1. |
- Fresard, Laure, et al.
(author)
-
Identification of rare-disease genes using blood transcriptome sequencing and large control cohorts
- 2019
-
In: Nature Medicine. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 1078-8956 .- 1546-170X. ; 25:6, s. 911-919
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is estimated that 350 million individuals worldwide suffer from rare diseases, which are predominantly caused by mutation in a single gene(1). The current molecular diagnostic rate is estimated at 50%, with whole-exome sequencing (WES) among the most successful approaches(2-5). For patients in whom WES is uninformative, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has shown diagnostic utility in specific tissues and diseases(6-8). This includes muscle biopsies from patients with undiagnosed rare muscle disorders(6,9), and cultured fibroblasts from patients with mitochondrial disorders(7). However, for many individuals, biopsies are not performed for clinical care, and tissues are difficult to access. We sought to assess the utility of RNA-seq from blood as a diagnostic tool for rare diseases of different pathophysiologies. We generated whole-blood RNA-seq from 94 individuals with undiagnosed rare diseases spanning 16 diverse disease categories. We developed a robust approach to compare data from these individuals with large sets of RNA-seq data for controls (n = 1,594 unrelated controls and n = 49 family members) and demonstrated the impacts of expression, splicing, gene and variant filtering strategies on disease gene identification. Across our cohort, we observed that RNA-seq yields a 7.5% diagnostic rate, and an additional 16.7% with improved candidate gene resolution.
|
|
2. |
- Sodergren, Erica, et al.
(author)
-
The genome of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.
- 2006
-
In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 1095-9203 .- 0036-8075. ; 314:5801, s. 941-52
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the sequence and analysis of the 814-megabase genome of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, a model for developmental and systems biology. The sequencing strategy combined whole-genome shotgun and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) sequences. This use of BAC clones, aided by a pooling strategy, overcame difficulties associated with high heterozygosity of the genome. The genome encodes about 23,300 genes, including many previously thought to be vertebrate innovations or known only outside the deuterostomes. This echinoderm genome provides an evolutionary outgroup for the chordates and yields insights into the evolution of deuterostomes.
|
|
3. |
- Culina, Antica, et al.
(author)
-
Connecting the data landscape of long-term ecological studies : The SPI-Birds data hub
- 2021
-
In: Journal of Animal Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0021-8790 .- 1365-2656. ; 90:9, s. 2147-2160
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The integration and synthesis of the data in different areas of science is drastically slowed and hindered by a lack of standards and networking programmes. Long-term studies of individually marked animals are not an exception. These studies are especially important as instrumental for understanding evolutionary and ecological processes in the wild. Furthermore, their number and global distribution provides a unique opportunity to assess the generality of patterns and to address broad-scale global issues (e.g. climate change). To solve data integration issues and enable a new scale of ecological and evolutionary research based on long-term studies of birds, we have created the SPI-Birds Network and Database ()-a large-scale initiative that connects data from, and researchers working on, studies of wild populations of individually recognizable (usually ringed) birds. Within year and a half since the establishment, SPI-Birds has recruited over 120 members, and currently hosts data on almost 1.5 million individual birds collected in 80 populations over 2,000 cumulative years, and counting. SPI-Birds acts as a data hub and a catalogue of studied populations. It prevents data loss, secures easy data finding, use and integration and thus facilitates collaboration and synthesis. We provide community-derived data and meta-data standards and improve data integrity guided by the principles of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR), and aligned with the existing metadata languages (e.g. ecological meta-data language). The encouraging community involvement stems from SPI-Bird's decentralized approach: research groups retain full control over data use and their way of data management, while SPI-Birds creates tailored pipelines to convert each unique data format into a standard format. We outline the lessons learned, so that other communities (e.g. those working on other taxa) can adapt our successful model. Creating community-specific hubs (such as ours, COMADRE for animal demography, etc.) will aid much-needed large-scale ecological data integration.
|
|
4. |
- Burke, Kristin E., et al.
