| 1. |
- Beaumont, Robin N, et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide association study of placental weight identifies distinct and shared genetic influences between placental and fetal growth.
- 2023
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In: Nature genetics. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 55:11, s. 1807-19
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A well-functioning placenta is essential for fetal and maternal health throughout pregnancy. Using placental weight as a proxy for placental growth, we report genome-wide association analyses in the fetal (n=65,405), maternal (n=61,228) and paternal (n=52,392) genomes, yielding 40 independent association signals. Twenty-six signals are classified as fetal, four maternal and three fetal and maternal. A maternal parent-of-origin effect is seen near KCNQ1. Genetic correlation and colocalization analyses reveal overlap with birth weight genetics, but 12 loci are classified as predominantly or only affecting placental weight, with connections to placental development and morphology, and transport of antibodies and amino acids. Mendelian randomization analyses indicate that fetal genetically mediated higher placental weight is causally associated with preeclampsia risk and shorter gestational duration. Moreover, these analyses support the role of fetal insulin in regulating placental weight, providing a key link between fetal and placental growth.
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| 2. |
- Broadaway, K Alaine, et al.
(author)
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Loci for insulin processing and secretion provide insight into type 2 diabetes risk.
- 2023
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In: American Journal of Human Genetics. - : Elsevier. - 0002-9297 .- 1537-6605. ; 110:2, s. 284-299
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Insulin secretion is critical for glucose homeostasis, and increased levels of the precursor proinsulin relative to insulin indicate pancreatic islet beta-cell stress and insufficient insulin secretory capacity in the setting of insulin resistance. We conducted meta-analyses of genome-wide association results for fasting proinsulin from 16 European-ancestry studies in 45,861 individuals. We found 36 independent signals at 30 loci (p value < 5 × 10-8), which validated 12 previously reported loci for proinsulin and ten additional loci previously identified for another glycemic trait. Half of the alleles associated with higher proinsulin showed higher rather than lower effects on glucose levels, corresponding to different mechanisms. Proinsulin loci included genes that affect prohormone convertases, beta-cell dysfunction, vesicle trafficking, beta-cell transcriptional regulation, and lysosomes/autophagy processes. We colocalized 11 proinsulin signals with islet expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) data, suggesting candidate genes, including ARSG, WIPI1, SLC7A14, and SIX3. The NKX6-3/ANK1 proinsulin signal colocalized with a T2D signal and an adipose ANK1 eQTL signal but not the islet NKX6-3 eQTL. Signals were enriched for islet enhancers, and we showed a plausible islet regulatory mechanism for the lead signal in the MADD locus. These results show how detailed genetic studies of an intermediate phenotype can elucidate mechanisms that may predispose one to disease.
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| 3. |
- Haapanen, Markus J., et al.
(author)
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Early growth, stress, and socioeconomic factors as predictors of the rate of multimorbidity accumulation across the life course : a longitudinal birth cohort study
- 2024
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In: Lancet healthy longevity. - 2666-7568. ; 5:1, s. e56-e65
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Early growth, stress, and socioeconomic factors are associated with future risk of individual chronic diseases. It is uncertain whether they also affect the rate of multimorbidity accumulation later in life. This study aimed to explore whether early life factors are associated with the rate at which chronic diseases are accumulated across older age.Methods: In this national birth cohort study, we studied people born at Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland between Jan 1, 1934, and Dec 31, 1944, who attended child welfare clinics in the city, and were living in Finland in 1971. Individuals who had died or emigrated from Finland before 1987 were excluded, alongside participants without any registry data and who died before the end of the registry follow-up on Dec 31, 2017. Early