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- Porcu, E, et al.
(author)
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Mendelian randomization integrating GWAS and eQTL data reveals genetic determinants of complex and clinical traits
- 2019
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In: Nature communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 10:1, s. 3300-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of variants associated with complex traits, but their biological interpretation often remains unclear. Most of these variants overlap with expression QTLs, indicating their potential involvement in regulation of gene expression. Here, we propose a transcriptome-wide summary statistics-based Mendelian Randomization approach (TWMR) that uses multiple SNPs as instruments and multiple gene expression traits as exposures, simultaneously. Applied to 43 human phenotypes, it uncovers 3,913 putatively causal gene–trait associations, 36% of which have no genome-wide significant SNP nearby in previous GWAS. Using independent association summary statistics, we find that the majority of these loci were missed by GWAS due to power issues. Noteworthy among these links is educational attainment-associated BSCL2, known to carry mutations leading to a Mendelian form of encephalopathy. We also find pleiotropic causal effects suggestive of mechanistic connections. TWMR better accounts for pleiotropy and has the potential to identify biological mechanisms underlying complex traits.
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- Hop, Paul J., et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide study of DNA methylation shows alterations in metabolic, inflammatory, and cholesterol pathways in ALS
- 2022
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In: Science Translational Medicine. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science. - 1946-6234 .- 1946-6242. ; 14:633
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
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- Cordova, R., et al.
(author)
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Dietary intake of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and changes in body weight in European adults
- 2020
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In: European Journal of Nutrition. - : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 1436-6207 .- 1436-6215. ; 59, s. 2893-2904
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) can be formed in foods by the reaction of reducing sugars with proteins, and have been shown to induce insulin resistance and obesity in experimental studies. We examined the association between dietary AGEs intake and changes in body weight in adults over an average of 5 years of follow-up.Methods: A total of 255,170 participants aged 25–70 years were recruited in ten European countries (1992–2000) in the PANACEA study (Physical Activity, Nutrition, Alcohol, Cessation of smoking, Eating out of home in relation to Anthropometry), a sub-cohort of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition). Body weight was measured at recruitment and self-reported between 2 and 11 years later depending on the study center. A reference database for AGEs was used containing UPLC–MS/MS-measured Nε-(carboxymethyl)-lysine (CML), Nε-(1-carboxyethyl)-lysine (CEL), and Nδ-(5-hydro-5-methyl-4-imidazolon-2-yl)-ornithine (MG-H1) in 200 common European foods. This reference database was matched to foods and decomposed recipes obtained from country-specific validated dietary questionnaires in EPIC and intake levels of CEL, CML, and MG-H1 were estimated. Associations between dietary AGEs intake and body weight change were estimated separately for each of the three AGEs using multilevel mixed linear regression models with center as random effect and dietary AGEs intake and relevant confounders as fixed effects.Results: A one-SD increment in CEL intake was associated with 0.111 kg (95% CI 0.087–0.135) additional weight gain over 5 years. The corresponding additional weight gain for CML and MG-H1 was 0.065 kg (0.041–0.089) and 0.034 kg (0.012, 0.057), respectively. The top six food groups contributing to AGEs intake, with varying proportions across the AGEs, were cereals/cereal products, meat/processed meat, cakes/biscuits, dairy, sugar and confectionary, and fish/shellfish.Conclusion: In this study of European adults, higher intakes of AGEs were associated with marginally greater weight gain over an average of 5 years of follow-up.
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- Aglago, Elom K., et al.
