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Ghasemi S, Becker T, Grabe HJ, Teumer A. Discovery of novel eGFR-associated multiple independent signals using a quasi-adaptive method. Front Genet 2022; 13:997302. [PMID: 36386835 PMCID: PMC9660290 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.997302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) leading to chronic kidney disease is a significant public health problem. Kidney function is a heritable trait, and recent application of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) successfully identified multiple eGFR-associated genetic loci. To increase statistical power for detecting independent associations in GWAS loci, we improved our recently developed quasi-adaptive method estimating SNP-specific alpha levels for the conditional analysis, and applied it to the GWAS meta-analysis results of eGFR among 783,978 European-ancestry individuals. Among known eGFR loci, we revealed 19 new independent association signals that were subsequently replicated in the United Kingdom Biobank (n = 408,608). These associations have remained undetected by conditional analysis using the established conservative genome-wide significance level of 5 × 10-8. Functional characterization of known index SNPs and novel independent signals using colocalization of conditional eGFR association results and gene expression in cis across 51 human tissues identified two potentially causal genes across kidney tissues: TSPAN33 and TFDP2, and three candidate genes across other tissues: SLC22A2, LRP2, and CDKN1C. These colocalizations were not identified in the original GWAS. By applying our improved quasi-adaptive method, we successfully identified additional genetic variants associated with eGFR. Considering these signals in colocalization analyses can increase the precision of revealing potentially functional genes of GWAS loci.
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Blokland GAM, Grove J, Chen CY, Cotsapas C, Tobet S, Handa R, St Clair D, Lencz T, Mowry BJ, Periyasamy S, Cairns MJ, Tooney PA, Wu JQ, Kelly B, Kirov G, Sullivan PF, Corvin A, Riley BP, Esko T, Milani L, Jönsson EG, Palotie A, Ehrenreich H, Begemann M, Steixner-Kumar A, Sham PC, Iwata N, Weinberger DR, Gejman PV, Sanders AR, Buxbaum JD, Rujescu D, Giegling I, Konte B, Hartmann AM, Bramon E, Murray RM, Pato MT, Lee J, Melle I, Molden E, Ophoff RA, McQuillin A, Bass NJ, Adolfsson R, Malhotra AK, Martin NG, Fullerton JM, Mitchell PB, Schofield PR, Forstner AJ, Degenhardt F, Schaupp S, Comes AL, Kogevinas M, Guzman-Parra J, Reif A, Streit F, Sirignano L, Cichon S, Grigoroiu-Serbanescu M, Hauser J, Lissowska J, Mayoral F, Müller-Myhsok B, Świątkowska B, Schulze TG, Nöthen MM, Rietschel M, Kelsoe J, Leboyer M, Jamain S, Etain B, Bellivier F, Vincent JB, Alda M, O'Donovan C, Cervantes P, Biernacka JM, Frye M, McElroy SL, Scott LJ, Stahl EA, Landén M, Hamshere ML, Smeland OB, Djurovic S, Vaaler AE, Andreassen OA, Baune BT, Air T, Preisig M, Uher R, Levinson DF, Weissman MM, Potash JB, Shi J, Knowles JA, Perlis RH, Lucae S, Boomsma DI, Penninx BWJH, Hottenga JJ, de Geus EJC, Willemsen G, Milaneschi Y, Tiemeier H, Grabe HJ, Teumer A, Van der Auwera S, Völker U, Hamilton SP, Magnusson PKE, Viktorin A, Mehta D, Mullins N, Adams MJ, Breen G, McIntosh AM, Lewis CM, Hougaard DM, Nordentoft M, Mors O, Mortensen PB, Werge T, Als TD, Børglum AD, Petryshen TL, Smoller JW, Goldstein JM. Sex-Dependent Shared and Nonshared Genetic Architecture Across Mood and Psychotic Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:102-117. [PMID: 34099189 PMCID: PMC8458480 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences in incidence and/or presentation of schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BIP) are pervasive. Previous evidence for shared genetic risk and sex differences in brain abnormalities across disorders suggest possible shared sex-dependent genetic risk. METHODS We conducted the largest to date genome-wide genotype-by-sex (G×S) interaction of risk for these disorders using 85,735 cases (33,403 SCZ, 19,924 BIP, and 32,408 MDD) and 109,946 controls from the PGC (Psychiatric Genomics Consortium) and iPSYCH. RESULTS Across disorders, genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphism-by-sex interaction was detected for a locus encompassing NKAIN2 (rs117780815, p = 3.2 × 10-8), which interacts with sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase (adenosine triphosphatase) enzymes, implicating neuronal excitability. Three additional loci showed evidence (p < 1 × 10-6) for cross-disorder G×S interaction (rs7302529, p = 1.6 × 10-7; rs73033497, p = 8.8 × 10-7; rs7914279, p = 6.4 × 10-7), implicating various functions. Gene-based analyses identified G×S interaction across disorders (p = 8.97 × 10-7) with transcriptional inhibitor SLTM. Most significant in SCZ was a MOCOS gene locus (rs11665282, p = 1.5 × 10-7), implicating vascular endothelial cells. Secondary analysis of the PGC-SCZ dataset detected an interaction (rs13265509, p = 1.1 × 10-7) in a locus containing IDO2, a kynurenine pathway enzyme with immunoregulatory functions implicated in SCZ, BIP, and MDD. Pathway enrichment analysis detected significant G×S interaction of genes regulating vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling in MDD (false discovery rate-corrected p < .05). CONCLUSIONS In the largest genome-wide G×S analysis of mood and psychotic disorders to date, there was substantial genetic overlap between the sexes. However, significant sex-dependent effects were enriched for genes related to neuronal development and immune and vascular functions across and within SCZ, BIP, and MDD at the variant, gene, and pathway levels.
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Wittfeld K, Raman MR, Conner SC, Aslam A, Teumer A, Nauck M, Hosten N, Habes M, DeCarli C, Vasan RS, Beiser AS, Himali JJ, Seshadri S, Grabe HJ, Satizabal CL. Insulin-Like Growth Factor, Inflammation, and MRI Markers of Alzheimer's Disease in Predominantly Middle-Aged Adults. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 88:311-322. [PMID: 35599493 PMCID: PMC9472289 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis, and further evidence suggests inflammation can be a moderator of this association. However, most research to date has been conducted on older adults. OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of serum IGF-1 and IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) concentrations with MRI markers of Alzheimer's disease in predominantly middle-aged adults, and further assess moderation by chronic inflammation. METHODS We included participants from the Framingham Heart Study (n = 1,852, mean age 46±8, 46% men) and the Study of Health in Pomerania (n = 674, mean age 50±13, 42% men) with available serum IGF-1, IFGBP-3, as well as brain MRI. IGF-1 and IFGBP-3 were related to MRI outcomes (i.e., total brain, cortical gray matter, white matter, white matter hyperintensities (WMH), and hippocampal volumes) using multivariable regression models adjusting for potential confounders. Subgroup analyses by C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were also performed. Cohort-specific summary statistics were meta-analyzed using random-effects models and corrected for multiple comparisons. RESULTS Meta-analysis results revealed that higher IGF-1 concentrations were associated with lower WMH (estimate [β] [95% CI], -0.05 [-0.09, -0.02], p = 0.006) and larger hippocampal volumes (0.07 [0.02, 0.12], p = 0.01), independent of vascular risk factors. These associations occurred predominantly in individuals with CRP concentrations < 75th percentile. We did not observe associations between IGFBP-3 and MRI outcomes. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that IGF-1-related signaling may be implicated in brain health as early as midlife.
