| 1. |
- Bernal, Ximena E., et al.
(författare)
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Empowering Latina scientists
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 363:6429, s. 825-826
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 2. |
- Adey, Brett N., et al.
(författare)
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Large-scale analyses of CAV1 and CAV2 suggest their expression is higher in post-mortem ALS brain tissue and affects survival
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1662-5102. ; 17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Caveolin-1 and Caveolin-2 (CAV1 and CAV2) are proteins associated with intercellular neurotrophic signalling. There is converging evidence that CAV1 and CAV2 (CAV1/2) genes have a role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Disease-associated variants have been identified within CAV1/2 enhancers, which reduce gene expression and lead to disruption of membrane lipid rafts.Methods: Using large ALS whole-genome sequencing and post-mortem RNA sequencing datasets (5,987 and 365 tissue samples, respectively), and iPSC-derived motor neurons from 55 individuals, we investigated the role of CAV1/2 expression and enhancer variants in the ALS phenotype.Results: We report a differential expression analysis between ALS cases and controls for CAV1 and CAV2 genes across various post-mortem brain tissues and three independent datasets. CAV1 and CAV2 expression was consistently higher in ALS patients compared to controls, with significant results across the primary motor cortex, lateral motor cortex, and cerebellum. We also identify increased survival among carriers of CAV1/2 enhancer mutations compared to non-carriers within Project MinE and slower progression as measured by the ALSFRS. Carriers showed a median increase in survival of 345 days.Discussion: These results add to an increasing body of evidence linking CAV1 and CAV2 genes to ALS. We propose that carriers of CAV1/2 enhancer mutations may be conceptualised as an ALS subtype who present a less severe ALS phenotype with a longer survival duration and slower progression. Upregulation of CAV1/2 genes in ALS cases may indicate a causal pathway or a compensatory mechanism. Given prior research supporting the beneficial role of CAV1/2 expression in ALS patients, we consider a compensatory mechanism to better fit the available evidence, although further investigation into the biological pathways associated with CAV1/2 is needed to support this conclusion.
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| 3. |
- Akimoto, Chizuru, et al.
(författare)
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A blinded international study on the reliability of genetic testing for GGGGCC-repeat expansions in C9orf72 reveals marked differences in results among 14 laboratories
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Medical Genetics. - : BMJ. - 0022-2593 .- 1468-6244. ; 51:6, s. 419-424
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The GGGGCC-repeat expansion in C9orf72 is the most frequent mutation found in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Most of the studies on C9orf72 have relied on repeat-primed PCR (RP-PCR) methods for detection of the expansions. To investigate the inherent limitations of this technique, we compared methods and results of 14 laboratories. Methods The 14 laboratories genotyped DNA from 78 individuals (diagnosed with ALS or FTD) in a blinded fashion. Eleven laboratories used a combination of amplicon-length analysis and RP-PCR, whereas three laboratories used RP-PCR alone; Southern blotting techniques were used as a reference. Results Using PCR-based techniques, 5 of the 14 laboratories got results in full accordance with the Southern blotting results. Only 50 of the 78 DNA samples got the same genotype result in all 14 laboratories. There was a high degree of false positive and false negative results, and at least one sample could not be genotyped at all in 9 of the 14 laboratories. The mean sensitivity of a combination of amplicon-length analysis and RP-PCR was 95.0% (73.9-100%), and the mean specificity was 98.0% (87.5-100%). Overall, a sensitivity and specificity of more than 95% was observed in only seven laboratories. Conclusions Because of the wide range seen in genotyping results, we recommend using a combination of amplicon-length analysis and RP-PCR as a minimum in a research setting. We propose that Southern blotting techniques should be the gold standard, and be made obligatory in a clinical diagnostic setting.
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| 4. |
- Brenner, David, et al.
