1. |
- Akbari, Parsa, et al.
(author)
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Sequencing of 640,000 exomes identifies GPR75 variants associated with protection from obesity
- 2021
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 373:6550
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Large-scale human exome sequencing can identify rare protein-coding variants with a large impact on complex traits such as body adiposity. We sequenced the exomes of 645,626 individuals from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Mexico and estimated associations of rare coding variants with body mass index (BMI). We identified 16 genes with an exome-wide significant association with BMI, including those encoding five brain-expressed G protein-coupled receptors (CALCR, MC4R, GIPR, GPR151, and GPR75). Protein-truncating variants in GPR75 were observed in ∼4/10,000 sequenced individuals and were associated with 1.8 kilograms per square meter lower BMI and 54% lower odds of obesity in the heterozygous state. Knock out of Gpr75 in mice resulted in resistance to weight gain and improved glycemic control in a high-fat diet model. Inhibition of GPR75 may provide a therapeutic strategy for obesity.
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2. |
- Verweij, Niek, et al.
(author)
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Germline Mutations in CIDEB and Protection against Liver Disease
- 2022
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In: New England Journal of Medicine. - 0028-4793. ; 387:4, s. 332-344
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND Exome sequencing in hundreds of thousands of persons may enable the identification of rare protein-coding genetic variants associated with protection from human diseases like liver cirrhosis, providing a strategy for the discovery of new therapeutic targets. METHODS We performed a multistage exome sequencing and genetic association analysis to identify genes in which rare protein-coding variants were associated with liver phenotypes. We conducted in vitro experiments to further characterize associations. RESULTS The multistage analysis involved 542,904 persons with available data on liver aminotransferase levels, 24,944 patients with various types of liver disease, and 490,636 controls without liver disease. We found that rare coding variants in APOB, ABCB4, SLC30A10, and TM6SF2 were associated with increased aminotransferase levels and an increased risk of liver disease. We also found that variants in CIDEB, which encodes a structural protein found in hepatic lipid droplets, had a protective effect. The burden of rare predicted loss-of-function variants plus missense variants in CIDEB (combined carrier frequency, 0.7%) was associated with decreased alanine aminotransferase levels (beta per allele, -1.24 U per liter; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.66 to -0.83; P=4.8×10-9) and with 33% lower odds of liver disease of any cause (odds ratio per allele, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.79; P=9.9×10-7). Rare coding variants in CIDEB were associated with a decreased risk of liver disease across different underlying causes and different degrees of severity, including cirrhosis of any cause (odds ratio per allele, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.70). Among 3599 patients who had undergone bariatric surgery, rare coding variants in CIDEB were associated with a decreased nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (beta per allele in score units, -0.98; 95% CI, -1.54 to -0.41 [scores range from 0 to 8, with higher scores indicating more severe disease]). In human hepatoma cell lines challenged with oleate, CIDEB small interfering RNA knockdown prevented the buildup of large lipid droplets. CONCLUSIONS Rare germline mutations in CIDEB conferred substantial protection from liver disease.
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3. |
- Bowman, Louise, et al.
(author)
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Understanding the use of observational and randomized data in cardiovascular medicine
- 2020
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In: European Heart Journal. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0195-668X .- 1522-9645. ; 41:27, s. 2571-2578
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The availability of large datasets from multiple sources [e.g. registries, biobanks, electronic health records (EHRs), claims or billing databases, implantable devices, wearable sensors, and mobile apps], coupled with advances in computing and analytic technologies, have provided new opportunities for conducting innovative health research. Equally, improved digital access to health information has facilitated the conduct of efficient randomized controlled trials (RCTs) upon which clinical management decisions can be based, for instance, by permitting the identification of eligible patients for recruitment and/or linkage for follow-up via their EHRs. Given these advances in cardiovascular data science and the complexities they behold, it is important that health professionals have clarity on the appropriate use and interpretation of observational, so-called 'real-world', and randomized data in cardiovascular medicine. The Cardiovascular Roundtable of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) held a workshop to explore the future of RCTs and the current and emerging opportunities for gathering and exploiting complex observational datasets in cardiovascular research. The aim of this article is to provide a perspective on the appropriate use of randomized and observational data and to outline the ESC plans for supporting the collection and availability of clinical data to monitor and improve the quality of care of patients with cardiovascular disease in Europe and provide an infrastructure for undertaking pragmatic RCTs. Moreover, the ESC continues to campaign for greater engagement amongst regulators, industry, patients, and health professionals in the development and application of a more efficient regulatory framework that is able to take maximal advantage of new opportunities for improving the design and efficiency of observational studies and RCT in patients with cardiovascular disease.