(author)
-
Identification of Menopausal and Reproductive Risk Factors for Microscopic Colitis-Results From the Nurses' Health Study
- 2018
-
In: Gastroenterology. - : Saunders Elsevier. - 0016-5085 .- 1528-0012. ; 155:6, s. 1764-1775
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND & AIMS: Microscopic colitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colon primarily affecting postmenopausal women. However, the relation between hormonal determinants, including reproductive and menopausal factors, and risk of microscopic colitis has yet to be characterized.METHODS: We collected data from 227,766 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the NHSII without a baseline history of microscopic colitis. Reproductive and menopausal factors were assessed in 1988 in the NHS and 1989 in the NHSII and updated biennially. Cases of microscopic colitis were confirmed through review of pathology records. We used Cox proportional hazards modeling to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals.RESULTS: Through 2014 in the NHS and 2015 in the NHSII, we confirmed 275 incident cases of microscopic colitis over 5,147,282 person-years. Compared with never use, current use of menopausal hormone therapy was associated with increased risk of microscopic colitis (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio 2.64; 95% confidence interval 1.78-3.90). The risk increased with longer duration of use (P for trend < .0001) and decreased after discontinuation (P for trend = .002). The association did not differ according to disease subtype (P for heterogeneity = .34). Similarly, ever use of oral contraceptives was associated with increased risk of microscopic colitis (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio 1.57; 95% confidence interval 1.16-2.13). There were no associations between age at menarche, parity, age at first birth, age at menopause, or menopause type and incident microscopic colitis.CONCLUSIONS: In 2 large prospective cohort studies, we observed an association between exogenous hormone use and incident microscopic colitis. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms underlying these associations.
|
|
5. |
- Burke, Kristin E., et al.
(author)
-
Microscopic colitis
- 2021
-
In: Nature reviews. Disease primers. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2056-676X. ; 7:1
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Microscopic colitis (MC) is an inflammatory disease of the large intestine associated with urgent watery diarrhoea. MC may occur in people of all ages, although the disease primarily affects older women. Once believed to be rare, MC is now known to be a common cause of chronic watery diarrhoea in high-income countries, affecting 1 in 115 women and 1 in 286 men during their lifetime in Swedish population-based estimates. An inappropriate immune response to disturbances in the gut microenvironment is implicated in the pathogenesis of MC. Evidence also supports an underlying genetic basis for disease. The diagnosis of MC relies on clinical symptoms and microscopic assessment of colonic biopsy samples. MC is categorized histologically into collagenous colitis, lymphocytic colitis and their incomplete forms. The mainstay of treatment includes the use of budesonide, with or without adjunctive therapies, and withdrawal of offending drugs. Emerging studies suggest a role for biologicals and immunosuppressive therapies for the management of budesonide-refractory or budesonide-dependent disease. MC can have a substantial negative effect on patient quality of life. The outlook for MC includes a better understanding of the immune response, genetics and the microbiome in disease pathogenesis along with progress in disease management through robust clinical trials.
|
|
6. |
- Burke, Kristin E., et al.
(author)
-
Smoking is Associated with an Increased Risk of Microscopic Colitis : Results From Two Large Prospective Cohort Studies of US Women
- 2018
-
In: Journal of Crohn's & Colitis. - : Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of Canada. - 1873-9946 .- 1876-4479. ; 12:5, s. 559-567
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Long-term data on the influence of smoking on risk of microscopic colitis are limited. We therefore sought to examine and characterize the association between smoking and risk of incident microscopic colitis in two large prospective cohorts of women.Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 231,015 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and NHSII. Information regarding smoking, other lifestyle factors, and medications were collected biennially from 1976 to 2012 in NHS and 1989 to 2013 in NHSII. Incident cases of microscopic colitis were confirmed through physician medical record review. We used Cox proportional hazards modeling to examine the association between smoking and risk of microscopic colitis.Results: We documented 166 incident cases of microscopic colitis over 6,122,779 person-years of follow up. Compared to non-smokers, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for microscopic colitis was 2.52 (95% CI 1.59 - 4.00) amongst current smokers and 1.54 (95% CI 1.09 - 2.17) amongst past smokers. The risk increased with higher pack-years of smoking (Ptrend = 0.001) and diminished following smoking cessation (Ptrend = 0.017). Current smoking appeared to be more strongly associated with risk of collagenous colitis (3.68; 95% CI 1.94 - 6.97) than lymphocytic colitis (HR 1.71; 95% CI 0.83 - 3.53).Conclusion: In two large prospective cohort studies, we observed an association between current smoking and risk of microscopic colitis. Risk of microscopic colitis appeared to increase with higher pack-years and diminish following smoking cessation. Future studies focused on characterizing the biologic mechanisms underlying these associations are warranted.
|
|
7. |
|
|
8. |
- Khalili, Hamed, et al.