(författare)
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Hot-spot KIF5A mutations cause familial ALS
- 2018
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Ingår i: Brain. - : Oxford University Press. - 0006-8950 .- 1460-2156. ; 141, s. 688-697
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Heterozygous missense mutations in the N-terminal motor or coiled-coil domains of the kinesin family member 5A (KIF5A) gene cause monogenic spastic paraplegia (HSP10) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 (CMT2). Moreover, heterozygous de novo frame-shift mutations in the C-terminal domain of KIF5A are associated with neonatal intractable myoclonus, a neurodevelopmental syndrome. These findings, together with the observation that many of the disease genes associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disrupt cytoskeletal function and intracellular transport, led us to hypothesize that mutations in KIF5A are also a cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Using whole exome sequencing followed by rare variant analysis of 426 patients with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 6137 control subjects, we detected an enrichment of KIF5A splice-site mutations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (2/426 compared to 0/6137 in controls; P = 4.2 x 10-3), both located in a hot-spot in the C-terminus of the protein and predicted to affect splicing exon 27. We additionally show co-segregation with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis of two canonical splice-site mutations in two families. Investigation of lymphoblast cell lines from patients with KIF5A splice-site mutations revealed the loss of mutant RNA expression and suggested haploinsufficiency as the most probable underlying molecular mechanism. Furthermore, mRNA sequencing of a rare non-synonymous missense mutation (predicting p. Arg1007Gly) located in the C-terminus of the protein shortly upstream of the splice donor of exon 27 revealed defective KIF5A pre-mRNA splicing in respective patient-derived cell lines owing to abrogation of the donor site. Finally, the non-synonymous single nucleotide variant rs113247976 (minor allele frequency = 1.00% in controls, n = 6137), also located in the C-terminal region [p.(Pro986Leu) in exon 26], was significantly enriched in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients (minor allele frequency = 3.40%; P = 1.28 x 10-7). Our study demonstrates that mutations located specifically in a C-terminal hotspot of KIF5A can cause a classical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis phenotype, and underline the involvement of intracellular transport processes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathogenesis.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- de Carvalho, Mamede, et al.
(författare)
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Peripheral neuropathy in ALS : Phenotype association
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of the peripheral nervous system. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1085-9489 .- 1529-8027. ; 23:4, s. 391-392
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 7. |
- Decarvalho, Mamede, et al.
(författare)
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Peripheral neuropathy in ALS : Phenotype association
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 0022-3050 .- 1468-330X. ; 92:10, s. 1133-1134
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare and progressive neurodegenerative disease mainly affecting upper and lower motor neurons but also causing multisystem involvement, in particular, associated with cognitive changes. Minor sensory fibre dysfunction has been described in the past1 and confirmed in recent studies.2 In a multicentre study investigating a population of 88 patients with ALS, the ESTEEM group (a European Telematic Project for quality assurance within Clinical Neurophysiology) reported sensory polyneuropathy (PNP) in 12.5% of the patients, not influenced by age, disease duration and onset region.In this study, we aimed to readdress prevalence of and risk factors for PNP in a larger population of patients with ALS. A large number of variables, including gene mutations, were assessed.
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| 8. |
- Docherty, Anna R, et al.
(författare)
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GWAS Meta-Analysis of Suicide Attempt: Identification of 12 Genome-Wide Significant Loci and Implication of Genetic Risks for Specific Health Factors.
- 2023
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Ingår i: The American journal of psychiatry. - : American Psychiatric Association Publishing. - 1535-7228 .- 0002-953X. ; 180:10, s. 723-738
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Suicidal behavior is heritable and is a major cause of death worldwide. Two large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs) recently discovered and cross-validated genome-wide significant (GWS) loci for suicide attempt (SA). The present study leveraged the genetic cohorts from both studies to conduct the largest GWAS meta-analysis of SA to date. Multi-ancestry and admixture-specific meta-analyses were conducted within groups of significant African, East Asian, and European ancestry admixtures.This study comprised 22 cohorts, including 43,871 SA cases and 915,025 ancestry-matched controls. Analytical methods across multi-ancestry and individual ancestry admixtures included inverse variance-weighted fixed-effects meta-analyses, followed by gene, gene-set, tissue-set, and drug-target enrichment, as well as summary-data-based Mendelian randomization with brain expression quantitative trait loci data, phenome-wide genetic correlation, and genetic causal proportion analyses.Multi-ancestry and European ancestry admixture GWAS meta-analyses identified 12 risk loci at p values <5×10-8. These loci were mostly intergenic and implicated DRD2, SLC6A9, FURIN, NLGN1, SOX5, PDE4B, and CACNG2. The multi-ancestry SNP-based heritability estimate of SA was 5.7% on the liability scale (SE=0.003, p=5.7×10-80). Significant brain tissue gene expression and drug set enrichment were observed. There was shared genetic variation of SA with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, smoking, and risk tolerance after conditioning SA on both major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. Genetic causal proportion analyses implicated shared genetic risk for specific health factors.This multi-ancestry analysis of suicide attempt identified several loci contributing to risk and establishes significant shared genetic covariation with clinical phenotypes. These findings provide insight into genetic factors associated with suicide attempt across ancestry admixture populations, in veteran and civilian populations, and in attempt versus death.