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Hosten N, Bülow R, Völzke H, Domin M, Schmidt CO, Teumer A, Ittermann T, Nauck M, Felix S, Dörr M, Markus MRP, Völker U, Daboul A, Schwahn C, Holtfreter B, Mundt T, Krey KF, Kindler S, Mksoud M, Samietz S, Biffar R, Hoffmann W, Kocher T, Chenot JF, Stahl A, Tost F, Friedrich N, Zylla S, Hannemann A, Lotze M, Kühn JP, Hegenscheid K, Rosenberg C, Wassilew G, Frenzel S, Wittfeld K, Grabe HJ, Kromrey ML. SHIP-MR and Radiology: 12 Years of Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Single Center. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 10:33. [PMID: 35052197 PMCID: PMC8775435 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10010033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP), a population-based study from a rural state in northeastern Germany with a relatively poor life expectancy, supplemented its comprehensive examination program in 2008 with whole-body MR imaging at 1.5 T (SHIP-MR). We reviewed more than 100 publications that used the SHIP-MR data and analyzed which sequences already produced fruitful scientific outputs and which manuscripts have been referenced frequently. Upon reviewing the publications about imaging sequences, those that used T1-weighted structured imaging of the brain and a gradient-echo sequence for R2* mapping obtained the highest scientific output; regarding specific body parts examined, most scientific publications focused on MR sequences involving the brain and the (upper) abdomen. We conclude that population-based MR imaging in cohort studies should define more precise goals when allocating imaging time. In addition, quality control measures might include recording the number and impact of published work, preferably on a bi-annual basis and starting 2 years after initiation of the study. Structured teaching courses may enhance the desired output in areas that appear underrepresented.
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Tin A, Schlosser P, Matias-Garcia PR, Thio CHL, Joehanes R, Liu H, Yu Z, Weihs A, Hoppmann A, Grundner-Culemann F, Min JL, Kuhns VLH, Adeyemo AA, Agyemang C, Ärnlöv J, Aziz NA, Baccarelli A, Bochud M, Brenner H, Bressler J, Breteler MMB, Carmeli C, Chaker L, Coresh J, Corre T, Correa A, Cox SR, Delgado GE, Eckardt KU, Ekici AB, Endlich K, Floyd JS, Fraszczyk E, Gao X, Gào X, Gelber AC, Ghanbari M, Ghasemi S, Gieger C, Greenland P, Grove ML, Harris SE, Hemani G, Henneman P, Herder C, Horvath S, Hou L, Hurme MA, Hwang SJ, Kardia SLR, Kasela S, Kleber ME, Koenig W, Kooner JS, Kronenberg F, Kühnel B, Ladd-Acosta C, Lehtimäki T, Lind L, Liu D, Lloyd-Jones DM, Lorkowski S, Lu AT, Marioni RE, März W, McCartney DL, Meeks KAC, Milani L, Mishra PP, Nauck M, Nowak C, Peters A, Prokisch H, Psaty BM, Raitakari OT, Ratliff SM, Reiner AP, Schöttker B, Schwartz J, Sedaghat S, Smith JA, Sotoodehnia N, Stocker HR, Stringhini S, Sundström J, Swenson BR, van Meurs JBJ, van Vliet-Ostaptchouk JV, Venema A, Völker U, Winkelmann J, Wolffenbuttel BHR, Zhao W, Zheng Y, Loh M, Snieder H, Waldenberger M, Levy D, Akilesh S, Woodward OM, Susztak K, Teumer A, Köttgen A. Epigenome-wide association study of serum urate reveals insights into urate co-regulation and the SLC2A9 locus. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7173. [PMID: 34887389 PMCID: PMC8660809 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27198-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated serum urate levels, a complex trait and major risk factor for incident gout, are correlated with cardiometabolic traits via incompletely understood mechanisms. DNA methylation in whole blood captures genetic and environmental influences and is assessed in transethnic meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of serum urate (discovery, n = 12,474, replication, n = 5522). The 100 replicated, epigenome-wide significant (p < 1.1E-7) CpGs explain 11.6% of the serum urate variance. At SLC2A9, the serum urate locus with the largest effect in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), five CpGs are associated with SLC2A9 gene expression. Four CpGs at SLC2A9 have significant causal effects on serum urate levels and/or gout, and two of these partly mediate the effects of urate-associated GWAS variants. In other genes, including SLC7A11 and PHGDH, 17 urate-associated CpGs are associated with conditions defining metabolic syndrome, suggesting that these CpGs may represent a blood DNA methylation signature of cardiometabolic risk factors. This study demonstrates that EWAS can provide new insights into GWAS loci and the correlation of serum urate with other complex traits.
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Schlosser P, Tin A, Matias-Garcia PR, Thio CHL, Joehanes R, Liu H, Weihs A, Yu Z, Hoppmann A, Grundner-Culemann F, Min JL, Adeyemo AA, Agyemang C, Ärnlöv J, Aziz NA, Baccarelli A, Bochud M, Brenner H, Breteler MMB, Carmeli C, Chaker L, Chambers JC, Cole SA, Coresh J, Corre T, Correa A, Cox SR, de Klein N, Delgado GE, Domingo-Relloso A, Eckardt KU, Ekici AB, Endlich K, Evans KL, Floyd JS, Fornage M, Franke L, Fraszczyk E, Gao X, Gào X, Ghanbari M, Ghasemi S, Gieger C, Greenland P, Grove ML, Harris SE, Hemani G, Henneman P, Herder C, Horvath S, Hou L, Hurme MA, Hwang SJ, Jarvelin MR, Kardia SLR, Kasela S, Kleber ME, Koenig W, Kooner JS, Kramer H, Kronenberg F, Kühnel B, Lehtimäki T, Lind L, Liu D, Liu Y, Lloyd-Jones DM, Lohman K, Lorkowski S, Lu AT, Marioni RE, März W, McCartney DL, Meeks KAC, Milani L, Mishra PP, Nauck M, Navas-Acien A, Nowak C, Peters A, Prokisch H, Psaty BM, Raitakari OT, Ratliff SM, Reiner AP, Rosas SE, Schöttker B, Schwartz J, Sedaghat S, Smith JA, Sotoodehnia N, Stocker HR, Stringhini S, Sundström J, Swenson BR, Tellez-Plaza M, van Meurs JBJ, van Vliet-Ostaptchouk JV, Venema A, Verweij N, Walker RM, Wielscher M, Winkelmann J, Wolffenbuttel BHR, Zhao W, Zheng Y, Loh M, Snieder H, Levy D, Waldenberger M, Susztak K, Köttgen A, Teumer A. Meta-analyses identify DNA methylation associated with kidney function and damage. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7174. [PMID: 34887417 PMCID: PMC8660832 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27234-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease is a major public health burden. Elevated urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio is a measure of kidney damage, and used to diagnose and stage chronic kidney disease. To extend the knowledge on regulatory mechanisms related to kidney function and disease, we conducted a blood-based epigenome-wide association study for estimated glomerular filtration rate (n = 33,605) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (n = 15,068) and detected 69 and seven CpG sites where DNA methylation was associated with the respective trait. The majority of these findings showed directionally consistent associations with the respective clinical outcomes chronic kidney disease and moderately increased albuminuria. Associations of DNA methylation with kidney function, such as CpGs at JAZF1, PELI1 and CHD2 were validated in kidney tissue. Methylation at PHRF1, LDB2, CSRNP1 and IRF5 indicated causal effects on kidney function. Enrichment analyses revealed pathways related to hemostasis and blood cell migration for estimated glomerular filtration rate, and immune cell activation and response for urinary albumin-to-creatinineratio-associated CpGs.
