| 1. |
- Gusarova, Viktoria, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic inactivation of ANGPTL4 improves glucose homeostasis and is associated with reduced risk of diabetes
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 9, s. 1-11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is an endogenous inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase that modulates lipid levels, coronary atherosclerosis risk, and nutrient partitioning. We hypothesize that loss of ANGPTL4 function might improve glucose homeostasis and decrease risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We investigate protein-altering variants in ANGPTL4 among 58,124 participants in the DiscovEHR human genetics study, with follow-up studies in 82,766 T2D cases and 498,761 controls. Carriers of p.E40K, a variant that abolishes ANGPTL4 ability to inhibit lipoprotein lipase, have lower odds of T2D (odds ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.85-0.92, p = 6.3 × 10-10), lower fasting glucose, and greater insulin sensitivity. Predicted loss-of-function variants are associated with lower odds of T2D among 32,015 cases and 84,006 controls (odds ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.49-0.99, p = 0.041). Functional studies in Angptl4-deficient mice confirm improved insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis. In conclusion, genetic inactivation of ANGPTL4 is associated with improved glucose homeostasis and reduced risk of T2D.
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| 2. |
- Verweij, Niek, et al.
(författare)
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Germline Mutations in CIDEB and Protection against Liver Disease
- 2022
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Ingår i: New England Journal of Medicine. - 0028-4793. ; 387:4, s. 332-344
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND Exome sequencing in hundreds of thousands of persons may enable the identification of rare protein-coding genetic variants associated with protection from human diseases like liver cirrhosis, providing a strategy for the discovery of new therapeutic targets. METHODS We performed a multistage exome sequencing and genetic association analysis to identify genes in which rare protein-coding variants were associated with liver phenotypes. We conducted in vitro experiments to further characterize associations. RESULTS The multistage analysis involved 542,904 persons with available data on liver aminotransferase levels, 24,944 patients with various types of liver disease, and 490,636 controls without liver disease. We found that rare coding variants in APOB, ABCB4, SLC30A10, and TM6SF2 were associated with increased aminotransferase levels and an increased risk of liver disease. We also found that variants in CIDEB, which encodes a structural protein found in hepatic lipid droplets, had a protective effect. The burden of rare predicted loss-of-function variants plus missense variants in CIDEB (combined carrier frequency, 0.7%) was associated with decreased alanine aminotransferase levels (beta per allele, -1.24 U per liter; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.66 to -0.83; P=4.8×10-9) and with 33% lower odds of liver disease of any cause (odds ratio per allele, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.79; P=9.9×10-7). Rare coding variants in CIDEB were associated with a decreased risk of liver disease across different underlying causes and different degrees of severity, including cirrhosis of any cause (odds ratio per allele, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.70). Among 3599 patients who had undergone bariatric surgery, rare coding variants in CIDEB were associated with a decreased nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (beta per allele in score units, -0.98; 95% CI, -1.54 to -0.41 [scores range from 0 to 8, with higher scores indicating more severe disease]). In human hepatoma cell lines challenged with oleate, CIDEB small interfering RNA knockdown prevented the buildup of large lipid droplets. CONCLUSIONS Rare germline mutations in CIDEB conferred substantial protection from liver disease.
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| 3. |
- Akbari, Parsa, et al.
(författare)
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Sequencing of 640,000 exomes identifies GPR75 variants associated with protection from obesity
- 2021
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 373:6550
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Large-scale human exome sequencing can identify rare protein-coding variants with a large impact on complex traits such as body adiposity. We sequenced the exomes of 645,626 individuals from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Mexico and estimated associations of rare coding variants with body mass index (BMI). We identified 16 genes with an exome-wide significant association with BMI, including those encoding five brain-expressed G protein-coupled receptors (CALCR, MC4R, GIPR, GPR151, and GPR75). Protein-truncating variants in GPR75 were observed in ∼4/10,000 sequenced individuals and were associated with 1.8 kilograms per square meter lower BMI and 54% lower odds of obesity in the heterozygous state. Knock out of Gpr75 in mice resulted in resistance to weight gain and improved glycemic control in a high-fat diet model. Inhibition of GPR75 may provide a therapeutic strategy for obesity.