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| 9. |
- Freischmidt, Axel, et al.
(författare)
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Haploinsufficiency of TBK1 causes familial ALS and fronto-temporal dementia
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nature Neuroscience. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1097-6256 .- 1546-1726. ; 18:5, s. 631-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative syndrome hallmarked by adult-onset loss of motor neurons. We performed exome sequencing of 252 familial ALS (fALS) and 827 control individuals. Gene-based rare variant analysis identified an exome-wide significant enrichment of eight loss-of-function (LoF) mutations in TBK1 (encoding TANK-binding kinase 1) in 13 fALS pedigrees. No enrichment of LoF mutations was observed in a targeted mutation screen of 1,010 sporadic ALS and 650 additional control individuals. Linkage analysis in four families gave an aggregate LOD score of 4.6. In vitro experiments confirmed the loss of expression of TBK1 LoF mutant alleles, or loss of interaction of the C-terminal TBK1 coiled-coil domain (CCD2) mutants with the TBK1 adaptor protein optineurin, which has been shown to be involved in ALS pathogenesis. We conclude that haploinsufficiency of TBK1 causes ALS and fronto-temporal dementia.
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| 10. |
- Gromicho, Marta, et al.
(författare)
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Frequency of C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion and SOD1 mutations in Portuguese patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- 2018
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Ingår i: Neurobiology of Aging. - : Elsevier. - 0197-4580 .- 1558-1497. ; 70
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mutation frequency of the 2 main amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) erelated genes, C9orf72 and SOD1, varies considerably across the world. We analyzed those genes in a large population of Portuguese ALS patients (n = 371) and recorded demographic and clinical features. Familial ALS (FALS) was disclosed in 11.6% of patients. Mutations in either SOD1 or C9orf72 were found in 9.2% of patients and accounted for 40% of FALS and 5.2% of sporadic ALS. SOD1 mutations were rare (0.83%), but a novel and probably disease-causing mutation was identified: p. Ala152Pro (c. 457G>C). The C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion was the commonest abnormality, accounting for 4.6% of sporadic ALS and 37.5% of FALS; in these patients, Frontotemporal Dementia was prevalent. This first report on the frequency of C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion and SOD1 mutations in Portuguese ALS patients reiterate that the genetic architecture of ALS varies among different geographic regions. The mutations incidence in ALS patients (w10%) and associated phenotypes suggest that genetic tests should be offered to more patients, and other genes should be investigated in our population.
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| 11. |
- Gromicho, Marta, et al.
(författare)
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Motor neuron disease beginning with frontotemporal dementia : clinical features and progression
- 2021
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Ingår i: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2167-8421 .- 2167-9223. ; 22:7-8, s. 508-516
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To study disease characteristics, progression and outcome in a group of motor neuron disease (MND) patients beginning with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) by comparing them with patients with the typical motor-onset.Methods: 849 patients recruited from tertiary centers were studied according to FTD-onset and motor-onset. We studied clinical data, functional decline and survival.Results: Twenty six patients (3.1%) had FTD-onset of whom seven (26.9%) had coincident motor dysfunction. In those with isolated FTD-onset, motor symptoms developed after a median of 12 months (IQR: 4-18). FTD-onset patients were older at presentation; the bulbar-region was more frequently first affected than in the motor-onset group; there was a predominant upper motor neuron (UMN) phenotype; fasciculations were less common than in motor onset disease but facial and upper limb apraxia was more frequent; as well as ALS and FTD familial history. No differences were observed for gender, frequency of C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion, family history of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, median delay from motor symptoms to diagnosis, median ALSFRS-R rate of change, handedness, emotional lability, depression, weight loss, resting tremor, bradykinesia, sensory changes or neuropathy. Clinical and demographic features were similar between FTD-onset patients developing bulbar MND and bulbar-onset ALS patients. Once bulbar symptoms manifested functional progression and survival were similar to those of bulbar-onset ALS patients.Conclusions: MND patients with FTD-onset have a distinctive phenotype characterized by predominant UMN presentation and rapid progression to bulbar involvement. The main factor impacting functional decline and survival is the onset of bulbar dysfunction.