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4. |
- Damask, Amy, et al.
(author)
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Patients with High Genome-Wide Polygenic Risk Scores for Coronary Artery Disease May Receive Greater Clinical Benefit from Alirocumab Treatment in the Odyssey Outcomes Trial
- 2020
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In: Circulation. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 141:8, s. 624-636
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Alirocumab, an antibody that blocks proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), was associated with reduced major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and death in the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial. In this study, higher baseline LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels predicted greater benefit from alirocumab treatment. Recent studies indicate high polygenic risk scores (PRS) for coronary artery disease (CAD) identify individuals at higher risk who derive increased benefit from statins. Herein we perform post hoc analyses to determine whether high PRS for CAD identifies higher-risk individuals, independently from baseline LDLC and other known risk factors, who might derive greater benefit from alirocumab treatment. Methods: ODYSSEY OUTCOMES was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing alirocumab or placebo in 18,924 patients with acute coronary syndrome and elevated atherogenic lipoproteins despite optimized statin treatment. The primary endpoint (MACE) comprised death from CAD, nonfatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or unstable angina requiring hospitalization. A genome-wide PRS for CAD comprising 6,579,025 genetic variants was evaluated in 11,953 patients with available DNA samples. Analysis of MACE risk was performed in placebo treated patients while treatment benefit analysis was performed in all patients. Results: The incidence of MACE in the placebo group was related to PRS for CAD: 17.0% for high PRS patients (>90th percentile) and 11.4% for lower PRS patients (≤90th percentile) (p<0.001); this PRS relationship was not explained by baseline LDL-C or other established risk factors. Both the absolute and relative reduction of MACE by alirocumab compared to placebo was greater in high versus low PRS patients. There was an absolute reduction by alirocumab in high versus low PRS groups of 6.0% and 1.5%, respectively, and relative risk reduction by alirocumab of 37% in the high PRS group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.46-0.86; p = 0.004) versus 13% reduction in the low PRS group (HR 0.87; 95% CI 0.78-0.98; p=0.022; interaction p = 0.04). Conclusions: A high PRS for CAD is associated with elevated risk for recurrent MACE after ACS, and larger absolute and relative risk reduction with alirocumab treatment, providing an independent tool for risk stratification and precision medicine.
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5. |
- Dwivedi, Om Prakash, et al.
(author)
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Loss of ZnT8 function protects against diabetes by enhanced insulin secretion
- 2019
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; , s. 1-22
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A rare loss-of-function allele p.Arg138* in SLC30A8 encoding the zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8), which is enriched in Western Finland, protects against type 2 diabetes (T2D). We recruited relatives of the identified carriers and showed that protection was associated with better insulin secretion due to enhanced glucose responsiveness and proinsulin conversion, particularly when compared with individuals matched for the genotype of a common T2D-risk allele in SLC30A8, p.Arg325. In genome-edited human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived β-like cells, we establish that the p.Arg138* allele results in reduced SLC30A8 expression due to haploinsufficiency. In human β cells, loss of SLC30A8 leads to increased glucose responsiveness and reduced KATP channel function similar to isolated islets from carriers of the T2D-protective allele p.Trp325. These data position ZnT8 as an appealing target for treatment aimed at maintaining insulin secretion capacity in T2D.
