| 1. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(författare)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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| 2. |
- Larsson, Susanna C., et al.
(författare)
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Body mass index and body composition in relation to 14 cardiovascular conditions in UK Biobank : a Mendelian randomization study
- 2020
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Ingår i: European Heart Journal. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0195-668X .- 1522-9645. ; 41:2, s. 221-226
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: The causal role of adiposity for several cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is unclear. Our primary aim was to apply the Mendelian randomization design to investigate the associations of body mass index (BMI) with 13 CVDs and arterial hypertension. We also assessed the roles of fat mass and fat-free mass on the same outcomes.Methods and results: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with BMI and fat mass and fat-free mass indices were used as instru- and results mental variables to estimate the associations with the cardiovascular conditions among 367 703 UK Biobank participants. After correcting for multiple testing, genetically predicted BMI was significantly positively associated with eight outcomes, including and with decreasing magnitude of association: aortic valve stenosis, heart failure, deep vein thrombosis, arterial hypertension, peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and pulmonary embolism. The odds ratio (OR) per 1 kg/m(2) increase in BMI ranged from 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.11; P=2.6 x 10(-3)] for pulmonary embolism to 1.13 (95% CI 1.05-1.21; P=1.2 x 10(-3)) for aortic valve stenosis. There was suggestive evidence of positive associations of genetically predicted fat mass index with nine outcomes (P < 0.05). The strongest magnitude of association was with aortic valve stenosis (OR per 1 kg/m(2) increase in fat mass index 1.46, 95% CI 1.13-1.88; P=3.9 x 10(-3)). There was suggestive evidence of inverse associations of fat-free mass index with atrial fibrillation, ischaemic stroke, and abdominal aortic aneurysm.Conclusion: This study provides evidence that higher BMI and particularly fat mass index are associated with increased risk of aortic valve stenosis and most other cardiovascular conditions.
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| 3. |
- Larsson, Susanna C., et al.
(författare)
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Genetic predisposition to smoking in relation to 14 cardiovascular diseases
- 2020
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Ingår i: European Heart Journal. - : Oxford University Press. - 0195-668X .- 1522-9645. ; 41:35, s. 3304-3310
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS: The aim of this study was to use Mendelian randomization (MR) to determine the causality of the association between smoking and 14 different cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).METHODS AND RESULTS: Our primary genetic instrument comprised 361 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with smoking initiation (ever smoked regularly) at genome-wide significance. Data on the associations between the SNPs and 14 CVDs were obtained from the UK Biobank study (N = 367 643 individuals), CARDIoGRAMplusC4D consortium (N = 184 305 individuals), Atrial Fibrillation Consortium (2017 dataset; N = 154 432 individuals), and Million Veteran Program (MVP; N = 190 266 individuals). The main analyses were conducted using the random-effects inverse-variance weighted method and complemented with multivariable MR analyses and the weighted median and MR-Egger approaches. Genetic predisposition to smoking initiation was most strongly and consistently associated with higher odds of coronary artery disease, heart failure, abdominal aortic aneurysm, ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack, peripheral arterial disease, and arterial hypertension. Genetic predisposition to smoking initiation was additionally associated with higher odds of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in the UK Biobank but not with venous thromboembolism in the MVP. There was limited evidence of causal associations of smoking initiation with atrial fibrillation, aortic valve stenosis, thoracic aortic aneurysm, and intracerebral and subarachnoid haemorrhage.CONCLUSION: This MR study supports a causal association between smoking and a broad range of CVDs, in particular, coronary artery disease, heart failure, abdominal aortic aneurysm, ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack, peripheral arterial disease, and arterial hypertension.
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| 4. |
- Carter, Paul, et al.
(författare)
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Predicting the effect of statins on cancer risk using genetic variants from a Mendelian randomization study in the UK Biobank
- 2020
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Ingår i: eLIFE. - 2050-084X. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Laboratory studies have suggested oncogenic roles of lipids, as well as anticarcinogenic effects of statins. Here we assess the potential effect of statin therapy on cancer risk using evidence from human genetics. We obtained associations of lipid-related genetic variants with the risk of overall and 22 site-specific cancers for 367,703 individuals in the UK Biobank. In total, 75,037 individuals had a cancer event. Variants in the HMGCR gene region, which represent proxies for statin treatment, were associated with overall cancer risk (odds ratio [OR] per one standard deviation decrease in low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65-0.88, p=0.0003) but variants in gene regions representing alternative lipid-lowering treatment targets (PCSK9, LDLR, NPC1L1, APOC3, LPL) were not. Genetically predicted LDL-cholesterol was not associated with overall cancer risk (OR per standard deviation increase 1.01, 95% CI 0.98-1.05, p=0.50). Our results predict that statins reduce cancer risk but other lipidlowering treatments do not. This suggests that statins reduce cancer risk through a cholesterol independent pathway.
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| 5. |
- Gill, Dipender, et al.