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| 12. |
- Hop, Paul J., et al.
(författare)
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Genome-wide study of DNA methylation shows alterations in metabolic, inflammatory, and cholesterol pathways in ALS
- 2022
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Ingår i: Science Translational Medicine. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science. - 1946-6234 .- 1946-6242. ; 14:633
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with an estimated heritability between 40 and 50%. DNA methylation patterns can serve as proxies of (past) exposures and disease progression, as well as providing a potential mechanism that mediates genetic or environmental risk. Here, we present a blood-based epigenome-wide association study meta-analysis in 9706 samples passing stringent quality control (6763 patients, 2943 controls). We identified a total of 45 differentially methylated positions (DMPs) annotated to 42 genes, which are enriched for pathways and traits related to metabolism, cholesterol biosynthesis, and immunity. We then tested 39 DNA methylation-based proxies of putative ALS risk factors and found that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index, white blood cell proportions, and alcohol intake were independently associated with ALS. Integration of these results with our latest genome-wide association study showed that cholesterol biosynthesis was potentially causally related to ALS. Last, DNA methylation at several DMPs and blood cell proportion estimates derived from DNA methylation data were associated with survival rate in patients, suggesting that they might represent indicators of underlying disease processes potentially amenable to therapeutic interventions.
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| 13. |
- Ingre, Caroline, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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No association between VAPB mutations and familial or sporadic ALS in Sweden, Portugal and Iceland
- 2013
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Ingår i: AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS AND FRONTOTEMPORAL DEGENERATION. - : Informa Healthcare. - 2167-8421 .- 2167-9223. ; 14:7-8, s. 620-627
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Linkage analysis in Brazilian families with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) revealed that a missense mutation p. Pro56Ser in a conserved gene VAMP-associated protein type B and C (VAPB) cosegregates with disease. Blood samples were studied from 973 Swedish, 126 Portuguese and 19 Icelandic ALS patients, and from 644 control subjects. We identified five VAPB mutations, two of which are novel, in 14 Swedish ALS patients and in nine control individuals from Sweden and Portugal. The 14 patients with VAPB mutations all carried a diagnosis of sporadic ALS. Mutations were also found in healthy adult relatives. The p. Asp130Glu VAPB mutation was also found in two patients from an Icelandic ALS family, but the mutation did not cosegregate with disease. All patients were instead found to be heterozygous for a p.Gly93Ser SOD1 mutation. There were no clinical differences between them, suggesting that the p. Asp130Glu VAPB mutation is unrelated to the disease process. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanIn conclusion, the VAPB mutations were as frequent in control individuals as in patients. This observation, in combination with the finding of several healthy relatives carrying the VAPB mutations and no ancestors with ALS disease, suggests that it is unlikely that these VAPB mutations are pathogenic.
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| 14. |
- Lousada, Cláudio M., 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Experimental and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of the Sublimation and Vaporization Energetics of Iron Metalocenes. Crystal Structures of Fe(η5-C5H4CH3)2 andFe[(η5-(C5H5)(η5-C5H4CHO)]
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry A. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1089-5639 .- 1520-5215. ; 112, s. 2977-2987
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The standard molar enthalpies of sublimation of ferrocene, 1,1'-dimethylferrocene, decamethylferrocene, ferrocenecarboxaldehyde and R-methylferrocenemethanol, and the enthalpy of vaporization of N,N-dimethyl-(aminomethyl)ferrocene, at 298.15 K, were determined by Calvet-drop microcalorimetry and/or the Knudsen effusion method. The obtained values were used to assess and refine our previously developed force field for metallocenes. The modified force field was able to reproduce the ΔsubH°m and ΔvapH°m values of the test-set with an accuracy better than 5 kJ·mol-1, except for decamethylferrocene, in which case the deviation between the calculated and experimental ΔsubH°m values was 16.1 kJ·mol-1. The origin of the larger error found in the prediction of the sublimation energetics of decamethylferrocene, and which was also observed in the estimation of structural properties (e.g., density and unit cell dimensions), is discussed. Finally, the crystal structures of Fe(η5-C5H4CH3)2 and Fe[(η5-(C5H5)(η5-C5H4CHO)] at 293 and 150 K, respectively, are reported.