(author)
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Soluble Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-products (sRAGE) and Colorectal Cancer Risk : A Case-Control Study Nested within a European Prospective Cohort
- 2021
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In: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. - : American Association for Cancer Research. - 1055-9965 .- 1538-7755. ; 30:1, s. 182-192
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Overexpression of the receptor for advanced glycation end-product (RAGE) has been associated with chronic inflammation, which in turn has been associated with increased colorectal cancer risk. Soluble RAGE (sRAGE) competes with RAGE to bind its ligands, thus potentially preventing RAGE-induced inflammation.METHODS: To investigate whether sRAGE and related genetic variants are associated with colorectal cancer risk, we conducted a nested case-control study in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Plasma sRAGE concentrations were measured by ELISA in 1,361 colorectal cancer matched case-control sets. Twenty-four SNPs encoded in the genes associated with sRAGE concentrations were available for 1,985 colorectal cancer cases and 2,220 controls. Multivariable adjusted ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed using conditional and unconditional logistic regression for colorectal cancer risk and circulating sRAGE and SNPs, respectively.RESULTS: Higher sRAGE concentrations were inversely associated with colorectal cancer (ORQ5vs.Q1, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.59-1.00). Sex-specific analyses revealed that the observed inverse risk association was restricted to men (ORQ5vs.Q1, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.42-0.94), whereas no association was observed in women (ORQ5vs.Q1, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.68-1.48; Pheterogeneity for sex = 0.006). Participants carrying minor allele of rs653765 (promoter region of ADAM10) had lower colorectal cancer risk (C vs. T, OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.99).CONCLUSIONS: Prediagnostic sRAGE concentrations were inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk in men, but not in women. An SNP located within ADAM10 gene, pertaining to RAGE shedding, was associated with colorectal cancer risk.IMPACT: Further studies are needed to confirm our observed sex difference in the association and better explore the potential involvement of genetic variants of sRAGE in colorectal cancer development.
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- Aglago, Elom K., et al.
(author)
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Dietary Advanced Glycation End-Products and Colorectal Cancer Risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study
- 2021
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In: Nutrients. - : MDPI. - 2072-6643. ; 13:9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dietary advanced glycation end-products (dAGEs) have been hypothesized to be associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) by promoting inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and oxidative stress in the colonic epithelium. However, evidence from prospective cohort studies is scarce and inconclusive. We evaluated CRC risk associated with the intake of dAGEs in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Dietary intakes of three major dAGEs: Nε-carboxy-methyllysine (CML), Nε-carboxyethyllysine (CEL), and Nδ-(5-hydro-5-methyl-4-imidazolon-2-yl)-ornithine (MG-H1) were estimated in 450,111 participants (median follow-up = 13 years, with 6162 CRC cases) by matching to a detailed published European food composition database. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of dAGEs with CRC were computed using multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models. Inverse CRC risk associations were observed for CML (HR comparing extreme quintiles: HRQ5vs.Q1 = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.85-1.00) and MG-H1 (HRQ5vs.Q1 = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.85-1.00), but not for CEL (HRQ5vs.Q1 = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.89-1.05). The associations did not differ by sex or anatomical location of the tumor. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, our findings suggest an inverse association between dAGEs and CRC risk. More research is required to verify these findings and better differentiate the role of dAGEs from that of endogenously produced AGEs and their precursor compounds in CRC development.
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- Fyhrquist, N, et al.
(author)
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Microbe-host interplay in atopic dermatitis and psoriasis
- 2019
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In: Nature communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 10:1, s. 4703-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite recent advances in understanding microbial diversity in skin homeostasis, the relevance of microbial dysbiosis in inflammatory disease is poorly understood. Here we perform a comparative analysis of skin microbial communities coupled to global patterns of cutaneous gene expression in patients with atopic dermatitis or psoriasis. The skin microbiota is analysed by 16S amplicon or whole genome sequencing and the skin transcriptome by microarrays, followed by integration of the data layers. We find that atopic dermatitis and psoriasis can be classified by distinct microbes, which differ from healthy volunteers microbiome composition. Atopic dermatitis is dominated by a single microbe (Staphylococcus aureus), and associated with a disease relevant host transcriptomic signature enriched for skin barrier function, tryptophan metabolism and immune activation. In contrast, psoriasis is characterized by co-occurring communities of microbes with weak associations with disease related gene expression. Our work provides a basis for biomarker discovery and targeted therapies in skin dysbiosis.
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- van Schalkwijk, D. B., et al.
(author)
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Dietary Medium Chain Fatty Acid Supplementation Leads to Reduced VLDL Lipolysis and Uptake Rates in Comparison to Linoleic Acid Supplementation
- 2014
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In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dietary medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) and linoleic acid follow different metabolic routes, and linoleic acid activates PPAR receptors. Both these mechanisms may modify lipoprotein and fatty acid metabolism after dietary intervention. Our objective was to investigate how dietary MCFA and linoleic acid supplementation and body fat distribution affect the fasting lipoprotein subclass profile, lipoprotein kinetics, and postprandial fatty acid kinetics. In a randomized double blind cross-over trial, 12 male subjects (age 51 +/- 7 years; BMI 28.5 +/- 0.8 kg/m(2)), were divided into 2 groups according to waist-hip ratio. They were supplemented with 60 grams/day MCFA (mainly C8:0, C10:0) or linoleic acid for three weeks, with a washout period of six weeks in between. Lipoprotein subclasses were measured using HPLC. Lipoprotein and fatty acid metabolism were studied using a combination of several stable isotope tracers. Lipoprotein and tracer data were analyzed using computational modeling. Lipoprotein subclass concentrations in the VLDL and LDL range were significantly higher after MCFA than after linoleic acid intervention. In addition, LDL subclass concentrations were higher in lower body obese individuals. Differences in VLDL metabolism were found to occur in lipoprotein lipolysis and uptake, not production; MCFAs were elongated intensively, in contrast to linoleic acid. Dietary MCFA supplementation led to a less favorable lipoprotein profile than linoleic acid supplementation. These differences were not due to elevated VLDL production, but rather to lower lipolysis and uptake rates.
