| 1. |
- Giontella, Alice, et al.
(författare)
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Caffeine Intake, Plasma Caffeine Level, and Kidney Function : A Mendelian Randomization Study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nutrients. - : MDPI. - 2072-6643. ; 15:20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Caffeine is a psychoactive substance widely consumed worldwide, mainly via sources such as coffee and tea. The effects of caffeine on kidney function remain unclear. We leveraged the genetic variants in the CYP1A2 and AHR genes via the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) framework to estimate the association of genetically predicted plasma caffeine and caffeine intake on kidney traits. Genetic association summary statistics on plasma caffeine levels and caffeine intake were taken from genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analyses of 9876 and of >47,000 European ancestry individuals, respectively. Genetically predicted plasma caffeine levels were associated with a decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measured using either creatinine or cystatin C. In contrast, genetically predicted caffeine intake was associated with an increase in eGFR and a low risk of chronic kidney disease. The discrepancy is likely attributable to faster metabolizers of caffeine consuming more caffeine-containing beverages to achieve the same pharmacological effect. Further research is needed to distinguish whether the observed effects on kidney function are driven by the harmful effects of higher plasma caffeine levels or the protective effects of greater intake of caffeine-containing beverages, particularly given the widespread use of drinks containing caffeine and the increasing burden of kidney disease.
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| 2. |
- Giontella, Alice, et al.
(författare)
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Renoprotective effects of genetically proxied fibroblast growth factor 21 : Mendelian randomization, proteome-wide and metabolome-wide association study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Metabolism. - : Elsevier BV. - 0026-0495 .- 1532-8600. ; 145
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has demonstrated efficacy for reducing liver fat and reversing non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in phase 2 clinical trials. It is also postulated to have anti-fibrotic effects and therefore may be amenable to repurposing for the prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods: We leverage a missense genetic variant, rs739320 in the FGF21 gene, that associates with magnetic resonance imaging-derived liver fat as a clinically validated and biologically plausible instrumental variable for studying the effects of FGF21 analogs. Performing Mendelian randomization, we ascertain associations between instrumented FGF21 and kidney phenotypes, cardiometabolic disease risk factors, as well as the circulating proteome (Somalogic, 4907 aptamers) and metabolome (Nightingale platform, 249 metabolites).Results: We report consistent renoprotective associations of genetically proxied FGF21 effect, including higher glomerular filtration rates (p = 1.9 x 10(-4)), higher urinary sodium excretion (p = 5.1 x 10(-11)), and lower urine albumin-creatinine ratio (p = 3.6 x 10(-5)). These favorable effects translated to lower CKD risk (odds ratio per rs739320 C-allele, 0.96; 95%CI, 0.94-0.98; p = 3.2 x 10(-4)). Genetically proxied FGF21 effect was also associated with lower fasting insulin, waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic BP, p < 1.0 x 10(- 07)) and blood lipid (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein B, p < 6.5 x 10(-24)) profiles. The latter associations are replicated in our metabolome-wide association study. Proteomic perturbations associated with genetically predicted FGF21 effect were consistent with fibrosis reduction.Conclusion: This study highlights the pleiotropic effects of genetically proxied FGF21 and supports a re-purposing opportunity for the treatment and prevention of kidney disease specifically. Further work is required to
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| 3. |
- Larson, Karen, et al.
(författare)
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Data-driven selection and parameter estimation for DNA methylation mathematical models
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Theoretical Biology. - : Elsevier. - 0022-5193 .- 1095-8541. ; 467, s. 87-99
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Epigenetics is coming to the fore as a key process which underpins health. In particular emerging experimental evidence has associated alterations to DNA methylation status with healthspan and aging. Mammalian DNA methylation status is maintained by an intricate array of biochemical and molecular processes. It can be argued changes to these fundamental cellular processes ultimately drive the formation of aberrant DNA methylation patterns, which are a hallmark of diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular disease. In recent years mathematical models have been used as effective tools to help advance our understanding of the dynamics which underpin DNA methylation. In this paper we present linear and nonlinear models which encapsulate the dynamics of the molecular mechanisms which define DNA methylation. Applying a recently developed Bayesian algorithm for parameter estimation and model selection, we are able to estimate distributions of parameters which include nominal parameter values. Using limited noisy observations, the method also identified which methylation model the observations originated from, signaling that our method has practical applications in identifying what models best match the biological data for DNA methylation.
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| 4. |
- Woolf, Benjamin, et al.