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Marouli E, Yusuf L, Kjaergaard AD, Omar R, Kuś A, Babajide O, Sterenborg R, Åsvold BO, Burgess S, Ellervik C, Teumer A, Medici M, Deloukas P. Thyroid Function and the Risk of Alzheimer's Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Thyroid 2021; 31:1794-1799. [PMID: 34847795 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2021.0321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Background: Observational studies suggest an association between thyroid function and risk of dementia, but the causality and direction of these effects are unclear. We aim to test whether genetically predicted variation within the normal range of thyroid function and hypothyroidism is causally associated with the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses using genetic instruments are associated with normal range thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) levels. Secondary analyses included investigation of the role of hypothyroidism. Bidirectional MR was conducted to address the presence of a potential reverse causal association. Summary statistics were obtained from the ThyroidOmics Consortium involving up to 119,715 individuals and the latest AD genome-wide association study data including up to 71,880 cases. Results: MR analyses show an association between increased genetically predicted normal range TSH levels and a decreased risk of AD (p = 0.02). One standard deviation increased normal range TSH levels were associated with a decreased risk of AD in individuals younger than 50 years old (p = 0.04). There was no evidence for a causal association between fT4 (p = 0.54) and AD. We did not identify any effect of the genetically predicted full range TSH levels (p = 0.06) or hypothyroidism (p = 0.23) with AD. Bidirectional MR did not show any effect of genetic predisposition to AD on TSH or fT4 levels. Conclusions: This MR study shows that increased levels of genetically predicted TSH within the normal range and in younger individuals are associated with a decreased risk of AD. We observed a marginal association between genetically predicted full range TSH and AD risk. There was no evidence for an effect between genetically predicted fT4 or hypothyroidism on AD. Future studies should clarify the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.
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Tan VY, Bull CJ, Biernacka KM, Teumer A, Richardson TG, Sanderson E, Corbin LJ, Dudding T, Qi Q, Kaplan RC, Rotter JI, Friedrich N, Völker U, Mayerle J, Perks CM, Holly JMP, Timpson NJ. Investigation of the Interplay between Circulating Lipids and IGF-I and Relevance to Breast Cancer Risk: An Observational and Mendelian Randomization Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2021; 30:2207-2216. [PMID: 34583967 PMCID: PMC7612074 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-21-0315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulating lipids and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) have been reliably associated with breast cancer. Observational studies suggest an interplay between lipids and IGF-I, however, whether these relationships are causal and if pathways from these phenotypes to breast cancer overlap is unclear. METHODS Mendelian randomization (MR) was conducted to estimate the relationship between lipids or IGF-I and breast cancer risk using genetic summary statistics for lipids (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C; triglycerides, TGs), IGF-I and breast cancer from GLGC/UKBB (N = 239,119), CHARGE/UKBB (N = 252,547), and Breast Cancer Association Consortium (N = 247,173), respectively. Cross-sectional observational and MR analyses were conducted to assess the bi-directional relationship between lipids and IGF-I in SHIP (N = 3,812) and UKBB (N = 422,389), and using genetic summary statistics from GLGC (N = 188,577) and CHARGE/UKBB (N = 469,872). RESULTS In multivariable MR (MVMR) analyses, the OR for breast cancer per 1-SD increase in HDL-C and TG was 1.08 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-1.13] and 0.94 (95% CI, 0.89-0.98), respectively. The OR for breast cancer per 1-SD increase in IGF-I was 1.09 (95% CI, 1.04-1.15). MR analyses suggested a bi-directional TG-IGF-I relationship (TG-IGF-I β per 1-SD: -0.13; 95% CI, -0.23 to -0.04; and IGF-I-TG β per 1-SD: -0.11; 95% CI, -0.18 to -0.05). There was little evidence for a causal relationship between HDL-C and LDL-C with IGF-I. In MVMR analyses, associations of TG or IGF-I with breast cancer were robust to adjustment for IGF-I or TG, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest a causal role of HDL-C, TG, and IGF-I in breast cancer. Observational and MR analyses support an interplay between IGF-I and TG; however, MVMR estimates suggest that TG and IGF-I may act independently to influence breast cancer. IMPACT Our findings should be considered in the development of prevention strategies for breast cancer, where interventions are known to modify circulating lipids and IGF-I.
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Portilla-Fernández E, Hwang SJ, Wilson R, Maddock J, Hill WD, Teumer A, Mishra PP, Brody JA, Joehanes R, Ligthart S, Ghanbari M, Kavousi M, Roks AJM, Danser AHJ, Levy D, Peters A, Ghasemi S, Schminke U, Dörr M, Grabe HJ, Lehtimäki T, Kähönen M, Hurme MA, Bartz TM, Sotoodehnia N, Bis JC, Thiery J, Koenig W, Ong KK, Bell JT, Meisinger C, Wardlaw JM, Starr JM, Seissler J, Then C, Rathmann W, Ikram MA, Psaty BM, Raitakari OT, Völzke H, Deary IJ, Wong A, Waldenberger M, O'Donnell CJ, Dehghan A. Meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies of carotid intima-media thickness. Eur J Epidemiol 2021; 36:1143-1155. [PMID: 34091768 PMCID: PMC8629903 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-021-00759-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Common carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is an index of subclinical atherosclerosis that is associated with ischemic stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD). We undertook a cross-sectional epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of measures of cIMT in 6400 individuals. Mendelian randomization analysis was applied to investigate the potential causal role of DNA methylation in the link between atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk factors and cIMT or clinical cardiovascular disease. The CpG site cg05575921 was associated with cIMT (beta = -0.0264, p value = 3.5 × 10-8) in the discovery panel and was replicated in replication panel (beta = -0.07, p value = 0.005). This CpG is located at chr5:81649347 in the intron 3 of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor gene (AHRR). Our results indicate that DNA methylation at cg05575921 might be in the pathway between smoking, cIMT and stroke. Moreover, in a region-based analysis, 34 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified of which a DMR upstream of ALOX12 showed the strongest association with cIMT (p value = 1.4 × 10-13). In conclusion, our study suggests that DNA methylation may play a role in the link between cardiovascular risk factors, cIMT and clinical cardiovascular disease.
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Maas SCE, Vidaki A, Teumer A, Costeira R, Wilson R, van Dongen J, Beekman M, Völker U, Grabe HJ, Kunze S, Ladwig KH, van Meurs JBJ, Uitterlinden AG, Voortman T, Boomsma DI, Slagboom PE, van Heemst D, van der Kallen CJH, van den Berg LH, Waldenberger M, Völzke H, Peters A, Bell JT, Ikram MA, Ghanbari M, Kayser M. Validating biomarkers and models for epigenetic inference of alcohol consumption from blood. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:198. [PMID: 34702360 PMCID: PMC8549335 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01186-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Information on long-term alcohol consumption is relevant for medical and public health research, disease therapy, and other areas. Recently, DNA methylation-based inference of alcohol consumption from blood was reported with high accuracy, but these results were based on employing the same dataset for model training and testing, which can lead to accuracy overestimation. Moreover, only subsets of alcohol consumption categories were used, which makes it impossible to extrapolate such models to the general population. By using data from eight population-based European cohorts (N = 4677), we internally and externally validated the previously reported biomarkers and models for epigenetic inference of alcohol consumption from blood and developed new models comprising all data from all categories. Results By employing data from six European cohorts (N = 2883), we empirically tested the reproducibility of the previously suggested biomarkers and prediction models via ten-fold internal cross-validation. In contrast to previous findings, all seven models based on 144-CpGs yielded lower mean AUCs compared to the models with less CpGs. For instance, the 144-CpG heavy versus non-drinkers model gave an AUC of 0.78 ± 0.06, while the 5 and 23 CpG models achieved 0.83 ± 0.05, respectively. The transportability of the models was empirically tested via external validation in three independent European cohorts (N = 1794), revealing high AUC variance between datasets within models. For instance, the 144-CpG heavy versus non-drinkers model yielded AUCs ranging from 0.60 to 0.84 between datasets. The newly developed models that considered data from all categories showed low AUCs but gave low AUC variation in the external validation. For instance, the 144-CpG heavy and at-risk versus light and non-drinkers model achieved AUCs of 0.67 ± 0.02 in the internal cross-validation and 0.61–0.66 in the external validation datasets. Conclusions The outcomes of our internal and external validation demonstrate that the previously reported prediction models suffer from both overfitting and accuracy overestimation. Our results show that the previously proposed biomarkers are not yet sufficient for accurate and robust inference of alcohol consumption from blood. Overall, our findings imply that DNA methylation prediction biomarkers and models need to be improved considerably before epigenetic inference of alcohol consumption from blood can be considered for practical applications. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13148-021-01186-3.