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6. |
- Giontella, Alice, et al.
(author)
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Association of thyroid function with blood pressure and cardiovascular disease : A mendelian randomization
- 2021
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In: Journal of Personalized Medicine. - : MDPI AG. - 2075-4426. ; 11:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Thyroid function has a widespread effect on the cardiometabolic system. However, the causal association between either subclinical hyper-or hypothyroidism and the thyroid hormones with blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is not clear. We aim to investigate this in a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free tetraiodothyronine (FT4), hyper-and hypothyroidism, and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), were selected as MR instrumental variables. SNPs–outcome (BP, CVD) associations were evaluated in a large-scale cohort, the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (n = 29,298). Causal estimates were computed by inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, and MR-Egger approaches. Genetically increased levels of TSH were associated with decreased systolic BP and with a lower risk of atrial fibrillation. Hyperthyroidism and TPOAb were associated with a lower risk of atrial fibrillation. Our data support a causal association between genetically decreased levels of TSH and both atrial fibrillation and systolic BP. The lack of significance after Bonferroni correction and the sensitivity analyses suggesting pleiotropy, should prompt us to be cautious in their interpretation. Nevertheless, these findings offer mechanistic insight into the etiology of CVD. Further work into the genes involved in thyroid functions and their relation to cardiovascular outcomes may highlight pathways for targeted intervention.
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7. |
- Giontella, Alice, et al.
(author)
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Calcium, Its Regulatory Hormones, and Their Causal Role on Blood Pressure : A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study
- 2022
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In: The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. - : The Endocrine Society. - 1945-7197 .- 0021-972X. ; 107:11, s. 3080-3085
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- CONTEXT: Vitamin D (Vit-D), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) are the major calciotropic hormones involved in the regulation of blood calcium levels from the intestine, kidney, and bone through a tight endocrine feedback loop system. Altered levels of calcium itself or through the effect of its regulatory hormones could affect blood pressure (BP), but the exact mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a causal relationship exists between serum calcium level and/or the regulatory hormones involved in its homeostasis with BP, we performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. METHODS: From 4 large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) we obtained independent (r2 < 0.001) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with serum calcium (119 SNPs), Vit-D (78 SNPs), PTH (5 SNPs), and FGF23 (5 SNPs), to investigate through MR their association with systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) in a Swedish urban-based study, the Malmö Diet and Cancer study (n = 29 298). Causality was evaluated by the inverse variance weighted method (IVW) and weighted median, while MR Egger and MR-PRESSO were used as sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Genetically predicted serum calcium level was found to be associated with DBP (IVW: beta = 0.10, SE = 0.04, P = 0.007) and SBP (IVW: beta = 0.07, SE = 0.04, P = 0.04). Genetically predicted Vit-D and PTH showed no association with the traits, while FGF23 was inversely associated with SBP (IVW: beta = -0.11, SE = 0.04, P = 0.01), although this association lost statistical significance in sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: Our study shows a direct association between genetically predicted calcium level and DBP, and a weaker association with SBP. No such clear association was found for genetically predicted calciotropic hormone levels. It is of interest to detect which target genes involved in calcium homeostasis mediate the effect of calcium on BP, particularly for improving personalized intervention strategies.
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8. |
- Giontella, Alice, et al.