(författare)
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ACE inhibition and cardiometabolic risk factors, lung ACE2 and TMPRSS2 gene expression, and plasma ACE2 levels : a Mendelian randomization study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Royal Society Open Science. - : ROYAL SOC. - 2054-5703. ; 7:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and serine protease TMPRSS2 have been implicated in cell entry for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in the lung epithelium might have implications for the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity of COVID-19. We use human genetic variants that proxy angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor drug effects and cardiovascular risk factors to investigate whether these exposures affect lung ACE2 and TMPRSS2 gene expression and circulating ACE2 levels. We observed no consistent evidence of an association of genetically predicted serum ACE levels with any of our outcomes. There was weak evidence for an association of genetically predicted serum ACE levels with ACE2 gene expression in the Lung eQTL Consortium (p = 0.014), but this finding did not replicate. There was evidence of a positive association of genetic liability to type 2 diabetes mellitus with lung ACE2 gene expression in the Gene-Tissue Expression (GTEx) study (p = 4 x 10(-4)) and with circulating plasma ACE2 levels in the INTERVAL study (p = 0.03), but not with lung ACE2 expression in the Lung eQTL Consortium study (p = 0.68). There were no associations of genetically proxied liability to the other cardiometabolic traits with any outcome. This study does not provide consistent evidence to support an effect of serum ACE levels (as a proxy for ACE inhibitors) or cardiometabolic risk factors on lung ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression or plasma ACE2 levels.
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| 6. |
- Larsson, Susanna C., et al.
(författare)
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Alcohol Consumption and Cardiovascular Disease A Mendelian Randomization Study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Circulation. - : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. - 2574-8300. ; 13:3, s. 121-127
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The causal role of alcohol consumption for cardiovascular disease remains unclear. We used Mendelian randomization (MR) to predict the effect of alcohol consumption on 8 cardiovascular diseases. Methods: Up to 94 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were used as instrumental variables for alcohol consumption. Genetic association estimates for cardiovascular diseases were obtained from large-scale consortia and UK Biobank. Analyses were conducted using the inverse variance-weighted, weighted median, MR-PRESSO, MR-Egger, and multivariable MR methods. Results: Genetically predicted alcohol consumption was consistently associated with stroke and peripheral artery disease across the different analyses. The odds ratios (ORs) per 1-SD increase of log-transformed alcoholic drinks per week were 1.27 ([95% CI, 1.12-1.45]P=2.87x10(-4)) for stroke and 3.05 ([95% CI, 1.92-4.85]P=2.30x10(-6)) for peripheral artery disease in the inverse variance-weighted analysis. There was some evidence for positive associations of genetically predicted alcohol consumption with coronary artery disease (OR, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.00-1.36];P=0.052), atrial fibrillation (OR, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.00-1.37];P=0.050), and abdominal aortic aneurysm (OR, 2.60 [95% CI, 1.15-5.89];P=0.022) in the inverse variance-weighted analysis. These associations were somewhat attenuated in multivariable MR analysis adjusted for smoking initiation. There was no evidence of associations of genetically predicted alcohol consumption with heart failure (OR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.68-1.47];P=0.996), venous thromboembolism (OR, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.77-1.39];P=0.810), and aortic valve stenosis (OR, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.56-1.90];P=0.926). Conclusions: This study provides evidence of a causal relationship between higher alcohol consumption and increased risk of stroke and peripheral artery disease. The causal role of alcohol consumption for other cardiovascular diseases requires further research.
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| 7. |
- Larsson, Susanna C., et al.
(författare)
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Genetically proxied milk consumption and risk of colorectal, bladder, breast, and prostate cancer : a two-sample Mendelian randomization study
- 2020
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Ingår i: BMC Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1741-7015. ; 18:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Observational studies have shown that milk consumption is inversely associated with colorectal, bladder, and breast cancer risk, but positively associated with prostate cancer. However, whether the associations reflect causality remains debatable. We investigated the potential causal associations of milk consumption with the risk of colorectal, bladder, breast, and prostate cancer using a genetic variant near the LCT gene as proxy for milk consumption.METHODS: We obtained genetic association estimates for cancer from the UK Biobank (n = 367,643 women and men), FinnGen consortium (n = 135,638 women and men), Breast Cancer Association Consortium (n = 228,951 women), and Prostate Cancer Association Group to Investigate Cancer Associated Alterations in the Genome consortium (n = 140,254 men). Milk consumption was proxied by a genetic variant (rs4988235 or rs182549) upstream of the gene encoding lactase, which catalyzes the breakdown of lactose.RESULTS: Genetically proxied milk consumption was associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. The odds ratio (OR) for each additional milk intake increasing allele was 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91-0.99; P = 0.009). There was no overall association of genetically predicted milk consumption with bladder (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.94-1.05; P = 0.836), breast (OR 1.01; 95% CI 1.00-1.02; P = 0.113), and prostate cancer (OR 1.01; 95% CI 0.99-1.02; P = 0.389), but a positive association with prostate cancer was observed in the FinnGen consortium (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.01-1.13; P = 0.026).CONCLUSIONS: Our findings strengthen the evidence for a protective role of milk consumption on colorectal cancer risk. There was no or limited evidence that milk consumption affects the risk of bladder, breast, and prostate cancer.