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Bahls M, Leitzmann MF, Karch A, Teumer A, Dörr M, Felix SB, Meisinger C, Baumeister SE, Baurecht H. Physical activity, sedentary behavior and risk of coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study. Clin Res Cardiol 2021; 110:1564-1573. [PMID: 33774696 PMCID: PMC8484185 DOI: 10.1007/s00392-021-01846-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Observational evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) is inversely and sedentarism positively related with cardiovascular disease risk. We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to examine whether genetically predicted PA and sedentary behavior are related to coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke. METHODS AND RESULTS We used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with self-reported moderate to vigorous PA (n = 17), accelerometer based PA (n = 7) and accelerometer fraction of accelerations > 425 milli-gravities (n = 7) as well as sedentary behavior (n = 6) in the UK Biobank as instrumental variables in a two sample MR approach to assess whether these exposures are related to coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction in the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D genome-wide association study (GWAS) or ischemic stroke in the MEGASTROKE GWAS. The study population included 42,096 cases of coronary artery disease (99,121 controls), 27,509 cases of myocardial infarction (99,121 controls), and 34,217 cases of ischemic stroke (404,630 controls). We found no associations between genetically predicted self-reported moderate to vigorous PA, accelerometer-based PA or accelerometer fraction of accelerations > 425 milli-gravities as well as sedentary behavior with coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke. CONCLUSIONS These results do not support a causal relationship between PA and sedentary behavior with risk of coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke. Hence, previous observational studies may have been biased.
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Porcu E, Sadler MC, Lepik K, Auwerx C, Wood AR, Weihs A, Sleiman MSB, Ribeiro DM, Bandinelli S, Tanaka T, Nauck M, Völker U, Delaneau O, Metspalu A, Teumer A, Frayling T, Santoni FA, Reymond A, Kutalik Z. Differentially expressed genes reflect disease-induced rather than disease-causing changes in the transcriptome. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5647. [PMID: 34561431 PMCID: PMC8463674 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25805-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparing transcript levels between healthy and diseased individuals allows the identification of differentially expressed genes, which may be causes, consequences or mere correlates of the disease under scrutiny. We propose a method to decompose the observational correlation between gene expression and phenotypes driven by confounders, forward- and reverse causal effects. The bi-directional causal effects between gene expression and complex traits are obtained by Mendelian Randomization integrating summary-level data from GWAS and whole-blood eQTLs. Applying this approach to complex traits reveals that forward effects have negligible contribution. For example, BMI- and triglycerides-gene expression correlation coefficients robustly correlate with trait-to-expression causal effects (rBMI = 0.11, PBMI = 2.0 × 10-51 and rTG = 0.13, PTG = 1.1 × 10-68), but not detectably with expression-to-trait effects. Our results demonstrate that studies comparing the transcriptome of diseased and healthy subjects are more prone to reveal disease-induced gene expression changes rather than disease causing ones.
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Lumbers RT, Shah S, Lin H, Czuba T, Henry A, Swerdlow DI, Mälarstig A, Andersson C, Verweij N, Holmes MV, Ärnlöv J, Svensson P, Hemingway H, Sallah N, Almgren P, Aragam KG, Asselin G, Backman JD, Biggs ML, Bloom HL, Boersma E, Brandimarto J, Brown MR, Brunner-La Rocca HP, Carey DJ, Chaffin MD, Chasman DI, Chazara O, Chen X, Chen X, Chung JH, Chutkow W, Cleland JGF, Cook JP, de Denus S, Dehghan A, Delgado GE, Denaxas S, Doney AS, Dörr M, Dudley SC, Engström G, Esko T, Fatemifar G, Felix SB, Finan C, Ford I, Fougerousse F, Fouodjio R, Ghanbari M, Ghasemi S, Giedraitis V, Giulianini F, Gottdiener JS, Gross S, Guðbjartsson DF, Gui H, Gutmann R, Haggerty CM, van der Harst P, Hedman ÅK, Helgadottir A, Hillege H, Hyde CL, Jacob J, Jukema JW, Kamanu F, Kardys I, Kavousi M, Khaw KT, Kleber ME, Køber L, Koekemoer A, Kraus B, Kuchenbaecker K, Langenberg C, Lind L, Lindgren CM, London B, Lotta LA, Lovering RC, Luan J, Magnusson P, Mahajan A, Mann D, Margulies KB, Marston NA, März W, McMurray JJV, Melander O, Melloni G, Mordi IR, Morley MP, Morris AD, Morris AP, Morrison AC, Nagle MW, Nelson CP, Newton-Cheh C, Niessner A, Niiranen T, Nowak C, O'Donoghue ML, Owens AT, Palmer CNA, Paré G, Perola M, Perreault LPL, Portilla-Fernandez E, Psaty BM, Rice KM, Ridker PM, Romaine SPR, Roselli C, Rotter JI, Ruff CT, Sabatine MS, Salo P, Salomaa V, van Setten J, Shalaby AA, Smelser DT, Smith NL, Stefansson K, Stender S, Stott DJ, Sveinbjörnsson G, Tammesoo ML, Tardif JC, Taylor KD, Teder-Laving M, Teumer A, Thorgeirsson G, Thorsteinsdottir U, Torp-Pedersen C, Trompet S, Tuckwell D, Tyl B, Uitterlinden AG, Vaura F, Veluchamy A, Visscher PM, Völker U, Voors AA, Wang X, Wareham NJ, Weeke PE, Weiss R, White HD, Wiggins KL, Xing H, Yang J, Yang Y, Yerges-Armstrong LM, Yu B, Zannad F, Zhao F, Wilk JB, Holm H, Sattar N, Lubitz SA, Lanfear DE, Shah S, Dunn ME, Wells QS, Asselbergs FW, Hingorani AD, Dubé MP, Samani NJ, Lang CC, Cappola TP, Ellinor PT, Vasan RS, Smith JG. The genomics of heart failure: design and rationale of the HERMES consortium. ESC Heart Fail 2021; 8:5531-5541. [PMID: 34480422 PMCID: PMC8712846 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.13517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims The HERMES (HEart failure Molecular Epidemiology for Therapeutic targetS) consortium aims to identify the genomic and molecular basis of heart failure. Methods and results The consortium currently includes 51 studies from 11 countries, including 68 157 heart failure cases and 949 888 controls, with data on heart failure events and prognosis. All studies collected biological samples and performed genome‐wide genotyping of common genetic variants. The enrolment of subjects into participating studies ranged from 1948 to the present day, and the median follow‐up following heart failure diagnosis ranged from 2 to 116 months. Forty‐nine of 51 individual studies enrolled participants of both sexes; in these studies, participants with heart failure were predominantly male (34–90%). The mean age at diagnosis or ascertainment across all studies ranged from 54 to 84 years. Based on the aggregate sample, we estimated 80% power to genetic variant associations with risk of heart failure with an odds ratio of ≥1.10 for common variants (allele frequency ≥ 0.05) and ≥1.20 for low‐frequency variants (allele frequency 0.01–0.05) at P < 5 × 10−8 under an additive genetic model. Conclusions HERMES is a global collaboration aiming to (i) identify the genetic determinants of heart failure; (ii) generate insights into the causal pathways leading to heart failure and enable genetic approaches to target prioritization; and (iii) develop genomic tools for disease stratification and risk prediction.