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- Mao, Ziling, et al.
(author)
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Dietary intake of advanced glycation end products (Ages) and mortality among individuals with colorectal cancer
- 2021
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In: Nutrients. - : MDPI. - 2072-6643. ; 13:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) may promote oxidative stress and inflammation and have been linked to multiple chronic diseases, including cancer. However, the association of AGEs with mortality after colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis has not been previously investigated. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals for associations between dietary intake of AGEs with CRC-specific and all-cause mortality among 5801 participant cases diagnosed with CRC in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study between 1993 and 2013. Dietary intakes of AGEs were estimated using country-specific dietary questionnaires, linked to an AGE database, that accounted for food preparation and processing. During a median of 58 months of follow-up, 2421 cases died (1841 from CRC). Individually or combined, dietary intakes of AGEs were not associated with all-cause and CRC-specific mortality among cases. However, there was a suggestion for a positive association between AGEs and all-cause or CRC-specific mortality among CRC cases without type II diabetes (all-cause, Pinteraction = 0.05) and CRC cases with the longest follow-up between recruitment and cancer diagnosis (CRC-specific, Pinteraction = 0.003; all-cause, Pinteraction = 0.01). Our study suggests that pre-diagnostic dietary intakes of AGEs were not associated with CRC-specific or all-cause mortality among CRC patients. Further investigations using biomarkers of AGEs and stratifying by sex, diabetes status, and timing of exposure to AGEs are warranted.
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- Simons, Pihg, et al.
(author)
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Relationship between de novo lipogenesis and serum sex hormone binding globulin in humans
- 2021
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In: Clinical Endocrinology. - : Wiley. - 0300-0664 .- 1365-2265. ; 95:1, s. 101-106
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective Obesity and liver fat are associated with decreased levels of serum sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Laboratory studies suggest that hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) is involved in the downregulation of SHBG synthesis. The aim of the present study was to address the role of DNL on serum SHBG in humans. Design A cross-sectional study examining the association between DNL, measured by stable isotopes, and serum SHBG, stratified by sex. Participants Healthy men (n = 34) and women (n = 21) were combined from two cross-sectional studies. Forty-two per cent of participants had hepatic steatosis, and the majority were overweight (62%) or obese (27%). Results DNL was inversely associated with SHBG in women (beta: -0.015, 95% CI: -0.030; 0.000), but not in men (beta: 0.007, 95% CI: -0.005; 0.019) (p for interaction = .068). Adjustment for study population, age and body mass index did not materially change these results, although statistical significance was lost after adjustment for serum insulin. Conclusions An inverse association between DNL and SHBG may explain the decreased SHBG levels that are observed in obesity, at least in women.
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- Wasmann, Roeland E., et al.
(author)
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Normal fat mass cannot be reliably estimated in typical pharmacokinetic studies
- 2021
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In: European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. - : Springer. - 0031-6970 .- 1432-1041. ; 77, s. 727-733
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: An influential covariate for pharmacokinetics is (body) size. Recently, the method of estimation of normal fat mass (NFM) has been advocated. Here, the relative contribution of fat mass, estimated as a fraction fat (Ffat), is used to explain differences in pharmacokinetic parameters. This concept is more and more applied. However, it remains unclear whether NFM can be reliably estimated in these typical studies.Methods: We performed an evaluation of the reliability of NFM estimation in a typical study size (n = 30), otherwise best-case scenario, by means of a pharmacokinetic simulation study. Several values of Ffat were investigated.Results: In a typical pharmacokinetic study, high imprecision was observed for NFM parameter estimates over a range of scenarios. For example, in a scenario where the true value of Ffat on clearance was 0.5, we found a 95% confidence interval of - 0.1 to 2.1, demonstrating a low precision. The implications for practice are that one could conclude that fat-free mass best describes the relationship of the pharmacokinetics with body size, while the true relationship was between fat-free mass and total body weight. Consequently, this could lead to incorrect extrapolation of pharmacokinetics to extreme body sizes.Conclusion: In typical pharmacokinetic studies, NFM should be used with caution because the Ffat estimates have low precision. The estimation of Ffat should always be preceded by careful study design evaluation before planning a study, to ensure that the design and sample size is sufficient to apply this potentially useful methodology.
