| 1. |
- Bjornsdottir, Gudlaug, et al.
(författare)
-
Longitudinal changes in size and composition of carotid artery plaques using ultrasound: Adaptation and validation of methods (inter-and intraobserver variability)
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Journal for Vascular Ultrasound. - : SAGE Publications. - 1544-3175 .- 1544-3167. ; 38:4, s. 198-208
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction.—B-mode ultrasonography of the carotid arteries enables quantitative measurements of atherosclerotic plaque area and composition assessed as grayscale median (GSM). The purpose of this study was to set up a standardized ultrasound protocol to measure longitudinal changes in plaque area and composition and to determine the intra-and interobserver variability of the measurements in a longitudinal population based study, the Age Gene/ Environment Susceptibility Reykjavik study. Method.—A total of 219 participants from the Age Gene/Environment Susceptibility Reykjavik study (76 ± 6 years old, 36% males) underwent 2-dimensional, B-mode ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries approximately 5 years apart for a longitudinal assessment of plaque area and composition. Standardized protocol was used to acquire comparable images from both visits. Ultrasound was performed bilaterally on the common carotid artery, internal carotid artery, and bifurcation. An image analysis program was modified and adapted for a longitudinal assessment of plaque area and plaque composition by GSM. Twenty-five subjects were selected from the group of 219 for intra-and interobserver variability assessment. Results.—Intraobserver variability for plaque area ranged from 12.10 to 18.63% and 0.89 to 0.96 for coefficient of variation and correlation (r), respectively, for plaque GSM ranged from 7.77 to 8.04% and 0.86 to 0.90. Interobserver variability for plaque area was 23.29% and 0.81 and 8.55% and 0.87 for plaque GSM. Conclusion.—The results from this study show that ultrasound can be used consistently for assessment of changes in plaque area and GSM over time. This can be achieved by proper training of ultrasound sonographers and by applying and following strict image acquisition and image analysis protocols.
|
|
| 2. |
- Loth, Daan W, et al.
(författare)
-
Genome-wide association analysis identifies six new loci associated with forced vital capacity
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 46, s. 669-677
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Forced vital capacity (FVC), a spirometric measure of pulmonary function, reflects lung volume and is used to diagnose and monitor lung diseases. We performed genome-wide association study meta-analysis of FVC in 52,253 individuals from 26 studies and followed up the top associations in 32,917 additional individuals of European ancestry. We found six new regions associated at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10(-8)) with FVC in or near EFEMP1, BMP6, MIR129-2-HSD17B12, PRDM11, WWOX and KCNJ2. Two loci previously associated with spirometric measures (GSTCD and PTCH1) were related to FVC. Newly implicated regions were followed up in samples from African-American, Korean, Chinese and Hispanic individuals. We detected transcripts for all six newly implicated genes in human lung tissue. The new loci may inform mechanisms involved in lung development and the pathogenesis of restrictive lung disease.
|
|
| 3. |
- Moayyeri, Alireza, et al.
(författare)
-
Genetic determinants of heel bone properties : genome-wide association meta-analysis and replication in the GEFOS/GENOMOS consortium
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 23:11, s. 3054-3068
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Quantitative ultrasound of the heel captures heel bone properties that independently predict fracture risk and, with bone mineral density (BMD) assessed by X-ray (DXA), may be convenient alternatives for evaluating osteoporosis and fracture risk. We performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association (GWA) studies to assess the genetic determinants of heel broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA; n = 14 260), velocity of sound (VOS; n = 15 514) and BMD (n = 4566) in 13 discovery cohorts. Independent replication involved seven cohorts with GWA data (in silico n = 11 452) and new genotyping in 15 cohorts (de novo n = 24 902). In combined random effects, meta-analysis of the discovery and replication cohorts, nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) had genome-wide significant (P < 5 x 10(-8)) associations with heel bone properties. Alongside SNPs within or near previously identified osteoporosis susceptibility genes including ESR1 (6q25.1: rs4869739, rs3020331, rs2982552), SPTBN1 (2p16.2: rs11898505), RSPO3 (6q22.33: rs7741021), WNT16 (7q31.31: rs2908007), DKK1 (10q21.1: rs7902708) and GPATCH1 (19q13.11: rs10416265), we identified a new locus on chromosome 11q14.2 (rs597319 close to TMEM135, a gene recently linked to osteoblastogenesis and longevity) significantly associated with both BUA and VOS (P < 8.23 x 10(-14)). In meta-analyses involving 25 cohorts with up to 14 985 fracture cases, six of 10 SNPs associated with heel bone properties at P < 5 x 10(-6) also had the expected direction of association with any fracture (P < 0.05), including three SNPs with P < 0.005: 6q22.33 (rs7741021), 7q31.31 (rs2908007) and 10q21.1 (rs7902708). In conclusion, this GWA study reveals the effect of several genes common to central DXA-derived BMD and heel ultrasound/DXA measures and points to a new genetic locus with potential implications for better understanding of osteoporosis pathophysiology.
|
|
| 4. |
- Vidarsdottir, Halldora, et al.
(författare)
-
Spousal loss and cognitive function in later life : a 25-year follow-up in the AGES-Reykjavik study
- 2014
-
Ingår i: American Journal of Epidemiology. - Cary, USA : Oxford University Press. - 0002-9262 .- 1476-6256. ; 179:6, s. 674-83
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between loss of a life partner and the development of dementia and decline in cognitive function in later life. We used an Icelandic cohort of 4,370 participants in the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study who were living as married in 1978 (born in 1907-1935) and were either still married (unexposed cohort) or widowed (exposed cohort) at follow-up (in 2002-2006). We ascertained history of marital status and spouse's death by record linkage to the Registry of the Total Population, Statistics Iceland. The outcome measures were as follows: 1) dementia and mild cognitive impairment; and 2) memory, speed of processing, and executive function. During the observation period, 3,007 individuals remained married and 1,363 lost a spouse through death. We did not find any significant associations between loss of a spouse and our outcome variables, except that widowed women had poorer executive function (mean = -0.08) during the first 2 years after their husbands' deaths compared with still-married women (mean = 0.09). Our findings do not support the notion that the risk of dementia is increased following the loss of a spouse, yet women demonstrate a seemingly temporary decline in executive function following the death of a partner.
|
|