anthropometry, growth, wartime parental separation, and socioeconomic factors were recorded from birth, child welfare clinic, or school health-care records, and Finnish National Archives. International Classification of Diseases codes of diagnoses for chronic diseases were obtained from the Care Register for Health Care starting from 1987 (when participants were aged 42-53 years) until 2017. Linear mixed models were used to study the association between early-life factors and the rate of change in the number of chronic diseases over 10-year periods.Findings: From Jan 1, 1934, to Dec 31, 2017, 11 689 people (6064 [51 center dot 9%] men and 5625 [48 center dot 1%] women) were included in the study. Individuals born to mothers younger than 25 years (beta 0 center dot 09; 95% CI 0 center dot 06-0 center dot 12), mothers with a BMI of 25-30 kg/m2 (0 center dot 08; 0 center dot 05-0 center dot 10), and mothers with a BMI more than 30 kg/m2 (0 center dot 26; 0 center dot 21-0 center dot 31) in late pregnancy accumulated chronic diseases faster than those born to older mothers (25-30 years) and those with a BMI of less than 25 kg/m2. Individuals with a birthweight less than 2 center dot 5 kg (0 center dot 17; 0 center dot 10-0 center dot 25) and those with a rapid growth in height and weight from birth until age 11 years accumulated chronic diseases faster during their life course. Additionally, paternal occupational class (manual workers vs upper-middle class 0 center dot 27; 0 center dot 23-0 center dot 30) and wartime parental separation (0 center dot 24; 0 center dot 19-0 center dot 29 for boys; 0 center dot 31; 0 center dot 25-0 center dot 36 for girls) were associated with a faster rate of chronic disease accumulation. Interpretation Our findings suggest that the foundation for accumulating chronic diseases is established early in life. Early interventions might be needed for vulnerable populations, including war evacuee children and children with lower socioeconomic status.
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| 4. |
- Islam, Mohammad Redwanul, et al.
(author)
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Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity, Fitness and Indicators of Cardiometabolic Risk among Rural Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study at 15-Year Follow-up of the MINIMat Cohort
- 2024
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In: JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GLOBAL HEALTH. - : SPRINGERNATURE. - 2210-6006.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Little is known about the relationship of physical activity (PA) and fitness with cardiometabolic risk among rural adolescents in low- and middle-income countries. Thus, we examined the associations of PA and fitness with selected cardiometabolic indicators along with potential gender-based differences in a birth cohort of rural adolescents from southeast Bangladesh.Methods We utilized data from the 15-year follow-up of Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab (MINIMat) cohort (n = 2253). Wrist-worn ActiGraph wGT3x-BT accelerometers were used to estimate sedentary time (ST) and PA. Fitness was assessed using: handgrip strength, standing long jump, and Chester Step Test. Anthropometric parameters, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and fasting lipid, insulin and glucose levels were measured. We calculated insulin resistance using the Homeostasis Model Assessment equation (HOMA-IR). Linear regression and isotemporal substitution models were fitted.Results The adolescents spent 64 min/day (inter-quartile range: 50-81) in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). A 10-minute-per-day higher vigorous PA (VPA) was associated with: 4.9% (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.9-6.8%) lower waist circumference (WC), 3.2 mmHg (95% CI: 1.5-4.8) lower SBP, 10.4% (95% CI: 2.9-17.3%) lower TG, and 24.4% (95% CI: 11.3-34.9%) lower HOMA-IR. MVPA showed similar associations of notably smaller magnitude. Except for WC, the associations were more pronounced among the boys. Substituting ST with VPA of equal duration was associated with lower WC, SBP, triglyceride and HOMA-IR. Grip strength was favorably associated with all indicators, displaying considerably large effect sizes.Conclusion Our findings indicated beneficial roles of PA- particularly VPA- and muscular fitness in shaping cardiometabolic profile in mid-adolescence. VPA and grip strength may represent potential targets for preventive strategies tailored to adolescents in resource-limited settings.
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| 5. |
- Islam, Mohammad Redwanul, 1986-, et al.