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| 15. |
- Marriott, Heather, et al.
(författare)
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Mutations in the tail and rod domains of the neurofilament heavy-chain gene increase the risk of ALS
- 2024
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Ingår i: Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2328-9503. ; 11:7, s. 1775-1786
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Neurofilament heavy-chain gene (NEFH) variants are associated with multiple neurodegenerative diseases, however, their relationship with ALS has not been robustly explored. Still, NEFH is commonly included in genetic screening panels worldwide. We therefore aimed to determine if NEFH variants modify ALS risk.Methods: Genetic data of 11,130 people with ALS and 7,416 controls from the literature and Project MinE were analysed. We performed meta-analyses of published case–control studies reporting NEFH variants, and variant analysis of NEFH in Project MinE whole-genome sequencing data.Results: Fixed-effects meta-analysis found that rare (MAF <1%) missense variants in the tail domain of NEFH increase ALS risk (OR 4.55, 95% CI 2.13–9.71, p < 0.0001). In Project MinE, ultrarare NEFH variants increased ALS risk (OR 1.37 95% CI 1.14–1.63, p = 0.0007), with rod domain variants (mostly intronic) appearing to drive the association (OR 1.45 95% CI 1.18–1.77, pMadsen–Browning = 0.0007, pSKAT-O = 0.003). While in the tail domain, ultrarare (MAF <0.1%) pathogenic missense variants were also associated with higher risk of ALS (OR 1.94, 95% CI 0.86–4.37, pMadsen–Browning = 0.039), supporting the meta-analysis results. Finally, several tail in-frame deletions were also found to affect disease risk, however, both protective and pathogenic deletions were found in this domain, highlighting an intricated architecture that requires further investigation.Interpretation: We showed that NEFH tail missense and in-frame deletion variants, and intronic rod variants are risk factors for ALS. However, they are not variants of large effect, and their functional impact needs to be clarified in further studies. Therefore, their inclusion in routine genetic screening panels should be reconsidered.
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| 16. |
- Meunier, Joël, et al.
(författare)
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Eumelanin-based coloration and fitness parameters in birds : a meta-analysis
- 2011
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Ingår i: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-5443 .- 1432-0762. ; 65:4, s. 559-567
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although melanin is the most common pigment in animal integuments, the adaptive function of variation in melanin-based coloration remains poorly understood. The individual fitness returns associated with melanin pigments can be variable across species as these pigments can have physical and biological protective properties and genes involved in melanogenesis may vary in the intensity of pleiotropic effects. Moreover, dark and pale coloration can also enhance camouflage in alternative habitats and melanin-based coloration can be involved in social interactions. We investigated whether darker or paler individuals achieve a higher fitness in birds, a taxon wherein associations between melanin-based coloration and fitness parameters have been studied in a large number of species. A meta-analysis showed that the degree of melanin-based coloration was not significantly associated with laying date, clutch size, brood size, and survival across 26 species. Similar results were found when restricting the analyses to non-sexually dimorphic birds, colour polymorphic and monomorphic species, in passerines and non-passerines and in species for which inter-individual variation in melanism is due to colour intensity. However, eumelanic coloration was positively associated with clutch and brood size in sexually dimorphic species and those that vary in the size of black patches, respectively. Given that greater extent of melanin-based coloration was positively associated with reproductive parameters and survival in some species but negatively in other species, we conclude that in birds the sign and magnitude of selection exerted on melanin-based coloration is species- or trait-specific.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Mullins, Niamh, et al.
