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- Brownstein, Catherine A., et al.
(author)
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An international effort towards developing standards for best practices in analysis, interpretation and reporting of clinical genome sequencing results in the CLARITY Challenge
- 2014
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In: Genome Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1465-6906 .- 1474-760X. ; 15:3, s. R53-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: There is tremendous potential for genome sequencing to improve clinical diagnosis and care once it becomes routinely accessible, but this will require formalizing research methods into clinical best practices in the areas of sequence data generation, analysis, interpretation and reporting. The CLARITY Challenge was designed to spur convergence in methods for diagnosing genetic disease starting from clinical case history and genome sequencing data. DNA samples were obtained from three families with heritable genetic disorders and genomic sequence data were donated by sequencing platform vendors. The challenge was to analyze and interpret these data with the goals of identifying disease-causing variants and reporting the findings in a clinically useful format. Participating contestant groups were solicited broadly, and an independent panel of judges evaluated their performance. Results: A total of 30 international groups were engaged. The entries reveal a general convergence of practices on most elements of the analysis and interpretation process. However, even given this commonality of approach, only two groups identified the consensus candidate variants in all disease cases, demonstrating a need for consistent fine-tuning of the generally accepted methods. There was greater diversity of the final clinical report content and in the patient consenting process, demonstrating that these areas require additional exploration and standardization. Conclusions: The CLARITY Challenge provides a comprehensive assessment of current practices for using genome sequencing to diagnose and report genetic diseases. There is remarkable convergence in bioinformatic techniques, but medical interpretation and reporting are areas that require further development by many groups.
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- Bellenguez, Celine, et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide association study identifies a variant in HDAC9 associated with large vessel ischemic stroke
- 2012
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 44:3, s. 141-328
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic factors have been implicated in stroke risk, but few replicated associations have been reported. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for ischemic stroke and its subtypes in 3,548 affected individuals and 5,972 controls, all of European ancestry. Replication of potential signals was performed in 5,859 affected individuals and 6,281 controls. We replicated previous associations for cardioembolic stroke near PITX2 and ZFHX3 and for large vessel stroke at a 9p21 locus. We identified a new association for large vessel stroke within HDAC9 (encoding histone deacetylase 9) on chromosome 7p21.1 (including further replication in an additional 735 affected individuals and 28,583 controls) (rs11984041; combined P = 1.87 x 10(-11); odds ratio (OR) = 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.28-1.57). All four loci exhibited evidence for heterogeneity of effect across the stroke subtypes, with some and possibly all affecting risk for only one subtype. This suggests distinct genetic architectures for different stroke subtypes.
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- Lessard, Christopher J., et al.
(author)
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Variants at multiple loci implicated in both innate and adaptive immune responses are associated with Sjogren's syndrome
- 2013
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In: Nature Genetics. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, 75 VARICK ST, 9TH FLR, NEW YORK, NY 10013-1917 USA. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 45:11, s. 1284-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sjogrens syndrome is a common autoimmune disease (affecting similar to 0.7% of European Americans) that typically presents as keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia. Here we report results of a large-scale association study of Sjogrens syndrome. In addition to strong association within the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region at 6p21 (P-meta = 7.65 x 10(-114)), we establish associations with IRF5-TNPO3 (P-meta = 2.73 x 10(-19)), STAT4 (Pmeta = 6.80 x 10-15), IL12A (P-meta = 1.17 x 10(-10)), FAM167ABLK (P-meta = 4.97 x 10(-10)), DDX6-CXCR5 (P-meta = 1.10 x 10(-8)) and TNIP1 (P-meta = 3.30 x 10(-8)). We also observed suggestive associations (P-meta andlt; 5 x 10(-5)) with variants in 29 other regions, including TNFAIP3, PTTG1, PRDM1, DGKQ, FCGR2A, IRAK1BP1, ITSN2 and PHIP, among others. These results highlight the importance of genes that are involved in both innate and adaptive immunity in Sjogrens syndrome.
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- Englund, Martin, et al.
(author)
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Risk factors for medial meniscal pathology on knee MRI in older US adults: a multicentre prospective cohort study.
