| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Kinyoki, DK, et al.
(författare)
-
Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Nature medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-170X .- 1078-8956. ; 26:5, s. 750-759
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic.
|
|
| 3. |
- Wang, Z., et al.
(författare)
-
Genome-wide association analyses of physical activity and sedentary behavior provide insights into underlying mechanisms and roles in disease prevention
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 54:9, s. 1332-1344
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although physical activity and sedentary behavior are moderately heritable, little is known about the mechanisms that influence these traits. Combining data for up to 703,901 individuals from 51 studies in a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies yields 99 loci that associate with self-reported moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity during leisure time (MVPA), leisure screen time (LST) and/or sedentary behavior at work. Loci associated with LST are enriched for genes whose expression in skeletal muscle is altered by resistance training. A missense variant in ACTN3 makes the alpha-actinin-3 filaments more flexible, resulting in lower maximal force in isolated type IIA muscle fibers, and possibly protection from exercise-induced muscle damage. Finally, Mendelian randomization analyses show that beneficial effects of lower LST and higher MVPA on several risk factors and diseases are mediated or confounded by body mass index (BMI). Our results provide insights into physical activity mechanisms and its role in disease prevention. Multi-ancestry meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies for self-reported physical activity during leisure time, leisure screen time, sedentary commuting and sedentary behavior at work identify 99 loci associated with at least one of these traits.
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
- Hop, Paul J., et al.
(författare)
-
Genome-wide study of DNA methylation shows alterations in metabolic, inflammatory, and cholesterol pathways in ALS
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Science Translational Medicine. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science. - 1946-6234 .- 1946-6242. ; 14:633
-
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.
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Tate, A. E., et al.
(författare)
-
A genetically informed prediction model for suicidal and aggressive behaviour in teens
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Translational Psychiatry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2158-3188. ; 12:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Suicidal and aggressive behaviours cause significant personal and societal burden. As risk factors associated with these behaviours frequently overlap, combined approaches in predicting the behaviours may be useful in identifying those at risk for either. The current study aimed to create a model that predicted if individuals will exhibit suicidal behaviour, aggressive behaviour, both, or neither in late adolescence. A sample of 5,974 twins from the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS) was broken down into a training (80%), tune (10%) and test (10%) set. The Netherlands Twin Register (NTR; N = 2702) was used for external validation. Our longitudinal data featured genetic, environmental, and psychosocial predictors derived from parental and self-report data. A stacked ensemble model was created which contained a gradient boosted machine, random forest, elastic net, and neural network. Model performance was transferable between CATSS and NTR (macro area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) [95% CI] AUC(CATSS(test set)) = 0.709 (0.671-0.747); AUC(NTR) = 0.685 (0.656-0.715), suggesting model generalisability across Northern Europe. The notable exception is suicidal behaviours in the NTR, which was no better than chance. The 25 highest scoring variable importance scores for the gradient boosted machines and random forest models included self-reported psychiatric symptoms in mid-adolescence, sex, and polygenic scores for psychiatric traits. The model's performance is comparable to current prediction models that use clinical interviews and is not yet suitable for clinical use. Moreover, genetic variables may have a role to play in predictive models of adolescent psychopathology.
|
|
| 8. |
- Beck, J. J., et al.
(författare)
-
Genetic meta-analysis of twin birth weight shows high genetic correlation with singleton birth weight
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 30:19, s. 1894-1905
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Birth weight (BW) is an important predictor of newborn survival and health and has associations with many adult health outcomes, including cardiometabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases and mental health. On average, twins have a lower BW than singletons as a result of a different pattern of fetal growth and shorter gestational duration. Therefore, investigations into the genetics of BW often exclude data from twins, leading to a reduction in sample size and remaining ambiguities concerning the genetic contribution to BW in twins. In this study, we carried out a genome-wide association meta-analysis of BW in 42 212 twin individuals and found a positive correlation of beta values (Pearson's r = 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.47-0.77) with 150 previously reported genome-wide significant variants for singleton BW. We identified strong positive genetic correlations between BW in twins and numerous anthropometric traits, most notably with BW in singletons (genetic correlation [r(g)]= 0.92, 95% CI: 0.66-1.18). Genetic correlations of BW in twins with a series of health-related traits closely resembled those previously observed for BW in singletons. Polygenic scores constructed from a genome-wide association study on BW in the UK Biobank demonstrated strong predictive power in a target sample of Dutch twins and singletons. Together, our results indicate that a similar genetic architecture underlies BW in twins and singletons and that future genome-wide studies might benefit from including data from large twin registers.
|
|
| 9. |
- van der Laan, CM, et al.
