patients identified using nationwide health registries. We estimated 0.08 (95% CI 0.06.0.11) heritability and identified five loci associated with OSA (p<5.0×10-8): rs4837016 near GAPVD1 (GTPase activating protein and VPS9 domains 1), rs10928560 near CXCR4 (C-X-C motif chemokine receptor type 4), rs185932673 near CAMK1D (calcium/calmodulindependent protein kinase ID) and rs9937053 near FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated protein; a variant previously associated with body mass index (BMI)). In a BMI-adjusted analysis, an association was observed for rs10507084 near RMST/NEDD1 (rhabdomyosarcoma 2 associated transcript/NEDD1 γ-tubulin ring complex targeting factor). We found high genetic correlations between OSA and BMI (rg=0.72 (95% CI 0.62-0.83)), and with comorbidities including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, depression, hypothyroidism, asthma and inflammatory rheumatic disease (rg>0.30). The polygenic risk score for BMI showed 1.98-fold increased OSA risk between the highest and the lowest quintile, and Mendelian randomisation supported a causal relationship between BMI and OSA. Our findings support the causal link between obesity and OSA, and the joint genetic basis between OSA and comorbidities.
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| 3. |
- Zhou, Wei, et al.
(author)
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Global Biobank Meta-analysis Initiative : Powering genetic discovery across human disease
- 2022
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In: Cell Genomics. - : Elsevier. - 2666-979X. ; 2:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Biobanks facilitate genome-wide association studies (GWASs), which have mapped genomic loci across a range of human diseases and traits. However, most biobanks are primarily composed of individuals of European ancestry. We introduce the Global Biobank Meta-analysis Initiative (GBMI)-a collaborative network of 23 biobanks from 4 continents representing more than 2.2 million consented individuals with genetic data linked to electronic health records. GBMI meta-analyzes summary statistics from GWASs generated using harmonized genotypes and phenotypes from member biobanks for 14 exemplar diseases and endpoints. This strategy validates that GWASs conducted in diverse biobanks can be integrated despite heterogeneity in case definitions, recruitment strategies, and baseline characteristics. This collaborative effort improves GWAS power for diseases, benefits understudied diseases, and improves risk prediction while also enabling the nomination of disease genes and drug candidates by incorporating gene and protein expression data and providing insight into the underlying biology of human diseases and traits.
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