| 21. |
- Tigchelaar, Michelle, et al.
(author)
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The vital roles of blue foods in the global food system
- 2022
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In: Global Food Security. - : Elsevier BV. - 2211-9124. ; 33
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Blue foods play a central role in food and nutrition security for billions of people and are a cornerstone of the livelihoods, economies, and cultures of many coastal and riparian communities. Blue foods are extraordinarily diverse, are often rich in essential micronutrients and fatty acids, and can often be produced in ways that are more environmentally sustainable than terrestrial animal-source foods. Capture fisheries constitute the largest wild-food resource for human extraction that would be challenging to replace. Yet, despite their unique value, blue foods have often been left out of food system analyses, policies, and investments. Here, we focus on three imperatives for realizing the potential of blue foods: (1) Bring blue foods into the heart of food system decision-making; (2) Protect and develop the potential of blue foods to help end malnutrition; and (3) Support the central role of small-scale actors in fisheries and aquaculture. Recognition of the importance of blue foods for food and nutrition security constitutes a critical justification to preserve the integrity and diversity of aquatic species and ecosystems.
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| 22. |
- Turro, Ernest, et al.
(author)
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Whole-genome sequencing of patients with rare diseases in a national health system.
- 2020
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 583:7814, s. 96-102
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Most patients with rare diseases do not receive a molecular diagnosis and the aetiological variants and causative genes for more than half such disorders remain to be discovered1. Here we used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in a national health system to streamline diagnosis and to discover unknown aetiological variants in the coding and non-coding regions of the genome. We generated WGS data for 13,037 participants, of whom 9,802 had a rare disease, and provided a genetic diagnosis to 1,138 of the 7,065extensively phenotypedparticipants. We identified 95 Mendelian associations between genes and rare diseases, of which 11 have been discovered since 2015 and at least 79 are confirmed to be aetiological. By generating WGS data ofUK Biobankparticipants2, we found that rare alleles can explain the presence of some individuals in the tails of a quantitative trait for red blood cells. Finally, we identified four novel non-coding variants that cause disease through the disruption of transcription of ARPC1B, GATA1, LRBA and MPL. Our study demonstrates a synergy by using WGS for diagnosis and aetiological discovery in routine healthcare.
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| 23. |
- Winfree, Rebecca L., et al.
(author)
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Variants in the MS4A cluster interact with soluble TREM2 expression on biomarkers of neuropathology
- 2024
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In: MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION. - 1750-1326. ; 19:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent evidence suggests that Alzheimer's disease (AD) genetic risk variants (rs1582763 and rs6591561) of the MS4A locus are genome-wide significant regulators of soluble TREM2 levels such that the minor allele of the protective variant (rs1582763) is associated with higher sTREM2 and lower AD risk while the minor allele of (rs6591561) relates to lower sTREM2 and higher AD risk. Our group previously found that higher sTREM2 relates to higher A beta(40), worse blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity (measured with the CSF/plasma albumin ratio), and higher CSF tau, suggesting strong associations with amyloid abundance and both BBB and neurodegeneration complicate interpretation. We expand on this work by leveraging these common variants as genetic tools to tune the interpretation of high CSF sTREM2, and by exploring the potential modifying role of these variants on the well-established associations between CSF sTREM2 as well as TREM2 transcript levels in the brain with AD neuropathology. Biomarker analyses leveraged data from the Vanderbilt Memory & Aging Project (n = 127, age = 72 +/- 6.43) and were replicated in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (n = 399, age = 73 +/- 7.39). Autopsy analyses were performed leveraging data from the Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project (n = 577, age = 89 +/- 6.46). We found that the protective variant rs1582763 attenuated the association between CSF sTREM2 and A beta(40) (beta = -0.44, p-value = 0.017) and replicated this interaction in ADNI (beta = -0.27, p = 0.017). We did not observe this same interaction effect between TREM2 mRNA levels and A beta peptides in brain (A beta total beta = -0.14, p = 0.629; A beta(1-38), beta = 0.11, p = 0.200). In contrast to the effects on A beta, the minor allele of this same variant seemed to enhance the association with blood-brain barrier dysfunction (beta = 7.0e-4, p = 0.009), suggesting that elevated sTREM2 may carry a much different interpretation in carriers vs. non-carriers of this allele. When evaluating the risk variant (rs6591561) across datasets, we did not observe a statistically significant interaction against any outcome in VMAP and observed opposing directions of associations in ADNI and ROS/MAP on A beta levels. Together, our results suggest that the protective effect of rs1582763 may act by decoupling the associations between sTREM2 and amyloid abundance, providing important mechanistic insight into sTREM2 changes and highlighting the need to incorporate genetic context into the analysis of sTREM2 levels, particularly if leveraged as a clinical biomarker of disease in the future.