(author)
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Dietary patterns and indicators of cardiometabolic risk among rural adolescents : A cross-sectional study at 15-year follow-up of the MINIMat cohort
- 2023
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In: Frontiers in Nutrition. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-861X. ; 10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Diet being a modifiable factor, its relationship with cardiometabolicrisk is of public health interest. The vast majority of studies on associations ofdietary patterns with cardiometabolic risk indicators among adolescents are fromhigh-income countries and urban settings. We sought to describe dietary patternsand examine their associations with selected cardiometabolic risk indicators–waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure, fasting lipid profile and insulinresistance–along with its gender stratification among adolescents in a low-income,rural setting.Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from the 15-year follow-up ofthe Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab (MINIMat) cohort insoutheast Bangladesh. The children who were born as singletons to the mothersrandomized in the MINIMat trial and had valid birth anthropometrics were eligiblefor the follow-up. We employed a single, qualitative 24-hour recall to assess diet.Dietary patterns were derived from simple K-means cluster analysis, and calculationof dietary diversity score (DDS) using a validated instrument. Anthropometricparameters and systolic blood pressure were recorded. Fasting plasma triglyceride,total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoproteins, insulin and glucose levels weremeasured. We calculated insulin resistance using the Homeostasis Model Assessmentequation (HOMA-IR). Three right-skewed outcome variables were natural log (Ln)transformed: WC, triglyceride and HOMA-IR. Omnibus and gender-specific multiplelinear regression models were fitted.Results: Among 2,253 adolescents (52.1% girls, 7.1% overweight/obese), we identifiedfour diet clusters: Traditional, Fish-dominant, Meat-dominant, and High-variety.No significant associations were found between the clusters and indicators. Ongender-stratification, triglyceride levels were lower among boys in the Fish-dominant (Ln-triglyceride βadjusted: −0.09; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.15, −0.02) andMeat-dominant (Ln-triglyceride βadjusted: −0.08; 95% CI: −0.15, −0.004) clusters thanamong boys in the Traditional cluster. Compared to boys in the bottom quartile of DDS, boys in the top quartile had 2.1 mm of Hg (95% CI: 0.5, 3.6) higher systolic bloodpressure and 1.9% (95% CI: 0.01–3.8%) higher WC.Conclusion: While statistically significant, the gender-specific differences intriglyceride, systolic blood pressure, and waist circumference across dietarypatterns were small. Associations between dietary patterns and cardiometabolic riskindicators may require a time lag beyond mid-adolescence to manifest in a ruralsetting. Prospective studies are warranted to delineate the magnitude and directionof those associations.
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| 6. |
- Pervjakova, Natalia, et al.
(author)
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Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of gestational diabetes mellitus highlights genetic links with type 2 diabetes
- 2022
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In: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 31:19, s. 3377-3391
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications and adverse perinatal outcomes. GDM often reoccurs and is associated with increased risk of subsequent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (T2D). To improve our understanding of the aetiological factors and molecular processes driving the occurrence of GDM, including the extent to which these overlap with T2D pathophysiology, the GENetics of Diabetes In Pregnancy (GenDIP) Consortium assembled genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of diverse ancestry in a total of 5485 women with GDM and 347 856 without GDM. Through multi-ancestry meta-analysis, we identified five loci with genome-wide significant association (p < 5x10-8) with GDM, mapping to/near MTNR1B (p = 4.3x10-54), TCF7L2 (p = 4.0x10-16), CDKAL1 (p = 1.6 × 10-14), CDKN2A-CDKN2B (p = 4.1x10-9) and HKDC1 (p = 2.9x10-8). Multiple lines of evidence pointed to the shared pathophysiology of GDM and T2D: (i) four of the five GDM loci (not HKDC1) have been previously reported at genome-wide significance for T2D; (ii) significant enrichment for associations with GDM at previously reported T2D loci; (iii) strong genetic correlation between GDM and T2D; and (iv) enrichment of GDM associations mapping to genomic annotations in diabetes-relevant tissues and transcription factor binding sites. Mendelian randomisation analyses demonstrated significant causal association (5% false discovery rate) of higher body mass index on increased GDM risk. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that GDM and T2D are part of the same underlying pathology but that, as exemplified by the HKDC1 locus, there are genetic determinants of GDM that are specific to glucose regulation in pregnancy.
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| 7. |
- Ronkainen, Justiina, et al.