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| 8. |
- Larsson, Susanna C., et al.
(författare)
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Insulin-like growth factor-1 and site-specific cancers : A Mendelian randomization study.
- 2020
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Ingår i: Cancer Medicine. - : Wiley. - 2045-7634. ; 9:18, s. 6836-6842
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is involved in several processes relevant to carcinogenesis. We used 416 single-nucleotide polymorphisms robustly associated with serum IGF-1 levels to assess the potential causal associations between this hormone and site-specific cancers through Mendelian randomization. Summary-level genetic association estimates for prostate, breast, ovarian, and lung cancer were obtained from large-scale consortia including individuals of European-descent. Furthermore, we estimated genetic associations with 14 site-specific cancers in European-descent individuals in UK Biobank. Supplementary analyses were conducted for six site-specific cancers using summary-level data from the BioBank Japan Project. Genetically predicted serum IGF-1 levels were associated with colorectal cancer. The odds ratio (OR) per standard deviation increase of IGF-1 levels was 1.11 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.22; P = .03) in UK Biobank and 1.22 (95% CI 1.09-1.36; P = 3.9 × 10-4 ) in the BioBank Japan Project. For prostate cancer, the corresponding OR was 1.10 (95% CI 1.01-1.21; P = .04) in UK Biobank, 1.03 (95% CI 0.97-1.09; P = .41) in the prostate cancer consortium, and 1.08 (95% CI 0.95-1.22; P = .24) in the BioBank Japan Project. For breast cancer, the corresponding OR was 0.99 (95% CI 0.92-1.07; P = .85) in UK Biobank and 1.08 (95% CI 1.02-1.13; P = 4.4 × 10-3 ) in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. There was no statistically significant association between genetically predicted IGF-1 levels and 14 other cancers. This study found some support for a causal association between elevated serum IGF-1 levels and increased risk of colorectal cancer. There was inconclusive or no evidence of a causal association of IGF-1 levels with prostate, breast, and other cancers.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Larsson, Susanna C., et al.
(författare)
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Smoking, alcohol consumption, and cancer : A mendelian randomisation study in UK Biobank and international genetic consortia participants
- 2020
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Ingår i: PLoS Medicine. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1549-1277 .- 1549-1676. ; 17:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundSmoking is a well-established cause of lung cancer and there is strong evidence that smoking also increases the risk of several other cancers. Alcohol consumption has been inconsistently associated with cancer risk in observational studies. This mendelian randomisation (MR) study sought to investigate associations in support of a causal relationship between smoking and alcohol consumption and 19 site-specific cancers.Methods and findingsWe used summary-level data for genetic variants associated with smoking initiation (ever smoked regularly) and alcohol consumption, and the corresponding associations with lung, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer from genome-wide association studies consortia, including participants of European ancestry. We additionally estimated genetic associations with 19 site-specific cancers among 367,643 individuals of European descent in UK Biobank who were 37 to 73 years of age when recruited from 2006 to 2010. Associations were considered statistically significant at a Bonferroni corrected p-value below 0.0013. Genetic predisposition to smoking initiation was associated with statistically significant higher odds of lung cancer in the International Lung Cancer Consortium (odds ratio [OR] 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.59–2.03; p = 2.26 × 10−21) and UK Biobank (OR 2.26; 95% CI 1.92–2.65; p = 1.17 × 10−22). Additionally, genetic predisposition to smoking was associated with statistically significant higher odds of cancer of the oesophagus (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.34–2.49; p = 1.31 × 10−4), cervix (OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.27–1.88; p = 1.24 × 10−5), and bladder (OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.92–2.65; p = 9.40 × 10−5) and with statistically nonsignificant higher odds of head and neck (OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.13–1.74; p = 0.002) and stomach cancer (OR 1.46; 95% CI 1.05–2.03; p = 0.024). In contrast, there was an inverse association between genetic predisposition to smoking and prostate cancer in the Prostate Cancer Association Group to Investigate Cancer Associated Alterations in the Genome consortium (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.83–0.98; p = 0.011) and in UK Biobank (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.80–1.02; p = 0.104), but the associations did not reach statistical significance. We found no statistically significant association between genetically predicted alcohol consumption and overall cancer (n = 75,037 cases; OR 0.95; 95% CI 0.84–1.07; p = 0.376). Genetically predicted alcohol consumption was statistically significantly associated with lung cancer in the International Lung Cancer Consortium (OR 1.94; 95% CI 1.41–2.68; p = 4.68 × 10−5) but not in UK Biobank (OR 1.12; 95% CI 0.65–1.93; p = 0.686). There was no statistically significant association between alcohol consumption and any other site-specific cancer. The main limitation of this study is that precision was low in some analyses, particularly for analyses of alcohol consumption and site-specific cancers.ConclusionsOur findings support the well-established relationship between smoking and lung cancer and suggest that smoking may also be a risk factor for cancer of the head and neck, oesophagus, stomach, cervix, and bladder. We found no evidence supporting a relationship between alcohol consumption and overall or site-specific cancer risk.
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