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| 4. |
- Allinne, Jeanne, et al.
(författare)
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IL-33 blockade affects mediators of persistence and exacerbation in a model of chronic airway inflammation
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0091-6749. ; 144:6, s. 1624-1637
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Severe inflammatory airway diseases are associated with inflammation that does not resolve, leading to structural changes and an overall environment primed for exacerbations. Objective: We sought to identify and inhibit pathways that perpetuate this heightened inflammatory state because this could lead to therapies that allow for a more quiescent lung that is less predisposed to symptoms and exacerbations. Methods: Using prolonged exposure to house dust mite in mice, we developed a mouse model of persistent and exacerbating airway disease characterized by a mixed inflammatory phenotype. Results: We show that lung IL-33 drives inflammation and remodeling beyond the type 2 response classically associated with IL-33 signaling. IL-33 blockade with an IL-33 neutralizing antibody normalized established inflammation and improved remodeling of both the lung epithelium and lung parenchyma. Specifically, IL-33 blockade normalized persisting and exacerbating inflammatory end points, including eosinophilic, neutrophilic, and ST2+CD4+ T-cell infiltration. Importantly, we identified a key role for IL-33 in driving lung remodeling because anti–IL-33 also re-established the presence of ciliated cells over mucus-producing cells and decreased myofibroblast numbers, even in the context of continuous allergen exposure, resulting in improved lung function. Conclusion: Overall, this study shows that increased IL-33 levels drive a self-perpetuating amplification loop that maintains the lung in a state of lasting inflammation and remodeled tissue primed for exacerbations. Thus IL-33 blockade might ameliorate symptoms and prevent exacerbations by quelling persistent inflammation and airway remodeling.
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| 5. |
- Damask, Amy, et al.
(författare)
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Patients with High Genome-Wide Polygenic Risk Scores for Coronary Artery Disease May Receive Greater Clinical Benefit from Alirocumab Treatment in the Odyssey Outcomes Trial
- 2020
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Ingår i: Circulation. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 141:8, s. 624-636
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Alirocumab, an antibody that blocks proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), was associated with reduced major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and death in the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial. In this study, higher baseline LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels predicted greater benefit from alirocumab treatment. Recent studies indicate high polygenic risk scores (PRS) for coronary artery disease (CAD) identify individuals at higher risk who derive increased benefit from statins. Herein we perform post hoc analyses to determine whether high PRS for CAD identifies higher-risk individuals, independently from baseline LDLC and other known risk factors, who might derive greater benefit from alirocumab treatment. Methods: ODYSSEY OUTCOMES was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing alirocumab or placebo in 18,924 patients with acute coronary syndrome and elevated atherogenic lipoproteins despite optimized statin treatment. The primary endpoint (MACE) comprised death from CAD, nonfatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or unstable angina requiring hospitalization. A genome-wide PRS for CAD comprising 6,579,025 genetic variants was evaluated in 11,953 patients with available DNA samples. Analysis of MACE risk was performed in placebo treated patients while treatment benefit analysis was performed in all patients. Results: The incidence of MACE in the placebo group was related to PRS for CAD: 17.0% for high PRS patients (>90th percentile) and 11.4% for lower PRS patients (≤90th percentile) (p<0.001); this PRS relationship was not explained by baseline LDL-C or other established risk factors. Both the absolute and relative reduction of MACE by alirocumab compared to placebo was greater in high versus low PRS patients. There was an absolute reduction by alirocumab in high versus low PRS groups of 6.0% and 1.5%, respectively, and relative risk reduction by alirocumab of 37% in the high PRS group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.46-0.86; p = 0.004) versus 13% reduction in the low PRS group (HR 0.87; 95% CI 0.78-0.98; p=0.022; interaction p = 0.04). Conclusions: A high PRS for CAD is associated with elevated risk for recurrent MACE after ACS, and larger absolute and relative risk reduction with alirocumab treatment, providing an independent tool for risk stratification and precision medicine.