(author)
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LongITools: Dynamic longitudinal exposome trajectories in cardiovascular and metabolic noncommunicable diseases
- 2022
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In: Environmental Epidemiology. - 2474-7882. ; 6:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The current epidemics of cardiovascular and metabolic noncommunicable diseases have emerged alongside dramatic modifications in lifestyle and living environments. These correspond to changes in our "modern" postwar societies globally characterized by rural-to-urban migration, modernization of agricultural practices, and transportation, climate change, and aging. Evidence suggests that these changes are related to each other, although the social and biological mechanisms as well as their interactions have yet to be uncovered. LongITools, as one of the 9 projects included in the European Human Exposome Network, will tackle this environmental health equation linking multidimensional environmental exposures to the occurrence of cardiovascular and metabolic noncommunicable diseases.
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| 8. |
- Räikkönen, Katri, et al.
(author)
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Insulin, Glucose, and the Metabolic Syndrome in Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine
- 2022
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In: Handbook of Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine. - New York, NY : Springer New York. - 9780387859606 - 9780387859590 ; , s. 809-831
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- It has been known for decades that risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) tend to cluster. Metabolic syndrome refers to this risk factor clustering for some of the more well-established and dangerous risk factors. This chapter provides a historical overview on the concept of the metabolic syndrome; describes the clinical criteria used in the definition of the metabolic syndrome and how to measure components of the metabolic syndrome, emphasizing measurements related to insulin and glucose; provides a brief overview of the genetic, endocrine, and early life determinants of the metabolic syndrome; and presents findings from studies that have focused on psychological correlates, determinants, and consequences of the metabolic syndrome, focusing in particular on psychosocial stress and depression.
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| 9. |
- Surendran, Praveen, et al.
(author)
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Discovery of rare variants associated with blood pressure regulation through meta-analysis of 1.3 million individuals
- 2020
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 52:12, s. 1314-1332
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic studies of blood pressure (BP) to date have mainly analyzed common variants (minor allele frequency > 0.05). In a meta-analysis of up to similar to 1.3 million participants, we discovered 106 new BP-associated genomic regions and 87 rare (minor allele frequency <= 0.01) variant BP associations (P < 5 x 10(-8)), of which 32 were in new BP-associated loci and 55 were independent BP-associated single-nucleotide variants within known BP-associated regions. Average effects of rare variants (44% coding) were similar to 8 times larger than common variant effects and indicate potential candidate causal genes at new and known loci (for example, GATA5 and PLCB3). BP-associated variants (including rare and common) were enriched in regions of active chromatin in fetal tissues, potentially linking fetal development with BP regulation in later life. Multivariable Mendelian randomization suggested possible inverse effects of elevated systolic and diastolic BP on large artery stroke. Our study demonstrates the utility of rare-variant analyses for identifying candidate genes and the results highlight potential therapeutic targets.
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| 10. |
- Wedenoja, Satu, et al.
(author)
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Fetal HLA-G mediated immune tolerance and interferon response in preeclampsia
- 2020
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In: EBioMedicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-3964. ; 59
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Fetal immune tolerance is crucial for pregnancy success. We studied the link between preeclampsia, a severe pregnancy disorder with uncertain pathogenesis, and fetal human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) and other genes regulating maternal immune responses.Methods: We assessed sex ratios and regulatory HLA-G haplotypes in population cohorts and series of preeclampsia and stillbirth. We studied placental mRNA expression of 136 genes by sequencing and HLA-G and interferon alpha (IFNα) protein expression by immunohistochemistry.Findings: We found underrepresentation of males in preeclamptic births, especially those delivered preterm or small for gestational age. Balancing selection at HLA-G associated with the sex ratio, stillbirth, and preeclampsia. We observed downregulation of HLA-G, its receptors, and many other tolerogenic genes, and marked upregulation of IFNA1 in preeclamptic placentas.Interpretation: These findings indicate that an evolutionary trade-off between immune tolerance and protection against infections at the maternal-fetal interface promotes genetic diversity in fetal HLA-G, thereby affecting survival, preeclampsia, and sex ratio. We highlight IFNA1 as a potential mediator of preeclampsia and a target for therapeutic trials.
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