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Ellervik C, Mora S, Kuś A, Åsvold B, Marouli E, Deloukas P, Sterenborg RB, Teumer A, Burgess S, Sabater-Lleal M, Huffman J, Johnson AD, Trégouet DA, Smith NL, Medici M, DeVries PS, Chasman DI, Kjaergaard AD. Effects of Thyroid Function on Hemostasis, Coagulation, and Fibrinolysis: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Thyroid 2021; 31:1305-1315. [PMID: 34210154 PMCID: PMC8558080 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2021.0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Background: Untreated hypothyroidism is associated with acquired von Willebrand syndrome, and hyperthyroidism is associated with increased thrombosis risk. However, the causal effects of thyroid function on hemostasis, coagulation, and fibrinolysis are unknown. Methods: In a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study with genome-wide association variants, we assessed causality of genetically predicted hypothyroidism (N = 134,641), normal-range thyrotropin (TSH; N = 54,288) and free thyroxine (fT4) (N = 49,269), hyperthyroidism (N = 51,823), and thyroid peroxidase antibody positivity (N = 25,821) on coagulation (activated partial thromboplastin time, von Willebrand factor [VWF], factor VIII [FVIII], prothrombin time, factor VII, fibrinogen) and fibrinolysis (D-dimer, tissue plasminogen activator [TPA], plasminogen activator inhibitor-1) from the CHARGE Hemostasis Consortium (N = 2583-120,246). Inverse-variance-weighted random effects were the main MR analysis followed by sensitivity analyses. Two-sided p < 0.05 was nominally significant, and p < 0.0011[ = 0.05/(5 exposures × 9 outcomes)] was Bonferroni significant for the main MR analysis. Results: Genetically increased TSH was associated with decreased VWF [β(SE) = -0.020(0.006), p = 0.001] and with decreased fibrinogen [β(SE) = -0.008(0.002), p = 0.001]. Genetically increased fT4 was associated with increased VWF [β(SE) = 0.028(0.011), p = 0.012]. Genetically predicted hyperthyroidism was associated with increased VWF [β(SE) = 0.012(0.004), p = 0.006] and increased FVIII [β(SE) = 0.013(0.005), p = 0.007]. Genetically predicted hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism were associated with decreased TPA [β(SE) = -0.009(0.024), p = 0.024] and increased TPA [β(SE) = 0.022(0.008), p = 0.008], respectively. MR sensitivity analyses showed similar direction but lower precision. Other coagulation and fibrinolytic factors were inconclusive. Conclusions: In the largest genetic studies currently available, genetically increased TSH and fT4 may be associated with decreased and increased synthesis of VWF, respectively. Since Bonferroni correction may be too conservative given the correlation between the analyzed traits, we cannot reject nominal associations of thyroid traits with coagulation or fibrinolytic factors.
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Võsa U, Claringbould A, Westra HJ, Bonder MJ, Deelen P, Zeng B, Kirsten H, Saha A, Kreuzhuber R, Yazar S, Brugge H, Oelen R, de Vries DH, van der Wijst MGP, Kasela S, Pervjakova N, Alves I, Favé MJ, Agbessi M, Christiansen MW, Jansen R, Seppälä I, Tong L, Teumer A, Schramm K, Hemani G, Verlouw J, Yaghootkar H, Sönmez Flitman R, Brown A, Kukushkina V, Kalnapenkis A, Rüeger S, Porcu E, Kronberg J, Kettunen J, Lee B, Zhang F, Qi T, Hernandez JA, Arindrarto W, Beutner F, Dmitrieva J, Elansary M, Fairfax BP, Georges M, Heijmans BT, Hewitt AW, Kähönen M, Kim Y, Knight JC, Kovacs P, Krohn K, Li S, Loeffler M, Marigorta UM, Mei H, Momozawa Y, Müller-Nurasyid M, Nauck M, Nivard MG, Penninx BWJH, Pritchard JK, Raitakari OT, Rotzschke O, Slagboom EP, Stehouwer CDA, Stumvoll M, Sullivan P, 't Hoen PAC, Thiery J, Tönjes A, van Dongen J, van Iterson M, Veldink JH, Völker U, Warmerdam R, Wijmenga C, Swertz M, Andiappan A, Montgomery GW, Ripatti S, Perola M, Kutalik Z, Dermitzakis E, Bergmann S, Frayling T, van Meurs J, Prokisch H, Ahsan H, Pierce BL, Lehtimäki T, Boomsma DI, Psaty BM, Gharib SA, Awadalla P, Milani L, Ouwehand WH, Downes K, Stegle O, Battle A, Visscher PM, Yang J, Scholz M, Powell J, Gibson G, Esko T, Franke L. Large-scale cis- and trans-eQTL analyses identify thousands of genetic loci and polygenic scores that regulate blood gene expression. Nat Genet 2021; 53:1300-1310. [PMID: 34475573 PMCID: PMC8432599 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00913-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 508] [Impact Index Per Article: 169.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Trait-associated genetic variants affect complex phenotypes primarily via regulatory mechanisms on the transcriptome. To investigate the genetics of gene expression, we performed cis- and trans-expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analyses using blood-derived expression from 31,684 individuals through the eQTLGen Consortium. We detected cis-eQTL for 88% of genes, and these were replicable in numerous tissues. Distal trans-eQTL (detected for 37% of 10,317 trait-associated variants tested) showed lower replication rates, partially due to low replication power and confounding by cell type composition. However, replication analyses in single-cell RNA-seq data prioritized intracellular trans-eQTL. Trans-eQTL exerted their effects via several mechanisms, primarily through regulation by transcription factors. Expression of 13% of the genes correlated with polygenic scores for 1,263 phenotypes, pinpointing potential drivers for those traits. In summary, this work represents a large eQTL resource, and its results serve as a starting point for in-depth interpretation of complex phenotypes.
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Biton A, Traut N, Poline JB, Aribisala BS, Bastin ME, Bülow R, Cox SR, Deary IJ, Fukunaga M, Grabe HJ, Hagenaars S, Hashimoto R, Kikuchi M, Muñoz Maniega S, Nauck M, Royle NA, Teumer A, Valdés Hernández M, Völker U, Wardlaw JM, Wittfeld K, Yamamori H, Bourgeron T, Toro R. Polygenic Architecture of Human Neuroanatomical Diversity. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:2307-2320. [PMID: 32109272 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We analyzed the genomic architecture of neuroanatomical diversity using magnetic resonance imaging and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from >26 000 individuals from the UK Biobank project and 5 other projects that had previously participated in the ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) consortium. Our results confirm the polygenic architecture of neuroanatomical diversity, with SNPs capturing from 40% to 54% of regional brain volume variance. Chromosomal length correlated with the amount of phenotypic variance captured, r ~ 0.64 on average, suggesting that at a global scale causal variants are homogeneously distributed across the genome. At a local scale, SNPs within genes (~51%) captured ~1.5 times more genetic variance than the rest, and SNPs with low minor allele frequency (MAF) captured less variance than the rest: the 40% of SNPs with MAF <5% captured <one fourth of the genetic variance. We also observed extensive pleiotropy across regions, with an average genetic correlation of rG ~ 0.45. Genetic correlations were similar to phenotypic and environmental correlations; however, genetic correlations were often larger than phenotypic correlations for the left/right volumes of the same region. The heritability of differences in left/right volumes was generally not statistically significant, suggesting an important influence of environmental causes in the variability of brain asymmetry. Our code is available athttps://github.com/neuroanatomy/genomic-architecture.