(författare)
-
Continuity of Genetic Risk for Aggressive Behavior Across the Life-Course
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Behavior genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-3297 .- 0001-8244. ; 51:5, s. 592-606
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We test whether genetic influences that explain individual differences in aggression in early life also explain individual differences across the life-course. In two cohorts from The Netherlands (N = 13,471) and Australia (N = 5628), polygenic scores (PGSs) were computed based on a genome-wide meta-analysis of childhood/adolescence aggression. In a novel analytic approach, we ran a mixed effects model for each age (Netherlands: 12–70 years, Australia: 16–73 years), with observations at the focus age weighted as 1, and decaying weights for ages further away. We call this approach a ‘rolling weights’ model. In The Netherlands, the estimated effect of the PGS was relatively similar from age 12 to age 41, and decreased from age 41–70. In Australia, there was a peak in the effect of the PGS around age 40 years. These results are a first indication from a molecular genetics perspective that genetic influences on aggressive behavior that are expressed in childhood continue to play a role later in life.
|
|
| 10. |
- Dao Nyesiga, Gillian, et al.
(författare)
-
Tolerogenic dendritic cells generated in vitro using a novel protocol mimicking mucosal tolerance mechanisms represent a potential therapeutic cell platform for induction of immune tolerance.
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-3224. ; 14
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dendritic cells (DCs) are mediators between innate and adaptive immunity and vital in initiating and modulating antigen-specific immune responses. The most important site for induction of tolerance is the gut mucosa, where TGF-β, retinoic acid, and aryl hydrocarbon receptors collaborate in DCs to induce a tolerogenic phenotype. To mimic this, a novel combination of compounds – the synthetic aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist IGN-512 together with TGF-β and retinoic acid – was developed to create a platform technology for induction of tolerogenic DCs intended for treatment of several conditions caused by unwanted immune activation. These in vitro-generated cells, designated ItolDCs, are phenotypically characterized by their low expression of co-stimulatory and activating molecules along with high expression of tolerance-associated markers such as ILT3, CD103, and LAP, and a weak pro-inflammatory cytokine profile. When co-cultured with T cells and/or B cells, ItolDC-cultures contain higher frequencies of CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), CD49b+LAG3+ ‘type 1 regulatory (Tr1) T cells, and IL-10-producing B cells and are less T cell stimulatory compared to cultures with matured DCs. Factor VIII (FVIII) and tetanus toxoid (TT) were used as model antigens to study ItolDC antigen-loading. ItolDCs can take up FVIII, process, and present FVIII peptides on HLA-DR. By loading both ItolDCs and mDCs with TT, antigen-specific T cell proliferation was observed. Cryo-preserved ItolDCs showed a stable tolerogenic phenotype that was maintained after stimulation with LPS, CD40L, or a pro-inflammatory cocktail. Moreover, exposure to other immune cells did not negatively impact ItolDCs’ expression of tolerogenic markers. In summary, a novel protocol was developed supporting the generation of a stable population of human DCs in vitro that exhibited a tolerogenic phenotype with an ability to increase proportions of induced regulatory T and B cells in mixed cultures. This protocol has the potential to constitute the base of a tolDC platform for inducing antigen-specific tolerance in disorders caused by undesired antigen-specific immune cell activation.
|
|
| 11. |
|
|
| 12. |
- Hagenbeek, FA, et al.