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| 24. |
- Wuestefeld, Anika, et al.
(author)
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Age-related and amyloid-beta-independent tau deposition and its downstream effects
- 2023
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In: Brain : a journal of neurology. - 1460-2156. ; 146:8, s. 3192-3205
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Amyloid-β (Aβ) is hypothesized to facilitate the spread of tau pathology beyond the medial temporal lobe. However, there is evidence that, independently of Aβ, age-related tau pathology might be present outside of the medial temporal lobe. We therefore aimed to study age-related Aβ-independent tau deposition outside the medial temporal lobe in two large cohorts and to investigate potential downstream effects of this on cognition and structural measures. We included 545 cognitively unimpaired adults (40-92 years) from the BioFINDER-2 study (in vivo) and 639 (64-108 years) from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center cohorts (ex vivo). 18F-RO948- and 18F-flutemetamol-PET standardized uptake value ratios were calculated for regional tau and global/regional Aβ in vivo. Immunohistochemistry was used to estimate Aβ load and tangle density ex vivo. In vivo medial temporal lobe volumes (subiculum, cornu ammonis 1) and cortical thickness (entorhinal cortex, Brodmann area 35) were obtained using Automated Segmentation for Hippocampal Subfields packages. Thickness of early and late neocortical Alzheimer's disease regions was determined using FreeSurfer. Global cognition and episodic memory were estimated to quantify cognitive functioning. In vivo age-related tau deposition was observed in the medial temporal lobe and in frontal and parietal cortical regions, which was statistically significant when adjusting for Aβ. This was also observed in individuals with low Aβ load. Tau deposition was negatively associated with cortical volumes and thickness in temporal and parietal regions independently of Aβ. The associations between age and cortical volume or thickness were partially mediated via tau in regions with early Alzheimer's disease pathology, i.e. early tau and/or Aβ pathology (subiculum/Brodmann area 35/precuneus/posterior cingulate). Finally, the associations between age and cognition were partially mediated via tau in Brodmann area 35, even when including Aβ-PET as covariate. Results were validated in the ex vivo cohort showing age-related and Aβ-independent increases in tau aggregates in and outside the medial temporal lobe. Ex vivo age-cognition associations were mediated by medial and inferior temporal tau tangle density, while correcting for Aβ density. Taken together, our study provides support for primary age-related tauopathy even outside the medial temporal lobe in vivo and ex vivo, with downstream effects on structure and cognition. These results have implications for our understanding of the spreading of tau outside the medial temporal lobe, also in the context of Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, this study suggests the potential utility of tau-targeting treatments in primary age-related tauopathy, likely already in preclinical stages in individuals with low Aβ pathology.
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| 25. |
- Best, Jonathan G., et al.