- 2011
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In: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : BMJ. - 1468-2060 .- 0003-4967. ; 70, s. 1733-1739
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Meniscal pathology in which the aetiology is often unclear is a frequent finding on knee MRI. This study investigates potential risk factors for medial meniscal lesions or extrusion in middle-aged and elderly persons. METHODS: Prospective cohort study using population-based subjects from Birmingham, Alabama and Iowa City, Iowa, USA (the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study). 644 men and women aged 50-79 years with or at high risk of knee osteoarthritis (Kellgren and Lawrence grade 0-2) but with normal medial meniscal status at baseline were studied. Paired baseline and 30-month 1.0 T knee MRI were scored for meniscal lesions and extrusion (pathology) and the following systemic, knee-specific and compartment-specific potential risk factors were evaluated: age, sex, body mass index, bony enlargement of finger joints, knee trauma, leg-length inequality and knee alignment. RESULTS: Of 791 knees, 77 (9.7%) had medial meniscal pathology at 30 months follow-up. 61 of the 77 (81%) had no report of trauma during follow-up. Including all potential risk factors in the multivariable model, the adjusted OR for medial meniscal pathology was 4.14 (95% CI 2.06 to 8.31) for knee trauma during follow-up, 1.64 (1.00 to 2.70) for five or more bony enlargements of finger joints (vs ≤4) and 2.00 (1.18 to 3.40) for varus alignment (vs not varus) at baseline examination. Obesity was a risk factor for the development of meniscal extrusion, OR 3.04 (1.04 to 8.93) but not for meniscal lesions, OR 1.15 (0.52 to 2.54). CONCLUSIONS: Apart from knee trauma, possible generalised osteoarthritis, expressed as multiple bony enlargements of finger joints, varus alignment and obesity are risk factors for medial meniscal pathology.
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7. |
- Grimm, Melissa J, et al.
(author)
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Monocyte- and macrophage-targeted NADPH oxidase mediates antifungal host defense and regulation of acute inflammation in mice
- 2013
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In: Journal of Immunology. - : The American Association of Immunologists. - 0022-1767 .- 1550-6606. ; 190:8, s. 4175-4184
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chronic granulomatous disease, an inherited disorder of the NADPH oxidase in which phagocytes are defective in the generation of superoxide anion and downstream reactive oxidant species, is characterized by severe bacterial and fungal infections and excessive inflammation. Although NADPH oxidase isoforms exist in several lineages, reactive oxidant generation is greatest in neutrophils, where NADPH oxidase has been deemed vital for pathogen killing. In contrast, the function and importance of NADPH oxidase in macrophages are less clear. Therefore, we evaluated susceptibility to pulmonary aspergillosis in globally NADPH oxidase-deficient mice versus transgenic mice with monocyte/macrophage-targeted NADPH oxidase activity. We found that the lethal inoculum was >100-fold greater in transgenic versus globally NADPH oxidase-deficient mice. Consistent with these in vivo results, NADPH oxidase in mouse alveolar macrophages limited germination of phagocytosed Aspergillus fumigatus spores. Finally, globally NADPH oxidase-deficient mice developed exuberant neutrophilic lung inflammation and proinflammatory cytokine responses to zymosan, a fungal cell wall-derived product composed principally of particulate beta-glucans, whereas inflammation in transgenic and wild-type mice was mild and transient. Taken together, our studies identify a central role for monocyte/macrophage NADPH oxidase in controlling fungal infection and in limiting acute lung inflammation. The Journal of Immunology, 2013, 190: 4175-4184.
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8. |
- Hayashi, D., et al.
