scholarly journals Genome-wide association study of offspring birth weight in 86,577 women highlights maternal genetic effects that are independent of fetal genetics

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin N Beaumont ◽  
Nicole M Warrington ◽  
Alana Cavadino ◽  
Jessica Tyrrell ◽  
Michael Nodzenski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Fetal Growth ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Maternal Genotype ◽  
Maternal Determinants ◽  
Gestational Duration

AbstractGenome-wide association studies (GWAS) of birth weight have focused on fetal genetics, while relatively little is known about how maternal genetic variation influences fetal growth. We aimed to identify maternal genetic variants associated with birth weight that could highlight potentially relevant maternal determinants of fetal growth.We meta-analysed GWAS data on up to 8.7 million SNPs in up to 86,577 women of European descent from the Early Growth Genetics (EGG) Consortium and the UK Biobank. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) and analyses of mother-child pairs to quantify the separate maternal and fetal genetic effects.Maternal SNPs at 10 loci (MTNR1B, HMGA2, SH2B3, KCNAB1, L3MBTL3, GCK, EBF1, TCF7L2, ACTL9 and CYP3A7) showed evidence of association with offspring birth weight at P<5x10-8. The SEM analyses showed at least 7 of the 10 associations were consistent with effects of the maternal genotype acting via the intrauterine environment, rather than via effects of shared alleles with the fetus. Variants, or correlated proxies, at many of the loci had been previously associated with adult traits, including fasting glucose (MTNR1B, GCK and TCF7L2) and sex hormone levels (CYP3A7), and one (EBF1) with gestational duration.The identified associations indicate effects of maternal glucose, cytochrome P450 activity and gestational duration, and potential effects of maternal blood pressure and immune function on fetal growth. Further characterization of these associations, for example in mechanistic and causal analyses, will enhance understanding of the potentially modifiable maternal determinants of fetal growth, with the goal of reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with low and high birth weights.

scholarly journals Genome-wide association analysis reveals extensive genetic overlap between mood instability and psychiatric disorders but divergent patterns of genetic effects

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Hindley ◽  
Kevin S O'Connell ◽  
Zillur Rahman ◽  
Oleksandr Frei ◽  
Shahram Bahrami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Genetic Correlation ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
Mood Instability ◽  
Genome Wide

Mood instability (MOOD) is a transdiagnostic phenomenon with a prominent neurobiological basis. Recent genome-wide association studies found significant positive genetic correlation between MOOD and major depression (DEP) and weak correlations with other psychiatric disorders. We investigated the polygenic overlap between MOOD and psychiatric disorders beyond genetic correlation to better characterize putative shared genetic determinants. Summary statistics for schizophrenia (SCZ, n=105,318), bipolar disorder (BIP, n=413,466), DEP (n=450,619), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, n=53,293) and MOOD (n=363,705), were analysed using the bivariate causal mixture model and conjunctional false discovery rate methods to estimate the proportion of shared variants influencing MOOD and each disorder, and identify jointly associated genomic loci. MOOD correlated positively with all psychiatric disorders, but with wide variation in strength (rg=0.10-0.62). Of 10.4K genomic variants influencing MOOD, 4K-9.4K were estimated to influence psychiatric disorders. MOOD was jointly associated with DEP at 163 loci, SCZ at 110, BIP at 60 and ADHD at 25, with consistent genetic effects in independent samples. Fifty-three jointly associated loci were overlapping across two or more disorders (transdiagnostic), seven of which had discordant effect directions on psychiatric disorders. Genes mapped to loci associated with MOOD and all four disorders were enriched in a single gene-set, synapse organization. The extensive polygenic overlap indicates shared molecular underpinnings across MOOD and psychiatric disorders. However, distinct patterns of genetic correlation and effect directions of shared loci suggest divergent effects on corresponding neurobiological mechanisms which may relate to differences in the core clinical features of each disorder.

Abstract P231: Gene-by-smoking Interaction Analyses of Kidney Traits in the NHLBI Candidate-gene Association Resources Care Cohorts

Circulation ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Franceschini ◽  
Ching-Ti Liu ◽  
W Linda Kao ◽  
Leslie Lange ◽  
Kari E North ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kidney Disease ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Snp Array ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Current Smoking ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Smoking Exposure ◽  
Smoking Interaction