(author)
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Optimal timing of anticoagulation after acute ischemic stroke with atrial fibrillation (OPTIMAS) : Protocol for a randomized controlled trial
- 2022
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In: International Journal of Stroke. - : SAGE Publications. - 1747-4930 .- 1747-4949. ; 17:5, s. 583-589
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rationale: Atrial fibrillation causes one-fifth of ischemic strokes, with a high risk of early recurrence. Although long-term anticoagulation is highly effective for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, initiation after stroke is usually delayed by concerns over intracranial hemorrhage risk. Direct oral anticoagulants offer a significantly lower risk of intracranial hemorrhage than other anticoagulants, potentially allowing earlier anticoagulation and prevention of recurrence, but the safety and efficacy of this approach has not been established. Aim: Optimal timing of anticoagulation after acute ischemic stroke with atrial fibrillation (OPTIMAS) will investigate whether early treatment with a direct oral anticoagulant, within four days of stroke onset, is as effective or better than delayed initiation, 7 to 14 days from onset, in atrial fibrillation patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods and design: OPTIMAS is a multicenter randomized controlled trial with blinded outcome adjudication. Participants with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation eligible for anticoagulation with a direct oral anticoagulant are randomized 1:1 to early or delayed initiation. As of December 2021, 88 centers in the United Kingdom have opened. Study outcomes: The primary outcome is a composite of recurrent stroke (ischemic stroke or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage) and systemic arterial embolism within 90 days. Secondary outcomes include major bleeding, functional status, anticoagulant adherence, quality of life, health and social care resource use, and length of hospital stay. Sample size target: A total of 3478 participants assuming event rates of 11.5% in the control arm and 8% in the intervention arm, 90% power and 5% alpha. We will follow a non-inferiority gatekeeper analysis approach with a non-inferiority margin of 2 percentage points. Discussion: OPTIMAS aims to provide high-quality evidence on the safety and efficacy of early direct oral anticoagulant initiation after atrial fibrillation-associated ischemic stroke. Trial registrations: ISRCTN: 17896007; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03759938
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| 26. |
- Bäckryd, Emmanuel, et al.
(author)
-
Hepatocyte growth factor, colony-stimulating factor 1, CD40, and 11 other inflammation-related proteins are associated with pain in diabetic neuropathy: exploration and replication serum data from the Pain in Neuropathy Study
- 2022
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In: Pain. - : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. - 0304-3959 .- 1872-6623. ; 163:5, s. 897-909
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One in 5 patients with diabetes suffers from chronic pain with neuropathic characteristics, but the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development of neuropathic pain in patients with diabetic distal symmetrical polyneuropathy (DSP) are poorly understood. Systemic low-grade inflammation has been implicated, but there is still a considerable knowledge gap concerning its scope and meaning in this context. The aim of the study was to establish the broad inflammatory signature of painful diabetic DSP in serum samples from the Pain in Neuropathy Study, an observational cross-sectional multicentre study in which participants underwent deep phenotyping. In the present two cohorts exploration-replication study (180 participants in each cohort), serum samples from Pain in Neuropathy Study participants were analyzed with the Olink INFLAMMATION panel (Olink Bioscience, Uppsala, Sweden) that enables the simultaneous measurement of 92 inflammation-related proteins (mainly cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors). In both the exploration and the replication cohort, we identified a high-inflammation subgroup where 14 inflammation-related proteins in particular were associated with more neuropathy and higher pain intensity. The top 3 proteins were hepatocyte growth factor, colony-stimulating factor 1, and CD40 in both cohorts. In the exploratory cohort, additional clinical data were available, showing an association of inflammation with insomnia and self-reported psychological distress. Hence, this cross-sectional exploration-replication study seems to confirm that low-grade systemic inflammation is related to the severity of neuropathy and neuropathic pain in a subgroup of patients with diabetic DSP. The pathophysiological relevance of these proteins for the development of neuropathic pain in patients with diabetic DSP must be explored in more depth in future studies.
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| 27. |
- Bäckryd, Emmanuel, et al.