(author)
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Knee malalignment is associated with an increased risk for incident and enlarging bone marrow lesions in the more loaded compartments: the MOST study
- 2012
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In: Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. - : Elsevier BV. - 1063-4584. ; 20:11, s. 1227-1233
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To examine the relationship of knee malalignment with occurrence of incident and enlarging bone marrow lesions (BMLs) and regression of BMLs. Methods: Subjects from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study aged 50-79 years with or at high risk of knee osteoarthritis were studied. Full-limb radiographs were taken at baseline and hip-knee-ankle mechanical axis was measured. Baseline and 30-month magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of knees (n = 1782) were semiquantitatively assessed for BMLs. Outcome was defined as a change in BML score in femoral/tibial condyle in medial/lateral compartments. Medial compartment in varus alignment and lateral compartment in valgus alignment were combined to form 'more loaded' compartment, while lateral compartment in valgus and medial compartment in varus were combined to form 'less loaded' compartment. Relative risk (RR) of BML score increase or decrease in relation to malalignment was estimated using a log linear regression model with the Poisson assumption, adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, physical activity scale for the elderly, race and clinic site. Further, results were stratified by ipsilateral meniscal and cartilage status at baseline. Results: Baseline varus alignment was associated with higher risk of BML score increase from baseline to follow-up in the medial compartment [adjusted RRs (95%CI): 1.5 (1.2-1.9)] and valgus alignment in the lateral compartment [1.4 (1.0-2.1)]. Increase in BML score was more likely in the more loaded compartments [1.7 (1.4-2.0)] in malaligned knees. Regardless of ipsilateral cartilage or meniscus status, adjusted RR for BML score increase was higher in the more loaded compartments of malaligned knees than those with neutral alignment. Decrease in BML score was less likely in the more loaded compartments in malaligned knees [0.8 (0.7-1.0)]. Conclusion: Knee malalignment is associated with increased risk of incident and enlarging BMLs in the more loaded compartments of the tibiofemoral joint. (C) 2012 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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9. |
- Mayes, Maureen D, et al.
(author)
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Immunochip analysis identifies multiple susceptibility Loci for systemic sclerosis.
- 2014
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In: American Journal of Human Genetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9297 .- 1537-6605. ; 94:1, s. 47-61
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, 1,833 systemic sclerosis (SSc) cases and 3,466 controls were genotyped with the Immunochip array. Classical alleles, amino acid residues, and SNPs across the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region were imputed and tested. These analyses resulted in a model composed of six polymorphic amino acid positions and seven SNPs that explained the observed significant associations in the region. In addition, a replication step comprising 4,017 SSc cases and 5,935 controls was carried out for several selected non-HLA variants, reaching a total of 5,850 cases and 9,401 controls of European ancestry. Following this strategy, we identified and validated three SSc risk loci, including DNASE1L3 at 3p14, the SCHIP1-IL12A locus at 3q25, and ATG5 at 6q21, as well as a suggested association of the TREH-DDX6 locus at 11q23. The associations of several previously reported SSc risk loci were validated and further refined, and the observed peak of association in PXK was related to DNASE1L3. Our study has increased the number of known genetic associations with SSc, provided further insight into the pleiotropic effects of shared autoimmune risk factors, and highlighted the power of dense mapping for detecting previously overlooked susceptibility loci.
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10. |
- Almyroudis, Nikolaos G., et al.
(author)
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NETosis and NADPH oxidase : at the intersection of host defense, inflammation, and injury
- 2013
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In: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 4
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neutrophils are armed with both oxidant-dependent and -independent pathways for killing pathogens. Activation of the phagocyte nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase constitutes an emergency response to infectious threat and results in the generation of antimicrobial reactive oxidants. In addition, NADPH oxidase activation in neutrophils is linked to activation of granular proteases and generation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETosis involves the release of nuclear and granular components that can target extracellular pathogens. NETosis is activated during microbial threat and in certain conditions mimicking sepsis, and can result in both augmented host defense and inflammatory injury. In contrast, apoptosis, the physiological form of neutrophil death, not only leads to non-inflammatory cell death but also contributes to alleviate inflammation. Although there are significant gaps in knowledge regarding the specific contribution of NETs to host defense, we speculate that the coordinated activation of NADPH oxidase and NETosis maximizes microbial killing. Work in engineered mice and limited patient experience point to varying susceptibility of bacterial and fungal pathogens to NADPH oxidase versus NET constituents. Since reactive oxidants and NET constituents can injure host tissue, it is important that these pathways be tightly regulated. Recent work supports a role for NETosis in both acute lung injury and in autoimmunity. Knowledge gained about mechanisms that modulate NETosis may lead to novel therapeutic approaches to limit inflammation-associated injury.
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