(författare)
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Dissecting the Shared Genetic Architecture of Suicide Attempt, Psychiatric Disorders, and Known Risk Factors
- 2022
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Ingår i: Biological Psychiatry. - : Elsevier. - 0006-3223 .- 1873-2402. ; 91:3, s. 313-327
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, and nonfatal suicide attempts, which occur far more frequently, are a major source of disability and social and economic burden. Both have substantial genetic etiology, which is partially shared and partially distinct from that of related psychiatric disorders.METHODS: We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 29,782 suicide attempt (SA) cases and 519,961 controls in the International Suicide Genetics Consortium (ISGC). The GWAS of SA was conditioned on psychiatric disorders using GWAS summary statistics via multitrait-based conditional and joint analysis, to remove genetic effects on SA mediated by psychiatric disorders. We investigated the shared and divergent genetic architectures of SA, psychiatric disorders, and other known risk factors.RESULTS: Two loci reached genome-wide significance for SA: the major histocompatibility complex and an intergenic locus on chromosome 7, the latter of which remained associated with SA after conditioning on psychiatric disorders and replicated in an independent cohort from the Million Veteran Program. This locus has been implicated in risk-taking behavior, smoking, and insomnia. SA showed strong genetic correlation with psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression, and also with smoking, pain, risk-taking behavior, sleep disturbances, lower educational attainment, reproductive traits, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer general health. After conditioning on psychiatric disorders, the genetic correlations between SA and psychiatric disorders decreased, whereas those with nonpsychiatric traits remained largely unchanged.CONCLUSIONS: Our results identify a risk locus that contributes more strongly to SA than other phenotypes and suggest a shared underlying biology between SA and known risk factors that is not mediated by psychiatric disorders.
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| 19. |
- Nordin, Angelica, et al.
(författare)
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Sequence variations in C9orf72 downstream of the hexanucleotide repeat region and its effect on repeat-primed PCR interpretation : a large multinational screening study
- 2017
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Ingår i: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2167-8421 .- 2167-9223. ; 18:3-4, s. 256-264
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A large GGGGCC-repeat expansion mutation (HREM) in C9orf72 is the most common known cause of ALS and FTD in European populations. Sequence variations immediately downstream of the HREM region have previously been observed and have been suggested to be one reason for difficulties in interpreting RP-PCR data. Our objective was to determine the properties of these sequence variations with regard to prevalence, the range of variation, and effect on disease prognosis. We screened a multi-national cohort (n = 6981) for the HREM and samples with deviant RP-PCR curves were identified. The deviant samples were subsequently sequenced to determine sequence alteration. Our results show that in the USA and European cohorts (n = 6508) 10.7% carried the HREM and 3% had a sequence variant, while no HREM or sequence variants were observed in the Japanese cohort (n = 473). Sequence variations were more common on HREM alleles; however, certain population specific variants were associated with a non-expanded allele. In conclusion, we identified 38 different sequence variants, most located within the first 50 bp downstream of the HREM region. Furthermore, the presence of an HREM was found to be coupled to a lower age of onset and a shorter disease survival, while sequence variation did not have any correlation with these parameters.
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| 20. |
- Pinto, Ana I, et al.
(författare)
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Beyond diagnosis : the relevance of social interactions for participation in inclusive preschool settings
- 2019
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Ingår i: Developmental Neurorehabilitation. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1751-8423 .- 1751-8431. ; 22:6, s. 390-399
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the role of three specific factors within the child-environment interaction process - engagement, independence and social interactions - in influencing development and learning of children with disabilities in inclusive preschool settings. The main question is whether children can be categorised in homogenous groups based on engagement, independence and social interactions (proximal variables within a biopsychosocial framework of human development). The study also examined whether children with the same diagnosis would group together or separately, when trying to identify clusters of engagement, independence and social interactions, and additionally whether such clusters vary as a function of individual child characteristics, and/or as a function of structural and process characteristics of preschool environment.METHODS: Data was taken from an intervention study conducted in mainstream preschools in Portugal. A person-centered cluster analysis was conducted to explore group membership of children with various diagnoses, based on their engagement, independence and social interaction profiles.RESULTS: Results show that children clustered based on similarity of engagement, independence and social interaction patterns, rather than on diagnosis. Besides, it was found that quality of peer interaction was the only predictor of cluster membership.CONCLUSION: These findings support the argument that participation profiles may be more informative for intervention purposes than diagnostic categories, and that preschool process quality, namely peer interaction, is crucial for children's participation.
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| 21. |
- Pinto, Dalila, et al.