(author)
-
Serum levels of endocannabinoids and related lipids in painful vs painless diabetic neuropathy: results from the Pain in Neuropathy Study
- 2024
-
In: Pain. - : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. - 0304-3959 .- 1872-6623. ; 165:1, s. 225-232
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- N-arachidonoylethanolamine (also known as anandamide) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol are activators of the cannabinoid receptors. The endocannabinoid system also includes structurally and functionally related lipid mediators that do not target cannabinoid receptors, such as oleoylethanolamide, palmitoylethanolamide, and stearoylethanolamide. These bioactive lipids are involved in various physiological processes, including regulation of pain. The primary aim of the study was to analyze associations between serum levels of these lipids and pain in participants in the Pain in Neuropathy Study, an observational, cross-sectional, multicentre, research project in which diabetic patients with painless or painful neuropathy underwent deep phenotyping. Our hypothesis was that painful neuropathy would be associated with higher levels of the 5 lipids compared with painless neuropathy. Secondary aims were to analyze other patient-reported outcome measures and clinical data in relationship to lipid levels. The lipid mediators were analyzed in serum samples using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Serum levels of anandamide were significantly higher in the painful group, but the effect size was small (Cohen d = 0.31). Using cluster analysis of lipid data, patients were dichotomized into a "high-level" endocannabinoid group and a "low-level" group. In the high-level group, 61% of patients had painful neuropathy, compared with 45% in the low-level group (P = 0.039). This work is of a correlative nature only, and the relevance of these findings to the search for analgesics targeting the endocannabinoid system needs to be determined in future studies.
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Dintica, Christina S., et al.
(author)
-
Joint trajectories of episodic memory and odor identification in older adults : patterns and predictors
- 2021
-
In: Aging. - : Impact Journals, LLC. - 1945-4589. ; 13:13, s. 17080-17096
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Emerging evidence suggests that olfactory function is closely linked to memory function. The aims of this study were to assess whether olfactory and episodic memory functions follow similar age-related decline trajectories, to identify different patterns of decline, as well as predictors of the patterns. 1023 participants from the Memory and Aging Project were followed for up to 8 years with annual episodic memory and odor identification assessments. Trajectories were modelled using growth mixture models. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify pattern predictors. Three patterns of joint trajectories were identified; Class 1- stable average performance in both functions (n=690, 67.4%); Class 2- stable average episodic memory and declining odor identification (n=231, 22.6%); and Class 3- decline in both functions (n=102, 10.0%). Class predictors included age, sex, APOE epsilon 4 status, cognitive activity level and BMI. Participants in Class 3 were most likely to develop dementia. Episodic memory and olfactory function show similar trajectories in aging. Such classification can contribute to a better understanding of the factors related to cognitive decline and dementia.
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| 30. |
- Faux, Pierre, et al.
(author)
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Neanderthal introgression in SCN9A impacts mechanical pain sensitivity
- 2023
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In: Communications Biology. - 2399-3642. ; 6:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Nav1.7 voltage-gated sodium channel plays a key role in nociception. Three functional variants in the SCN9A gene (encoding M932L, V991L, and D1908G in Nav1.7), have recently been identified as stemming from Neanderthal introgression and to associate with pain symptomatology in UK BioBank data. In 1000 genomes data, these variants are absent in Europeans but common in Latin Americans. Analysing high-density genotype data from 7594 Latin Americans, we characterized Neanderthal introgression in SCN9A. We find that tracts of introgression occur on a Native American genomic background, have an average length of similar to 123kb and overlap the M932L, V991L, and D1908G coding positions. Furthermore, we measured experimentally six pain thresholds in 1623 healthy Colombians. We found that Neanderthal ancestry in SCN9A is significantly associated with a lower mechanical pain threshold after sensitization with mustard oil and evidence of additivity of effects across Nav1.7 variants. Our findings support the reported association of Neanderthal Nav1.7 variants with clinical pain, define a specific sensory modality affected by archaic introgression in SCN9A and are consistent with independent effects of the Neanderthal variants on Nav1.7 function. Neanderthal-derived variants in the SCN9A gene (encoding the voltage gated sodium channel, Nav1.7) are associated with enhanced experimental mechanical pain sensitivity in modern humans.
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