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Kuś A, Kjaergaard AD, Marouli E, Fabiola Del Greco M, Sterenborg RB, Chaker L, Peeters RP, Bednarczuk T, Åsvold BO, Burgess S, Deloukas P, Teumer A, Ellervik C, Medici M. Thyroid Function and Mood Disorders: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Thyroid 2021; 31:1171-1181. [PMID: 33899528 PMCID: PMC7612998 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2020.0884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Background: Observational studies suggest that even minor variations in thyroid function are associated with the risk of mood disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). However, it is unknown whether these associations are causal or not. We used a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate causal effects of minor variations in thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) levels on MDD and BD risk. Materials and Methods: We performed two-sample MR analyses using data from the largest publicly available genome-wide association studies on normal-range TSH (n = 54,288) and fT4 (n = 49,269) levels, MDD (170,756 cases, 329,443 controls) and BD (20,352 cases, 31,358 controls). Secondary MR analyses investigated the effects of TSH and fT4 levels on specific MDD and BD subtypes. Reverse MR was also performed to assess the effects of MDD and BD on TSH and fT4 levels. Results: There were no associations between genetically predicted TSH and fT4 levels and MDD risk, nor MDD subtypes and minor depressive symptoms. A one standard deviation increase in fT4 levels was nominally associated with an 11% decrease in the overall BD risk (odds ratio [OR] = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.80-0.98, p = 0.022) and a 13% decrease in the BD type 1 risk (OR = 0.87, CI = 0.75-1.00, p = 0.047). In the reverse direction, genetic predisposition to MDD and BD was not associated with TSH nor fT4 levels. Conclusions: Variations in normal-range TSH and fT4 levels have no effects on the risk of MDD and its subtypes, and neither on minor depressive symptoms. This indicates that depressive symptoms should not be attributed to minor variations in thyroid function. Borderline associations with BD and BD type 1 risks suggest that further clinical studies should investigate the effect of thyroid hormone treatment in BD.
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Ruth KS, Day FR, Hussain J, Martínez-Marchal A, Aiken CE, Azad A, Thompson DJ, Knoblochova L, Abe H, Tarry-Adkins JL, Gonzalez JM, Fontanillas P, Claringbould A, Bakker OB, Sulem P, Walters RG, Terao C, Turon S, Horikoshi M, Lin K, Onland-Moret NC, Sankar A, Hertz EPT, Timshel PN, Shukla V, Borup R, Olsen KW, Aguilera P, Ferrer-Roda M, Huang Y, Stankovic S, Timmers PRHJ, Ahearn TU, Alizadeh BZ, Naderi E, Andrulis IL, Arnold AM, Aronson KJ, Augustinsson A, Bandinelli S, Barbieri CM, Beaumont RN, Becher H, Beckmann MW, Benonisdottir S, Bergmann S, Bochud M, Boerwinkle E, Bojesen SE, Bolla MK, Boomsma DI, Bowker N, Brody JA, Broer L, Buring JE, Campbell A, Campbell H, Castelao JE, Catamo E, Chanock SJ, Chenevix-Trench G, Ciullo M, Corre T, Couch FJ, Cox A, Crisponi L, Cross SS, Cucca F, Czene K, Smith GD, de Geus EJCN, de Mutsert R, De Vivo I, Demerath EW, Dennis J, Dunning AM, Dwek M, Eriksson M, Esko T, Fasching PA, Faul JD, Ferrucci L, Franceschini N, Frayling TM, Gago-Dominguez M, Mezzavilla M, García-Closas M, Gieger C, Giles GG, Grallert H, Gudbjartsson DF, Gudnason V, Guénel P, Haiman CA, Håkansson N, Hall P, Hayward C, He C, He W, Heiss G, Høffding MK, Hopper JL, Hottenga JJ, Hu F, Hunter D, Ikram MA, Jackson RD, Joaquim MDR, John EM, Joshi PK, Karasik D, Kardia SLR, Kartsonaki C, Karlsson R, Kitahara CM, Kolcic I, Kooperberg C, Kraft P, Kurian AW, Kutalik Z, La Bianca M, LaChance G, Langenberg C, Launer LJ, Laven JSE, Lawlor DA, Le Marchand L, Li J, Lindblom A, Lindstrom S, Lindstrom T, Linet M, Liu Y, Liu S, Luan J, Mägi R, Magnusson PKE, Mangino M, Mannermaa A, Marco B, Marten J, Martin NG, Mbarek H, McKnight B, Medland SE, Meisinger C, Meitinger T, Menni C, Metspalu A, Milani L, Milne RL, Montgomery GW, Mook-Kanamori DO, Mulas A, Mulligan AM, Murray A, Nalls MA, Newman A, Noordam R, Nutile T, Nyholt DR, Olshan AF, Olsson H, Painter JN, Patel AV, Pedersen NL, Perjakova N, Peters A, Peters U, Pharoah PDP, Polasek O, Porcu E, Psaty BM, Rahman I, Rennert G, Rennert HS, Ridker PM, Ring SM, Robino A, Rose LM, Rosendaal FR, Rossouw J, Rudan I, Rueedi R, Ruggiero D, Sala CF, Saloustros E, Sandler DP, Sanna S, Sawyer EJ, Sarnowski C, Schlessinger D, Schmidt MK, Schoemaker MJ, Schraut KE, Scott C, Shekari S, Shrikhande A, Smith AV, Smith BH, Smith JA, Sorice R, Southey MC, Spector TD, Spinelli JJ, Stampfer M, Stöckl D, van Meurs JBJ, Strauch K, Styrkarsdottir U, Swerdlow AJ, Tanaka T, Teras LR, Teumer A, Þorsteinsdottir U, Timpson NJ, Toniolo D, Traglia M, Troester MA, Truong T, Tyrrell J, Uitterlinden AG, Ulivi S, Vachon CM, Vitart V, Völker U, Vollenweider P, Völzke H, Wang Q, Wareham NJ, Weinberg CR, Weir DR, Wilcox AN, van Dijk KW, Willemsen G, Wilson JF, Wolffenbuttel BHR, Wolk A, Wood AR, Zhao W, Zygmunt M, Chen Z, Li L, Franke L, Burgess S, Deelen P, Pers TH, Grøndahl ML, Andersen CY, Pujol A, Lopez-Contreras AJ, Daniel JA, Stefansson K, Chang-Claude J, van der Schouw YT, Lunetta KL, Chasman DI, Easton DF, Visser JA, Ozanne SE, Namekawa SH, Solc P, Murabito JM, Ong KK, Hoffmann ER, Murray A, Roig I, Perry JRB. Genetic insights into biological mechanisms governing human ovarian ageing. Nature 2021; 596:393-397. [PMID: 34349265 PMCID: PMC7611832 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03779-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive longevity is essential for fertility and influences healthy ageing in women1,2, but insights into its underlying biological mechanisms and treatments to preserve it are limited. Here we identify 290 genetic determinants of ovarian ageing, assessed using normal variation in age at natural menopause (ANM) in about 200,000 women of European ancestry. These common alleles were associated with clinical extremes of ANM; women in the top 1% of genetic susceptibility have an equivalent risk of premature ovarian insufficiency to those carrying monogenic FMR1 premutations3. The identified loci implicate a broad range of DNA damage response (DDR) processes and include loss-of-function variants in key DDR-associated genes. Integration with experimental models demonstrates that these DDR processes act across the life-course to shape the ovarian reserve and its rate of depletion. Furthermore, we demonstrate that experimental manipulation of DDR pathways highlighted by human genetics increases fertility and extends reproductive life in mice. Causal inference analyses using the identified genetic variants indicate that extending reproductive life in women improves bone health and reduces risk of type 2 diabetes, but increases the risk of hormone-sensitive cancers. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms that govern ovarian ageing, when they act, and how they might be targeted by therapeutic approaches to extend fertility and prevent disease.