(författare)
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Appraising the causal relationship between plasma caffeine levels and neuropsychiatric disorders through Mendelian randomization
- 2023
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Ingår i: BMC Medicine. - : Springer Nature. - 1741-7015. ; 21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Caffeine exposure modifies the turnover of monoamine neurotransmitters, which play a role in several neuropsychiatric disorders. We conducted a Mendelian randomization study to investigate whether higher plasma caffeine levels are causally associated with the risk of anorexia nervosa, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), and schizophrenia.Methods: Summary-level data on the neuropsychiatric disorders were obtained from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of European ancestry participants (n = 72,517 to 807,553) and meta-analyzed with the corresponding data from the FinnGen study (n = 356,077). Summary-level data on plasma caffeine were extracted from a GWAS meta-analysis of 9876 European ancestry individuals. The Mendelian randomization analyses estimated the Wald ratio for each genetic variant and meta-analyzed the variant-specific estimates using multiplicative random effects meta-analysis.Results: After correcting for multiple testing, genetically predicted higher plasma caffeine levels were associated with higher odds of anorexia nervosa (odds ratio [OR] = 1.124; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.024-1.238, p(FDR) = 0.039) and a lower odds of bipolar disorder (OR = 0.905, 95% CI = 0.827-0.929, p(FDR) = 0.041) and MDD (OR = 0.965, 95% CI = 0.937-0.995, p(FDR) = 0.039). Instrumented plasma caffeine levels were not associated with schizophrenia (OR = 0.986, 95% CI = 0.929-1.047, p(FDR) = 0.646).Conclusions: These Mendelian randomization findings indicate that long-term higher plasma caffeine levels may lower the risk of bipolar disorder and MDD but increase the risk of anorexia nervosa. These results warrant further research to explore whether caffeine consumption, supplementation, or abstinence could render clinically relevant therapeutic or preventative psychiatric effects.
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| 5. |
- Zagkos, Loukas, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic investigation into the broad health implications of caffeine : evidence from phenome-wide, proteome-wide and metabolome-wide Mendelian randomization
- 2024
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Ingår i: BMC Medicine. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1741-7015. ; 22:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundCaffeine is one of the most utilized drugs in the world, yet its clinical effects are not fully understood. Circulating caffeine levels are influenced by the interplay between consumption behaviour and metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the effects of circulating caffeine levels by considering genetically predicted variation in caffeine metabolism.MethodsLeveraging genetic variants related to caffeine metabolism that affect its circulating levels, we investigated the clinical effects of plasma caffeine in a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS). We validated novel findings using a two-sample Mendelian randomization framework and explored the potential mechanisms underlying these effects in proteome-wide and metabolome-wide Mendelian randomization.ResultsHigher levels of genetically predicted circulating caffeine among caffeine consumers were associated with a lower risk of obesity (odds ratio (OR) per standard deviation increase in caffeine = 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) CI: 0.95—0.98, p = 2.47 × 10−4), osteoarthrosis (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.96—0.98, P=1.10 × 10−8) and osteoarthritis (OR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.96 to 0.98, P = 1.09 × 10−6). Approximately one third of the protective effect of plasma caffeine on osteoarthritis risk was estimated to be mediated through lower bodyweight. Proteomic and metabolomic perturbations indicated lower chronic inflammation, improved lipid profiles, and altered protein and glycogen metabolism as potential biological mechanisms underlying these effects.ConclusionsWe report novel evidence suggesting that long-term increases in circulating caffeine may reduce bodyweight and the risk of osteoarthrosis and osteoarthritis. We confirm prior genetic evidence of a protective effect of plasma caffeine on risk of overweight and obesity. Further clinical study is warranted to understand the translational relevance of these findings before clinical practice or lifestyle interventions related to caffeine consumption are introduced.
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| 6. |
- Zagkos, Loukas, et al.
(författare)
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Mathematical models of DNA methylation dynamics: Implications for health and ageing
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Theoretical Biology. - : Elsevier. - 0022-5193 .- 1095-8541. ; 462, s. 184-193
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- DNA methylation is a key epigenetic process which has been intimately associated with gene regulation. In recent years growing evidence has associated DNA methylation status with a variety of diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, changes to DNA methylation have also recently been implicated in the ageing process. The factors which underpin DNA methylation are complex, and remain to be fully elucidated. Over the years mathematical modelling has helped to shed light on the dynamics of this important molecular system. Although the existing models have contributed significantly to our overall understanding of DNA methylation, they fall short of fully capturing the dynamics of this process. In this paper we develop a linear and nonlinear model which captures more fully the dynamics of the key intracellular events which characterise DNA methylation. In particular the outcomes of our linear model result in gene promoter specific methylation levels which are more biologically plausible than those revealed by previous mathematical models. In addition, our nonlinear model predicts DNA methylation promoter bistability which is commonly observed experimentally. The findings from our models have implications for our current understanding of how changes to the dynamics which underpin DNA methylation affect ageing and health. We also propose how our ideas can be tested in the lab.
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