(author)
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Causal effect of adiposity measures on blood pressure traits in 2 urban swedish cohorts : A mendelian randomization study
- 2021
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In: Journal of the American Heart Association. - 2047-9980. ; 10:13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Different adiposity traits may be causally related to hypertension in different ways. By using genetic variants as randomly allocated proxies for studying the effect of modifying adiposity traits, the Mendelian randomization approach can be used to investigate this. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, we used 4 different genetic risk scores (GRS; GRS-BMI 565, GRS-WHR 324, GRS-VAT 208, GRS-BF 81) including hundreds of single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, visceral adipose tissue, and body fat, respectively. These were applied as instrumental variables in Mendelian randomization analyses. Two Swedish urban-based cohort studies, the Malmö Diet and Cancer, and the Malmö Preventive Projects were used to obtain genetic association estimates with blood pressure (BP). In both the Malmö Preventive Projects and Malmö Diet and Cancer studies, except for that for body fat, all of the genetic risk scores were significantly associated with systolic BP and diastolic BP, but with different magnitudes. In particular, in both cohorts, each standard deviation increase in the genetic risk score made up by the 324 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with waist-to-hip ratio was associated with doubling of the likelihood of hypertension prevalence at baseline. However, only the genetic risk score made up by the 565 SNPs associated with body mass index was significantly associated with hypertension incidence during 23.6±4.3 years of follow-up in the Malmö Preventive Project. CONCLUSIONS: We support a causal link between genetically mediated adiposity, especially waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index, and BP traits including hypertension prevalence and, for the first time to our knowledge, hypertension incidence. The differences in magnitude between these associations might suggest different mechanisms by which different adiposity affects BP/hypertension and consequently may indicate that tailored interventions are needed to reduce cardiovascular risk.
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9. |
- Giontella, Alice, et al.
(author)
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Clinical Evaluation of the Polygenetic Background of Blood Pressure in the Population-Based Setting
- 2020
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In: Hypertension. - 0194-911X. ; , s. 169-177
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The clinical value of the polygenetic component of blood pressure (BP) is commonly questioned. We evaluated a genetic risk score for BP (BP-GRS858), based on the most recently published genome-wide association studies variants that were significantly associated with either systolic BP or diastolic BP, for prediction of hypertension and cardiovascular end points. The genotyping was performed in 2 urban-based prospective cohorts: the Malmö Diet and Cancer (n=29 295) and the Malmö Preventive Project (n=9367) and a weighted BP-GRS858based on 858 SNPs was calculated. At baseline, we found a difference of 9.0 mm Hg (systolic BP) and 4.8 mm Hg (diastolic BP) between the top and the bottom quartile of BP-GRS858. In Malmö Preventive Project, the top versus bottom quartile of BP-GRS858was associated with a doubled risk of incident hypertension (odds ratio, 2.05 [95% CI, 1.75-2.39], P=1.4×10-21), a risk higher than that of body mass index, as evaluated in quartiles. In Malmö Diet and Cancer, significant association was found between the age and sex-adjusted BP-GRS858and the incidence of total cardiovascular events, stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and total mortality. Most of these associations remained significant after adjusting for traditional risk factors, including hypertension. BP-GRS858could contribute predictive information regarding future hypertension, with an effect size comparable to other well-known risk factors such as obesity, and predicts cardiovascular events. Given that the exposure to high polygenetic risk starts at birth, we suggest that the BP-GRS858might be useful to identify children or adolescents who would benefit from early hypertension screening and treatment.
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10. |
- Gusarova, Viktoria, et al.
(author)
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Genetic inactivation of ANGPTL4 improves glucose homeostasis and is associated with reduced risk of diabetes
- 2018
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 9, s. 1-11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is an endogenous inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase that modulates lipid levels, coronary atherosclerosis risk, and nutrient partitioning. We hypothesize that loss of ANGPTL4 function might improve glucose homeostasis and decrease risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We investigate protein-altering variants in ANGPTL4 among 58,124 participants in the DiscovEHR human genetics study, with follow-up studies in 82,766 T2D cases and 498,761 controls. Carriers of p.E40K, a variant that abolishes ANGPTL4 ability to inhibit lipoprotein lipase, have lower odds of T2D (odds ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.85-0.92, p = 6.3 × 10-10), lower fasting glucose, and greater insulin sensitivity. Predicted loss-of-function variants are associated with lower odds of T2D among 32,015 cases and 84,006 controls (odds ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.49-0.99, p = 0.041). Functional studies in Angptl4-deficient mice confirm improved insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis. In conclusion, genetic inactivation of ANGPTL4 is associated with improved glucose homeostasis and reduced risk of T2D.
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