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- Roest, Pauline A.M., et al.
(author)
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Specific Local Cardiovascular Changes of N-epsilon-(Carboxymethyl)lysine, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, and Smad2 in the Developing Embryos Coincide With Maternal Diabetes-Induced Congenital Heart Defects
- 2009
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In: Diabetes. - : American Diabetes Association. - 0012-1797 .- 1939-327X. ; 58:5, s. 1222-1228
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Embryos exposed to a diabetic environment in utero have an increased risk to develop congenital heart malformations. The mechanism behind the teratogenicity of diabetes still remains enigmatic. Detrimental effects of glycation products in diabetic patients have been well documented. We therefore studied a possible link between glycation products and the development of congenital cardiovascular malformations. Furthermore, we investigated other possible mechanisms involved in this pathogenesis: alterations in the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or phosphorylated Smad2 (the latter can be induced by both glycation products and VEGF). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We examined the temporal spatial patterning of the glycation products Nepsilon(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and methylglyoxal (MG) adducts, VEGF expression, and phosphorylated Smad2 during cardiovascular development in embryos from normal and diabetic rats. RESULTS: Maternal diabetes increased the CML accumulation in the areas susceptible to diabetes-induced congenital heart disease, including the outflow tract of the heart and the aortic arch. No MG adducts could be detected, suggesting that CML is more likely to be indicative for increased oxidative stress than for glycation. An increase of CML in the outflow tract of the heart was accompanied by an increase in phosphorylated Smad2, unrelated to VEGF. VEGF showed a time-specific decrease in the outflow tract of embryos from diabetic dams. CONCLUSIONS: From our results, we can conclude that maternal diabetes results in transient and localized alterations in CML, VEGF expression, and Smad2 phosphorylation overlapping with those regions of the developing heart that are most sensitive to diabetes-induced congenital heart disease.
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- Willemsen, Suzan, et al.
(author)
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The role of advanced glycation end-products and their receptor on outcome in heart failure patients with preserved and reduced ejection fraction
- 2012
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In: American Heart Journal. - : Elsevier. - 0002-8703 .- 1097-6744. ; 164:5, s. 742-U146
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are increased in patients with heart failure (HF). We studied the predictive value of plasma AGEs N-E-(carboxymethyl) lysine (CML), pentosidine, and the soluble form of its receptor (sRAGE) in a large HF population. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMethods In 580 patients hospitalized with HF, plasma AGEs were measured before discharge when patients were clinically stable. Patients were followed for a period of 18 months. Primary end point was a composite of death and HF admissions. CML was determined by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, pentosidine by high-performance liquid chromatography and sRAGE by sequential sandwich immunoassay. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanResults Mean age was 71 +/- 11 years, 62% were men, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 0.32 +/- 0.14. At baseline, mean CML level was 2.16 +/- 0.73 mu mol/L, median pentosidine was 0.043 (0.030-0.074) mu mol/L, and median sRAGE level was 2.92 (1.90-4.59) ng/mL. CML and pentosidine levels were independently related to the composite end-point (HR, 1.20 per SD; 95% CI, 1.05-1.37; P = .01 and HR, 1.15 per SD; 95% CI, 1.00-1.31; P = .045, respectively) and HF hospitalization (HR, 1.27 per SD; 95% CI, 1.10-1.48; P = .001 and HR, 1.27 per SD; 95% CI, 1.10-1.47; P = .001, respectively). Furthermore, CML levels were independently related to increased mortality (P = .006). Whereas sRAGE levels were univariately predictive for outcome, in multivariate models sRAGE did not reach statistical significance. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanDiscussion In HF patients, both CML and pentosidine predict HF hospitalization and the combined primary end-point (mortality or HF-hospitalization), whereas sRAGE did not predict events. In addition, CML was significantly and independently associated with a higher risk for mortality. (Am Heart J 2012;164:742-749.e3.)
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