Smoking is a known risk factor for progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) but little is known of the role of smoking exposure on genetic effects of variants influencing kidney traits in the general population. We examined the evidence for effect modification of current smoking on the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR), two well established markers of kidney disease, in 23,767 white and 8,110 African American individuals from five studies genotyped using the custom SNP array ITMAT-Broad-CARe (IBC array) in the CARe consortium. We obtained study- and race-specific residuals from linear regression models of natural log-transformed eGFR or UACR regressed on age, sex and study site. We then stratified residuals by current smoking exposure and performed genome wide association analyses using additive genetic models adjusted for 10 principal components, and accounting for family structure using mixed models, if needed. Meta-analyses across smoking-specific strata within each self-reported race were performed using the inverse variance weighted fixed effect models. We assessed smoking interaction using a heterogeneity test (P<0.10) and I 2 metric. Among SNPs reaching the array wide specific significance threshold (2.0x10 -6 ) for association with eGFR or UACR, there was significant between smoking-strata heterogeneity for rs7422339 ( CPS1 , P=0.03, I 2 =77.7%) and rs13333226 ( UMOD , P=0.06, I 2 =71.1%) for eGFR in whites, with larger decreases in eGFR among current smokers compared to past/never smokers. For UACR, rs1801239 (missense variant of CUBN , between smoking-strata heterogeneity P=0.09, I 2 =64.8%) T allele showed less protective effect among current smokers than non-smokers in whites only. These loci have been previously identified in genome wide association studies. Our findings, if replicated, suggest possible important interactions of smoking exposure on the genetic effects of known loci associated with kidney traits. Funding(This research has received full or partial funding support from the American Heart Association, National Center)

scholarly journals Controlling for background genetic effects using polygenic scores improves the power of genome-wide association studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Declan Bennett ◽  
Donal O’Shea ◽  
John Ferguson ◽  
Derek Morris ◽  
Cathal Seoighe
Keyword(s):  
Complex Traits ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genotype Data ◽  
Phenotype Prediction ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Polygenic Scores

AbstractOngoing increases in the size of human genotype and phenotype collections offer the promise of improved understanding of the genetics of complex diseases. In addition to the biological insights that can be gained from the nature of the variants that contribute to the genetic component of complex trait variability, these data bring forward the prospect of predicting complex traits and the risk of complex genetic diseases from genotype data. Here we show that advances in phenotype prediction can be applied to improve the power of genome-wide association studies. We demonstrate a simple and efficient method to model genetic background effects using polygenic scores derived from SNPs that are not on the same chromosome as the target SNP. Using simulated and real data we found that this can result in a substantial increase in the number of variants passing genome-wide significance thresholds. This increase in power to detect trait-associated variants also translates into an increase in the accuracy with which the resulting polygenic score predicts the phenotype from genotype data. Our results suggest that advances in methods for phenotype prediction can be exploited to improve the control of background genetic effects, leading to more accurate GWAS results and further improvements in phenotype prediction.

scholarly journals Multi-ethnic genome-wide association study of decomposed cardioelectric phenotypes illustrates strategies to identify and characterize evidence of shared genetic effects for complex traits

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoine R. Baldassari ◽  
Colleen M. Sitlani ◽  
Heather M. Highland ◽  
Dan E. Arking ◽  
Steve Buyske ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex Traits ◽  
Genome Wide Association Study ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
P Value ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Loci ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Trait Loci

ABSTRACTBackgroundPublished genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are mainly European-centric, examine a narrow view of phenotypic variation, and infrequently interrogate genetic effects shared across traits. We therefore examined the extent to which a multi-ethnic, combined trait GWAS of phenotypes that map to well-defined biology can enable detection and characterization of complex trait loci.MethodsWith 1000 Genomes Phase 3 imputed data in 34,668 participants (15% African American; 3% Chinese American; 51% European American; 30% Hispanic/Latino), we performed covariate-adjusted univariate GWAS of six contiguous electrocardiogram (ECG) traits that decomposed an average heartbeat and two commonly reported composite ECG traits that summed contiguous traits. Combined phenotype testing was performed using the adaptive sum of powered scores test (aSPU).ResultsWe identified six novel and 87 known ECG trait loci (aSPU p-value < 5E-9). Lead SNP rs3211938 at novel locus CD36 was common in African Americans (minor allele frequency=10%) and near-monomorphic in European Americans, with effect sizes for the composite trait, QT interval, among the largest reported. Only one novel locus was detected for the composite traits, due to opposite directions of effects across contiguous traits that summed to near-zero. Combined phenotype testing did not detect novel loci unapparent by univariate testing. However, this approach aided locus characterization, particularly when loci harbored multiple independent signals that differed by trait.ConclusionsDespite including one-third as few participants as the largest published GWAS of ECG traits, our study identifies multiple novel ECG genetic loci, emphasizing the importance of ancestral diversity and phenotype measurement in this era of ever-growing GWAS.AUTHOR SUMMARYWe leveraged a multiethnic cohort with precise measures of cardioelectric function to identify novel genetic loci affecting this complex, multifaceted phenotype. The success of our approach stresses the importance of phenotypic precision and participant diversity for future locus discovery and characterization efforts, and cautions against compromises made in genome-wide association studies to pursue ever-growing sample sizes.

scholarly journals Adjustment for index event bias in genome-wide association studies of subsequent events

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Dudbridge ◽  
Richard J. Allen ◽  
Nuala A. Sheehan ◽  
A. Floriaan Schmidt ◽  
James C. Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Association Studies ◽  
Susceptibility Gene ◽  
Disease Status ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Associations ◽  
Index Event ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Common Causes