(författare)
-
Heritability estimates for 361 blood metabolites across 40 genome-wide association studies
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Nature communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 11:1, s. 39-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metabolomics examines the small molecules involved in cellular metabolism. Approximately 50% of total phenotypic differences in metabolite levels is due to genetic variance, but heritability estimates differ across metabolite classes. We perform a review of all genome-wide association and (exome-) sequencing studies published between November 2008 and October 2018, and identify >800 class-specific metabolite loci associated with metabolite levels. In a twin-family cohort (N = 5117), these metabolite loci are leveraged to simultaneously estimate total heritability (h2total), and the proportion of heritability captured by known metabolite loci (h2Metabolite-hits) for 309 lipids and 52 organic acids. Our study reveals significant differences in h2Metabolite-hits among different classes of lipids and organic acids. Furthermore, phosphatidylcholines with a high degree of unsaturation have higher h2Metabolite-hits estimates than phosphatidylcholines with low degrees of unsaturation. This study highlights the importance of common genetic variants for metabolite levels, and elucidates the genetic architecture of metabolite classes.
|
|
| 13. |
- Shpak, Max, et al.
(författare)
-
Genomes from historical Drosophila melanogaster specimens illuminate adaptive and demographic changes across more than 200 years of evolution
- 2023
-
Ingår i: PLoS Biology. - 1545-7885. ; 21:10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ability to perform genomic sequencing on long-dead organisms is opening new frontiers in evolutionary research. These opportunities are especially notable in the case of museum collections, from which countless documented specimens may now be suitable for genomic analysis-if data of sufficient quality can be obtained. Here, we report 25 newly sequenced genomes from museum specimens of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, including the oldest extant specimens of this species. By comparing historical samples ranging from the early 1800s to 1933 against modern-day genomes, we document evolution across thousands of generations, including time periods that encompass the species' initial occupation of northern Europe and an era of rapidly increasing human activity. We also find that the Lund, Sweden population underwent local genetic differentiation during the early 1800s to 1933 interval (potentially due to drift in a small population) but then became more similar to other European populations thereafter (potentially due to increased migration). Within each century-scale time period, our temporal sampling allows us to document compelling candidates for recent natural selection. In some cases, we gain insights regarding previously implicated selection candidates, such as ChKov1, for which our inferred timing of selection favors the hypothesis of antiviral resistance over insecticide resistance. Other candidates are novel, such as the circadian-related gene Ahcy, which yields a selection signal that rivals that of the DDT resistance gene Cyp6g1. These insights deepen our understanding of recent evolution in a model system, and highlight the potential of future museomic studies.
|
|
| 14. |
- Sprengelmeyer, Quentin D, et al.
(författare)
-
Recurrant collection of Drosophila melanogaster from wild African environments and genomic insights into species history
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Molecular biology and evolution. - 0737-4038. ; 37:3, s. 627-638
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A long-standing enigma concerns the geographic and ecological origins of the intensively studied vinegar fly, Drosophilamelanogaster. This globally distributed human commensal is thought to originate from sub-Saharan Africa, yet untilrecently, it had never been reported from undisturbed wilderness environments that could reflect its precommensalniche. Here, we document the collection of 288 D. melanogaster individuals from multiple African wilderness areas inZambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The presence of D. melanogaster in these remote woodland environments is consistentwith an ancestral range in southern-central Africa, as opposed to equatorial regions. After sequencing the genomes of 17wilderness-collected flies collected from Kafue National Park in Zambia, we found reduced genetic diversity relative totown populations, elevated chromosomal inversion frequencies, and strong differences at specific genes including knowninsecticide targets. Combining these genomes with existing data, we probed the history of this species’ geographicexpansion. Demographic estimates indicated that expansion from southern-central Africa began 10,000 years ago,with a Saharan crossing soon after, but expansion from the Middle East into Europe did not begin until roughly 1,400years ago. This improved model of demographic history will provide an important resource for future evolutionary andgenomic studies of this key model organism. Our findings add context to the history of D. melanogaster, while openingthe door for future studies on the biological basis of adaptation to human environments.
|
|
| 15. |
|
|
| 16. |
|
|