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Matías-García PR, Wilson R, Guo Q, Zaghlool SB, Eales JM, Xu X, Charchar FJ, Dormer J, Maalmi H, Schlosser P, Elhadad MA, Nano J, Sharma S, Peters A, Fornoni A, Mook-Kanamori DO, Winkelmann J, Danesh J, Di Angelantonio E, Ouwehand WH, Watkins NA, Roberts DJ, Petrera A, Graumann J, Koenig W, Hveem K, Jonasson C, Köttgen A, Butterworth A, Prunotto M, Hauck SM, Herder C, Suhre K, Gieger C, Tomaszewski M, Teumer A, Waldenberger M. Plasma Proteomics of Renal Function: A Transethnic Meta-Analysis and Mendelian Randomization Study. J Am Soc Nephrol 2021; 32:1747-1763. [PMID: 34135082 PMCID: PMC8425654 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2020071070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies on the relationship between renal function and the human plasma proteome have identified several potential biomarkers. However, investigations have been conducted largely in European populations, and causality of the associations between plasma proteins and kidney function has never been addressed. METHODS A cross-sectional study of 993 plasma proteins among 2882 participants in four studies of European and admixed ancestries (KORA, INTERVAL, HUNT, QMDiab) identified transethnic associations between eGFR/CKD and proteomic biomarkers. For the replicated associations, two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to investigate potential causal relationships. Publicly available datasets and transcriptomic data from independent studies were used to examine the association between gene expression in kidney tissue and eGFR. RESULTS In total, 57 plasma proteins were associated with eGFR, including one novel protein. Of these, 23 were additionally associated with CKD. The strongest inferred causal effect was the positive effect of eGFR on testican-2, in line with the known biological role of this protein and the expression of its protein-coding gene (SPOCK2) in renal tissue. We also observed suggestive evidence of an effect of melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA), carbonic anhydrase III, and cystatin-M on eGFR. CONCLUSIONS In a discovery-replication setting, we identified 57 proteins transethnically associated with eGFR. The revealed causal relationships are an important stepping stone in establishing testican-2 as a clinically relevant physiological marker of kidney disease progression, and point to additional proteins warranting further investigation.
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Caspers S, Röckner ME, Jockwitz C, Bittner N, Teumer A, Herms S, Hoffmann P, Nöthen MM, Moebus S, Amunts K, Cichon S, Mühleisen TW. Pathway-Specific Genetic Risk for Alzheimer's Disease Differentiates Regional Patterns of Cortical Atrophy in Older Adults. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:801-811. [PMID: 31402375 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain aging is highly variable and represents a challenge to delimit aging from disease processes. Moreover, genetic factors may influence both aging and disease. Here we focused on this issue and investigated effects of multiple genetic loci previously identified to be associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) on brain structure of older adults from a population sample. We calculated a genetic risk score (GRS) using genome-wide significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms from genome-wide association studies of AD and tested its effect on cortical thickness (CT). We observed a common pattern of cortical thinning (right inferior frontal, left posterior temporal, medial occipital cortex). To identify CT changes by specific biological processes, we subdivided the GRS effect according to AD-associated pathways and performed follow-up analyses. The common pattern from the main analysis was further differentiated by pathway-specific effects yielding a more bilateral pattern. Further findings were located in the superior parietal and mid/anterior cingulate regions representing 2 unique pathway-specific patterns. All patterns, except the superior parietal pattern, were influenced by apolipoprotein E. Our step-wise approach revealed atrophy patterns that partially resembled imaging findings in early stages of AD. Our study provides evidence that genetic burden for AD contributes to structural brain variability in normal aging.
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de Las Fuentes L, Sung YJ, Noordam R, Winkler T, Feitosa MF, Schwander K, Bentley AR, Brown MR, Guo X, Manning A, Chasman DI, Aschard H, Bartz TM, Bielak LF, Campbell A, Cheng CY, Dorajoo R, Hartwig FP, Horimoto ARVR, Li C, Li-Gao R, Liu Y, Marten J, Musani SK, Ntalla I, Rankinen T, Richard M, Sim X, Smith AV, Tajuddin SM, Tayo BO, Vojinovic D, Warren HR, Xuan D, Alver M, Boissel M, Chai JF, Chen X, Christensen K, Divers J, Evangelou E, Gao C, Girotto G, Harris SE, He M, Hsu FC, Kühnel B, Laguzzi F, Li X, Lyytikäinen LP, Nolte IM, Poveda A, Rauramaa R, Riaz M, Rueedi R, Shu XO, Snieder H, Sofer T, Takeuchi F, Verweij N, Ware EB, Weiss S, Yanek LR, Amin N, Arking DE, Arnett DK, Bergmann S, Boerwinkle E, Brody JA, Broeckel U, Brumat M, Burke G, Cabrera CP, Canouil M, Chee ML, Chen YDI, Cocca M, Connell J, de Silva HJ, de Vries PS, Eiriksdottir G, Faul JD, Fisher V, Forrester T, Fox EF, Friedlander Y, Gao H, Gigante B, Giulianini F, Gu CC, Gu D, Harris TB, He J, Heikkinen S, Heng CK, Hunt S, Ikram MA, Irvin MR, Kähönen M, Kavousi M, Khor CC, Kilpeläinen TO, Koh WP, Komulainen P, Kraja AT, Krieger JE, Langefeld CD, Li Y, Liang J, Liewald DCM, Liu CT, Liu J, Lohman KK, Mägi R, McKenzie CA, Meitinger T, Metspalu A, Milaneschi Y, Milani L, Mook-Kanamori DO, Nalls MA, Nelson CP, Norris JM, O'Connell J, Ogunniyi A, Padmanabhan S, Palmer ND, Pedersen NL, Perls T, Peters A, Petersmann A, Peyser PA, Polasek O, Porteous DJ, Raffel LJ, Rice TK, Rotter JI, Rudan I, Rueda-Ochoa OL, Sabanayagam C, Salako BL, Schreiner PJ, Shikany JM, Sidney SS, Sims M, Sitlani CM, Smith JA, Starr JM, Strauch K, Swertz MA, Teumer A, Tham YC, Uitterlinden AG, Vaidya D, van der Ende MY, Waldenberger M, Wang L, Wang YX, Wei WB, Weir DR, Wen W, Yao J, Yu B, Yu C, Yuan JM, Zhao W, Zonderman AB, Becker DM, Bowden DW, Deary IJ, Dörr M, Esko T, Freedman BI, Froguel P, Gasparini P, Gieger C, Jonas JB, Kammerer CM, Kato N, Lakka TA, Leander K, Lehtimäki T, Magnusson PKE, Marques-Vidal P, Penninx BWJH, Samani NJ, van der Harst P, Wagenknecht LE, Wu T, Zheng W, Zhu X, Bouchard C, Cooper RS, Correa A, Evans MK, Gudnason V, Hayward C, Horta BL, Kelly TN, Kritchevsky SB, Levy D, Palmas WR, Pereira AC, Province MM, Psaty BM, Ridker PM, Rotimi CN, Tai ES, van Dam RM, van Duijn CM, Wong TY, Rice K, Gauderman WJ, Morrison AC, North KE, Kardia SLR, Caulfield MJ, Elliott P, Munroe PB, Franks PW, Rao DC, Fornage M. Gene-educational attainment interactions in a multi-ancestry genome-wide meta-analysis identify novel blood pressure loci. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:2111-2125. [PMID: 32372009 PMCID: PMC7641978 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0719-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Educational attainment is widely used as a surrogate for socioeconomic status (SES). Low SES is a risk factor for hypertension and high blood pressure (BP). To identify novel BP loci, we performed multi-ancestry meta-analyses accounting for gene-educational attainment interactions using two variables, "Some College" (yes/no) and "Graduated College" (yes/no). Interactions were evaluated using both a 1 degree of freedom (DF) interaction term and a 2DF joint test of genetic and interaction effects. Analyses were performed for systolic BP, diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure. We pursued genome-wide interrogation in Stage 1 studies (N = 117 438) and follow-up on promising variants in Stage 2 studies (N = 293 787) in five ancestry groups. Through combined meta-analyses of Stages 1 and 2, we identified 84 known and 18 novel BP loci at genome-wide significance level (P < 5 × 10-8). Two novel loci were identified based on the 1DF test of interaction with educational attainment, while the remaining 16 loci were identified through the 2DF joint test of genetic and interaction effects. Ten novel loci were identified in individuals of African ancestry. Several novel loci show strong biological plausibility since they involve physiologic systems implicated in BP regulation. They include genes involved in the central nervous system-adrenal signaling axis (ZDHHC17, CADPS, PIK3C2G), vascular structure and function (GNB3, CDON), and renal function (HAS2 and HAS2-AS1, SLIT3). Collectively, these findings suggest a role of educational attainment or SES in further dissection of the genetic architecture of BP.