AbstractFollowing numerous genome-wide association studies of disease susceptibility, there is increasing interest in genetic associations with prognosis, survival or other subsequent events. Such associations are vulnerable to index event bias, by which selection of subjects according to disease status creates biased associations if common causes of incidence and prognosis are not accounted for. We propose an adjustment for index event bias using the residuals from the regression of genetic effects on prognosis on genetic effects on incidence. Our approach eliminates this bias when direct genetic effects on incidence and prognosis are independent, and otherwise reduces bias in realistic situations. In a study of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, we reverse a paradoxical association of the strong susceptibility gene MUCSB with increased survival, suggesting instead a significant association with decreased survival. In re-analysis of a study of Crohn’s disease prognosis, four regions remain associated at genome-wide significance but with increased standard errors.

scholarly journals Genome-wide association studies of 27 accelerometry-derived physical activity measurements identifies novel loci and genetic mechanisms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guanghao Qi ◽  
Diptavo Dutta ◽  
Andrew Leroux ◽  
Debashree Ray ◽  
John Muschelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Transition Probability ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Activity Measurements ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractPhysical activity (PA) is an important risk factor for a wide range of diseases. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS), based on self-reported data or a small number of phenotypes derived from accelerometry, have identified a limited number of genetic loci associated with habitual PA and provided evidence for involvement of central nervous system in mediating genetic effects. In this study, we derived 27 PA phenotypes from wrist accelerometry data obtained from 93,745 UK Biobank study participants. Single-variant association analysis based on mixed-effects models and transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) together identified 6 novel loci that were not detected by previous studies. For both novel and previously known loci, we discovered associations with novel phenotypes including active-to-sedentary transition probability, light-intensity PA, activity during different times of the day and proxy phenotypes to sleep and circadian patterns. Follow-up studies indicated the role of the blood and immune system in modulating the genetic effects and a secondary role of the digestive and endocrine systems.

scholarly journals Controlling for Background Genetic Effects Using Polygenic Scores Improves the Power of Genome-wide Association Studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Declan Bennett ◽  
Dónal O'Shea ◽  
John Ferguson ◽  
Derek Morris ◽  
Cathal Seoighe
Keyword(s):  
Complex Traits ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genotype Data ◽  
Phenotype Prediction ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Polygenic Scores

Abstract Ongoing increases in the size of human genotype and phenotype collections offer the promise of improved understanding of the genetics of complex diseases. In addition to the biological insights that can be gained from the nature of the variants that contribute to the genetic component of complex trait variability, these data bring forward the prospect of predicting complex traits and the risk of complex genetic diseases from genotype data. Here we show that advances in phenotype prediction can be applied to improve the power of genome-wide association studies. We demonstrate a simple and efficient method to model genetic background effects using polygenic scores derived from SNPs that are not on the same chromosome as the target SNP. Using simulated and real data we found that this can result in a substantial increase in the number of variants passing genome-wide significance thresholds. This increase in power to detect trait-associated variants also translates into an increase in the accuracy with which the resulting polygenic score predicts the phenotype from genotype data. Our results suggest that advances in methods for phenotype prediction can be exploited to improve the control of background genetic effects, leading to more accurate GWAS results and further improvements in phenotype prediction.

scholarly journals Multi-Ethnic Genome-Wide Association Study of Decomposed Cardioelectric Phenotypes Illustrates Strategies to Identify and Characterize Evidence of Shared Genetic Effects for Complex Traits

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoine R. Baldassari ◽  
Colleen M. Sitlani ◽  
Heather M. Highland ◽  
Dan E. Arking ◽  
Steve Buyske ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qt Interval ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Genome Wide Association ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Shared Genetic

Background: We examined how expanding electrocardiographic trait genome-wide association studies to include ancestrally diverse populations, prioritize more precise phenotypic measures, and evaluate evidence for shared genetic effects enabled the detection and characterization of loci. Methods: We decomposed 10 seconds, 12-lead electrocardiograms from 34 668 multi-ethnic participants (15% Black; 30% Hispanic/Latino) into 6 contiguous, physiologically distinct (P wave, PR segment, QRS interval, ST segment, T wave, and TP segment) and 2 composite, conventional (PR interval and QT interval) interval scale traits and conducted multivariable-adjusted, trait-specific univariate genome-wide association studies using 1000-G imputed single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Evidence of shared genetic effects was evaluated by aggregating meta-analyzed univariate results across the 6 continuous electrocardiographic traits using the combined phenotype adaptive sum of powered scores test. Results: We identified 6 novels ( CD36, PITX2, EMB, ZNF592, YPEL2 , and BC043580 ) and 87 known loci (adaptive sum of powered score test P <5×10 −9 ). Lead single-nucleotide polymorphism rs3211938 at CD36 was common in Blacks (minor allele frequency=10%), near monomorphic in European Americans, and had effects on the QT interval and TP segment that ranked among the largest reported to date for common variants. The other 5 novel loci were observed when evaluating the contiguous but not the composite electrocardiographic traits. Combined phenotype testing did not identify novel electrocardiographic loci unapparent using traditional univariate approaches, although this approach did assist with the characterization of known loci. Conclusions: Despite including one-third as many participants as published electrocardiographic trait genome-wide association studies, our study identified 6 novel loci, emphasizing the importance of ancestral diversity and phenotype resolution in this era of ever-growing genome-wide association studies.

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