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| 6. |
- Kullander, Klas, et al.
(författare)
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Ephrin-B3 is the midline barrier that prevents corticospinal tract axons from recrossing, allowing for unilateral motor control
- 2001
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Ingår i: Genes & Development. - : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. - 0890-9369 .- 1549-5477. ; 15:7, s. 877-888
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Growing axons follow highly stereotypical pathways, guided by a variety of attractive and repulsive cues, before establishing specific connections with distant targets. A particularly well-known example that illustrates the complexity of axonal migration pathways involves the axonal projections of motor neurons located in the motor cortex. These projections take a complex route during which they first cross the midline, then form the corticospinal tract, and ultimately connect with motor neurons in the contralateral side of the spinal cord. These obligatory contralateral connections account for why one side of the brain controls movement on the opposing side of the body. The netrins and slits provide well-known midline signals that regulate axonal crossings at the midline. Herein we report that a member of the ephrin family, ephrin-B3, also plays a key role at the midline to regulate axonal crossing. In particular, we show that ephrin-B3 acts as the midline barrier that prevents corticospinal tract projections from recrossing when they enter the spinal gray matter. We report that in ephrin-B3(-/-) mice, corticospinal tract projections freely recross in the spinal gray matter, such that the motor cortex on one side of the brain now provides bilateral input to the spinal cord. This neuroanatomical abnormality in ephrin-B3(-/-) mice correlates with loss of unilateral motor control, yielding mice that simultaneously move their right and left limbs and thus have a peculiar hopping gait quite unlike the alternate step gait displayed by normal mice. The corticospinal and walking defects in ephrin-B3(-/-) mice resemble those recently reported for mice lacking the EphA4 receptor, which binds ephrin-B3 as well as other ephrins, suggesting that the binding of EphA4-bearing axonal processes to ephrin-B3 at the midline provides the repulsive signal that prevents corticospinal tract projections from recrossing the midline in the developing spinal cord.
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| 7. |
- Galaup, Ariane, et al.
(författare)
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Protection Against Myocardial Infarction and No-Reflow Through Preservation of Vascular Integrity by Angiopoietin-Like 4
- 2012
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Ingår i: Circulation. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 125:1, s. 140-149
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background-Increased permeability, predominantly controlled by endothelial junction stability, is an early event in the deterioration of vascular integrity in ischemic disorders. Hemorrhage, edema, and inflammation are the main features of reperfusion injuries, as observed in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Thus, preservation of vascular integrity is fundamental in ischemic heart disease. Angiopoietins are pivotal modulators of cell-cell junctions and vascular integrity. We hypothesized that hypoxic induction of angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) might modulate vascular damage, infarct size, and no-reflow during AMI. Methods and Results-We showed that vascular permeability, hemorrhage, edema, inflammation, and infarct severity were increased in angptl4-deficient mice. We determined that decrease in vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and VE-cadherin expression and increase in Src kinase phosphorylation downstream of VEGFR2 were accentuated after ischemia-reperfusion in the coronary microcirculation of angptl4-deficient mice. Both events led to altered VEGFR2/VE-cadherin complexes and to disrupted adherens junctions in the endothelial cells of angptl4-deficient mice that correlated with increased no-reflow. In vivo injection of recombinant human ANGPTL4 protected VEGF-driven dissociation of the VEGFR2/VE-cadherin complex, reduced myocardial infarct size, and the extent of no-reflow in mice and rabbits. Conclusions-These data showed that ANGPTL4 might constitute a relevant target for therapeutic vasculoprotection aimed at counteracting the effects of VEGF, thus being crucial for preventing no-reflow and conferring secondary cardioprotection during AMI.
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