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Ghasemi S, Teumer A, Wuttke M, Becker T. Assessment of significance of conditionally independent GWAS signals. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:3521-3529. [PMID: 33978749 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Multiple independently associated SNPs within a linkage disequilibrium (LD) region are a common phenomenon. Conditional analysis has been successful in identifying secondary signals. While conditional association tests are limited to specific genomic regions, they are benchmarked with genome-wide scale criterion, a conservative strategy. METHOD Within the weighted hypothesis testing framework, we developed a "quasi-adaptive" method that uses the pairwise correlation (r2) and physical distance (d) from the index association to construct priority functions G = G(r2, d), which assign a SNP-specific α-threshold to each SNP. Family-wise error rate (FWER) and power of the approach were evaluated via simulations based on real GWAS data. We compared a series of different G-functions. RESULTS Simulations under the null hypothesis on 1100 primary SNPs confirmed appropriate empirical FWER for all G-functions. A G-function with optimal r2 = 0.3 between index and secondary SNP which down-weighted SNPs at higher distance step-wise-strong and gave more emphasis on d than on r2 had overall best power. It also gave the best results in application to the real data sets. As a proof of concept, "quasi-adaptive" method was applied toGWAS on free thyroxine (FT4), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and human height. Application of the algorithm revealed 5 secondary signals in our example GWAS on FT4, 5 secondary signals in case of the IBD, and 19 secondary signals on human height, that would have gone undetected with the established genome-wide threshold (α = 5 ×10-8). AVAILABILITY https://github.com/sghasemi64/Secondary-Signal. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Kuś A, Marouli E, Del Greco M F, Chaker L, Bednarczuk T, Peeters RP, Teumer A, Medici M, Deloukas P. Variation in Normal Range Thyroid Function Affects Serum Cholesterol Levels, Blood Pressure, and Type 2 Diabetes Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Thyroid 2021; 31:721-731. [PMID: 32746749 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2020.0393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Observational studies have demonstrated that variation in normal range thyroid function is associated with major cardiovascular risk factors, including dyslipidemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and obesity. As observational studies are prone to residual confounding, reverse causality, and selection bias, we used a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate whether these associations are causal or not. Methods: Two-sample MR analysis using data from the largest available genome-wide association studies on normal range thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) levels, serum lipid levels, blood pressure measurements, T2D, and obesity traits (body mass index [BMI] and waist/hip ratio). Results: A one standard deviation (SD) increase in genetically predicted TSH levels was associated with a 0.037 SD increase in total cholesterol levels (p = 3.0 × 10-4). After excluding pleiotropic instruments, we also observed significant associations between TSH levels and low-density lipoprotein levels (β = 0.026 SD, p = 1.9 × 10-3), pulse pressure (β = -0.477 mmHg, p = 7.5 × 10-10), and T2D risk (odds ratio = 0.95, p = 2.5 × 10-3). While we found no evidence of causal associations between TSH or fT4 levels and obesity traits, we found that a one SD increase in genetically predicted BMI was associated with a 0.075 SD decrease in fT4 levels (p = 3.6 × 10-4). Conclusions: Variation in normal range thyroid function affects serum cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and T2D risk.
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Ahluwalia TS, Prins BP, Abdollahi M, Armstrong NJ, Aslibekyan S, Bain L, Jefferis B, Baumert J, Beekman M, Ben-Shlomo Y, Bis JC, Mitchell BD, de Geus E, Delgado GE, Marek D, Eriksson J, Kajantie E, Kanoni S, Kemp JP, Lu C, Marioni RE, McLachlan S, Milaneschi Y, Nolte IM, Petrelis AM, Porcu E, Sabater-Lleal M, Naderi E, Seppälä I, Shah T, Singhal G, Standl M, Teumer A, Thalamuthu A, Thiering E, Trompet S, Ballantyne CM, Benjamin EJ, Casas JP, Toben C, Dedoussis G, Deelen J, Durda P, Engmann J, Feitosa MF, Grallert H, Hammarstedt A, Harris SE, Homuth G, Hottenga JJ, Jalkanen S, Jamshidi Y, Jawahar MC, Jess T, Kivimaki M, Kleber ME, Lahti J, Liu Y, Marques-Vidal P, Mellström D, Mooijaart SP, Müller-Nurasyid M, Penninx B, Revez JA, Rossing P, Räikkönen K, Sattar N, Scharnagl H, Sennblad B, Silveira A, Pourcain BS, Timpson NJ, Trollor J, van Dongen J, Van Heemst D, Visvikis-Siest S, Vollenweider P, Völker U, Waldenberger M, Willemsen G, Zabaneh D, Morris RW, Arnett DK, Baune BT, Boomsma DI, Chang YPC, Deary IJ, Deloukas P, Eriksson JG, Evans DM, Ferreira MA, Gaunt T, Gudnason V, Hamsten A, Heinrich J, Hingorani A, Humphries SE, Jukema JW, Koenig W, Kumari M, Kutalik Z, Lawlor DA, Lehtimäki T, März W, Mather KA, Naitza S, Nauck M, Ohlsson C, Price JF, Raitakari O, Rice K, Sachdev PS, Slagboom E, Sørensen TIA, Spector T, Stacey D, Stathopoulou MG, Tanaka T, Wannamethee SG, Whincup P, Rotter JI, Dehghan A, Boerwinkle E, Psaty BM, Snieder H, Alizadeh BZ. Genome-wide association study of circulating interleukin 6 levels identifies novel loci. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:393-409. [PMID: 33517400 PMCID: PMC8098112 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine with both pro- and anti-inflammatory properties with a heritability estimate of up to 61%. The circulating levels of IL-6 in blood have been associated with an increased risk of complex disease pathogenesis. We conducted a two-staged, discovery and replication meta genome-wide association study (GWAS) of circulating serum IL-6 levels comprising up to 67 428 (ndiscovery = 52 654 and nreplication = 14 774) individuals of European ancestry. The inverse variance fixed effects based discovery meta-analysis, followed by replication led to the identification of two independent loci, IL1F10/IL1RN rs6734238 on chromosome (Chr) 2q14, (Pcombined = 1.8 × 10-11), HLA-DRB1/DRB5 rs660895 on Chr6p21 (Pcombined = 1.5 × 10-10) in the combined meta-analyses of all samples. We also replicated the IL6R rs4537545 locus on Chr1q21 (Pcombined = 1.2 × 10-122). Our study identifies novel loci for circulating IL-6 levels uncovering new immunological and inflammatory pathways that may influence IL-6 pathobiology.
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Van der Auwera S, Terock J, Teumer A, Schomerus G, Homuth G, Grabe HJ. Sex effects for the interaction of dopamine related genetic variants for COMT and BDNF on declarative memory performance. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 20:e12737. [PMID: 33876571 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Genetic factors are assumed to contribute to memory performance, especially genes affecting the dopaminergic neurotransmission. We aimed to evaluate leading functional genetic variants of the dopamine system, Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) SNP rs4680 and Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) SNP rs6265, previously found to be associated with memory performance. In two independent general population cohorts (total N = 5937) we investigated direct and interaction effects between COMT and BDNF SNPs on declarative memory performance. We found significant two-way interactions for COMT and BDNF in both cohorts but no direct genetic effects. Sensitivity analyses revealed that an interaction between COMT and BDNF was mainly carried by females. While direct associations of COMT and BDNF on memory have been reported previously, we could demonstrate that the interaction of COMT and BDNF is sex-dependent and more complex and needs further investigation. Our results could be demonstrated in two independent cohorts of valuable size.
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