(author)
-
Mortality of Patients With Microscopic Colitis in Sweden
- 2020
-
In: Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. - : Elsevier. - 1542-3565 .- 1542-7714. ; 18:11, s. 2491-2499
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND & AIMS: Microscopic colitis is one of the most common causes of chronic diarrhea in older populations. We investigated all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients with microscopic colitis.METHODS: We conducted a nationwide cohort study of all cases of microscopic colitis (n = 14,333) diagnosed from 1990 through 2017 in Sweden. Cases of microscopic colitis were identified using SNOMED codes from gastrointestinal histopathology reports collected from Sweden's 28 pathology departments. Each case of microscopic colitis was matched to 5 population comparators (n = 68,700). Mortality data were ascertained from Sweden's cause of death register. We used Cox proportional hazards modeling to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% CIs.RESULTS: Through December of 2017, we confirmed 3014 deaths in patients with microscopic colitis (27.4/1000 person-years) and 12,534 deaths in matched population comparators (23.3/1000 person-years). This corresponded to a 10-year absolute risk difference of 3.4% (95% CI, 2.1%-4.6%) and an aHR of 1.17 (95% CI, 1.12-1.22). However, further adjustment of models for comorbidity burden reduced the relative risk of death for patients with microscopic colitis (aHR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.94-1.02). In analyses of cause-specific death, microscopic colitis was associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal-related death (aHR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.38-2.05) and infection-related death (aHR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.11-1.83), but not cancer-related death (aHR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.76-0.91) or cardiovascular-related death (aHR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.96-1.10).CONCLUSIONS: In a nationwide cohort study in Sweden, we found that patients with microscopic colitis were at increased risk of death. However, the increase appears to be related to higher burden of comorbidities in this population.
|
|
9. |
- Liu, Po-Hong, et al.
(author)
-
Dietary Gluten Intake and Risk of Microscopic Colitis Among US Women without Celiac Disease : A Prospective Cohort Study
- 2019
-
In: American Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0002-9270 .- 1572-0241. ; 114:1, s. 127-134
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Microscopic colitis is a common cause of chronic watery diarrhea among the elderly. Although the prevalence of celiac disease appears to be higher in patients with microscopic colitis, the relationship between dietary gluten intake and risk of microscopic colitis among individuals without celiac disease has not been explored.METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of 160,744 US women without celiac disease enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the NHSII. Dietary gluten intake was estimated using validated food frequency questionnaires every 4 years. Microscopic colitis was confirmed through medical records review. We used Cox proportional hazard modeling to estimate the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).RESULTS: We documented 219 incident cases of microscopic colitis over more than 20 years of follow-up encompassing 3,716,718 person-years (crude incidence rate: 5.9/100,000 person-years) in NHS and NHSII. Dietary gluten intake was not associated with risk of microscopic colitis (Ptrend = 0.88). Compared to individuals in the lowest quintile of energy-adjusted gluten intake, the adjusted HR of microscopic colitis was 1.18 (95% CI: 0.77-1.78) for the middle quintile and 1.03 (95% CI: 0.67-1.58) for the highest quintile. Additional adjustment for primary dietary sources of gluten including refined and whole grains did not materially alter the effect estimates (All Ptrend ≥ 0.69). The null association did not differ according to lymphocytic or collagenous subtypes (Pheterogeneity = 0.72) and was not modified by age, smoking status, or body mass index (All Pinteraction ≥ 0.17).CONCLUSION: Dietary gluten intake during adulthood was not associated with risk of microscopic colitis among women without celiac disease.
|
|
10. |
- Liu, Po-Hong, et al.
(author)
-
Obesity and Weight Gain Since Early Adulthood Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Microscopic Colitis
- 2019
-
In: Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. - : Elsevier. - 1542-3565 .- 1542-7714. ; 17:12, s. 2523-2532
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND & AIMS: Obesity promotes intestinal inflammation and might contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. We examined the association between obesity and risk of microscopic colitis in a prospective cohort study.METHODS: We collected data from 192,101 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) (from 1986 through 2014) or the NHSII (from 1991 through 2015). Anthropomorphic and lifestyle information were self-reported biennially. Obesity was defined using body mass index (BMI). Microscopic colitis was confirmed by review of medical records. We used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% CIs. RESULTS: Among the participants in the NHS and NHSII, we confirmed 244 cases of microscopic colitis during 4,223,868 person-years of follow-up evaluation. Higher BMI was associated inversely with risk of microscopic colitis (Ptrend < .001). Compared with women with BMIs ranging from 18.5 to 20.9 kg/m(2), the aHRs were 0.61 (95% CI, 0.41-0.91) for overweight women (BMI, 2529.9 kg/m(2)) and 0.50 (95% CI, 0.32-0.79) for obese women (BMI >= 30 kg/m(2)). The aHR for each 5-kg/m(2) increase in BMI was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.69-0.90). Weight gain since early adulthood (age, 18 y) also was associated inversely with risk of microscopic colitis (Ptrend = .001). The aHR for each 10-kg weight gain since early adulthood was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.77-0.94). The associations were not modified by age, cohort, physical activity, or smoking status (all Pinteraction >= .26).CONCLUSIONS: Unlike many other immune- and metabolic-related disorders, obesity and weight gain since early adulthood were associated with a lower risk of microscopic colitis, based on an analysis of participants in the NHS and NHSII.
|
|