(författare)
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Convergence of Genes and Cellular Pathways Dysregulated in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- 2014
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Ingår i: American journal of human genetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1537-6605 .- 0002-9297. ; 94:5, s. 677-694
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rare copy-number variation (CNV) is an important source of risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). We analyzed 2,446 ASD-affected families and confirmed an excess of genic deletions and duplications in affected versus control groups (1.41-fold, p = 1.0× 10(-5)) and an increase in affected subjects carrying exonic pathogenic CNVs overlapping known loci associated with dominant or X-linked ASD and intellectual disability (odds ratio = 12.62, p = 2.7× 10(-15), ∼3% of ASD subjects). Pathogenic CNVs, often showing variable expressivity, included rare de novo and inherited events at 36 loci, implicating ASD-associated genes (CHD2, HDAC4, and GDI1) previously linked to other neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as other genes such as SETD5, MIR137, and HDAC9. Consistent with hypothesized gender-specific modulators, females with ASD were more likely to have highly penetrant CNVs (p = 0.017) and were also overrepresented among subjects with fragile X syndrome protein targets (p = 0.02). Genes affected by de novo CNVs and/or loss-of-function single-nucleotide variants converged on networks related to neuronal signaling and development, synapse function, and chromatin regulation.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Pinto, Susana, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of slow and forced vital capacities on ability to predict survival in ALS
- 2017
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Ingår i: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2167-8421 .- 2167-9223. ; 18:7-8, s. 528-533
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Slow (SVC) and forced (FVC) vital capacities are the most used pulmonary function tests in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is unknown if they equally predict survival in ALS. The aim of the present study was to compare both measures in predicting survival in this disease.Methods: Consecutive definite/probable ALS patients (2000-2014) in whom respiratory tests were performed at baseline and four months later were included. All patients were evaluated with the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R), respiratory (RofALSFRS-R), bulbar (ALSFRSb), upper and lower limb subscores, SVC, FVC, maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressures. King's functional staging system was applied retrospectively. Survival analysis was carried out by univariate Kaplan-Meier log-rank test. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model determined significant independent variables.Results: We included 469 patients (270 males; mean onset age 61.0 +/- 11.5 years; mean disease duration from first symptoms to first visit: 15.8 +/- 16.1months; 329 spinal and 140 bulbar onset). FVC and SVC were strongly correlated (r(2)=0.981, p<0.001). Significant survival prognostic variables (Kaplan-Meier analyses) were onset region, age, disease duration, ALSFRS-R, ALSFRSb, RofALSFRS-R, ALSFRS-R decay, SVC, FVC, MIP, MEP and King's staging (p0.01). Final Cox model including the significant variables showed similar results for FVC and SVC (p<0.001). Moreover, 1% decrease in either predicted values increased death probability by 1.02.Conclusion: FVC and SVC are inter-changeable in predicting survival in ALS.
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- Pinto, Susana, et al.
(författare)
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Health Status Perspectives in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- 2017
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Ingår i: Neurodegenerative Diseases. - : S. Karger. - 1660-2854 .- 1660-2862. ; 17:6, s. 323-329
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background/Aims: The global perception of the health status (HS) of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients before the initial diagnosis has not been addressed previously. Methods: We recorded the following at the first visit, before diagnostic information: (1) visual analog scale (VAS) of the EQ-5D; (2) the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRSR), bulbar (ALSFRSb), upper limb (ALSFRSul), lower limb (ALSFRSll), and respiratory (RofALSFRS-R) subscores; and (3) forced and slow vital capacities. Correlations were tested by the Pearson correlation test. Variables were compared between groups defined by the VAS median value. p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of the 156 patients included in the study (91 spinal-onset, 49 bulbar-onset, 16 axial/respiratory- onset; 95 men; mean onset age 63.9 +/- 13 years; mean disease duration 18.4 +/- 26.5 months), HS VAS was significantly lower in spinal-onset patients (p = 0.047), and particularly in spinal-onset women (p = 0.027). Disease duration had no influence. HS VAS was moderately correlated with ALS-FRS, ALSFRSul and ALSFRSll (0.4 < r < 0.5, p < 0.01), weakly correlated with RofALSFRS-R in the whole population (r = 0.171, p < 0.05), and not correlated with ALSFRSb or the respiratory tests. ALSFRSb was similar between groups defined by the HS VAS median value, but the other scores were significantly lower for poorer HS values. Conclusion: HS before diagnosis is mostly dependent on the perception of upper and lower limb function. A tool tailored to evaluate HS in bulbar-onset patients should be developed.
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