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Chen Q, Gan D, Zhang Y, Yan R, Li B, Tang W, Han S, Gao Y. Causal relationship between neuroticism and frailty: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study. J Affect Disord 2024; 360:71-78. [PMID: 38788854 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Observational studies have shown that neuroticism is associated with frailty, but the causal relationship between them remains unclear. METHODS A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted to explore the bidirectional causal relationship between neuroticism (n = 380,506 for the primary analysis, n = 79,004 for the validation) and frailty (n = 175,226) using publicly available genome-wide association study data. The inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, and MR-Egger were used to obtain the causal estimates. Findings were verified through extensive sensitivity analyses and validated using another dataset. Multivariable MR (MVMR) analysis was performed to estimate the direct causal effects with adjustment of potential confounders. Two-step MR technique was then conducted to explore the mediators in the causal effects of neuroticism on frailty. RESULTS Genetically-predicted higher neuroticism score was significantly correlated with higher frailty index (IVW beta: 0.53, 95%CI: 0.48 to 0.59, P = 9.3E-83), and genetically-determined higher frailty index was significantly associated with higher neuroticism score (IVW beta: 0.28, 95%CI: 0.21 to 0.35, P = 1.3E-16). These results remained robust across sensitivity analyses and were reproducible using another dataset. The MVMR analysis indicated that the causal relationships remained significant after adjusting for the potential confounding factors. Mediation analysis revealed that depression, years of schooling, and smoking were significantly mediated the causal effects of neuroticism on frailty. CONCLUSIONS A bidirectional causal relationship existed between neuroticism and frailty. Our findings suggested that early intervention and behavioral changes might be helpful to reduce the neuroticism levels and prevent the development of frailty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyan Chen
- The Fourth Clinical School of Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of Senile Chronic Diseases, Department of Geriatrics, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Da Gan
- Jiangxi Medicine Academy of Nutrition and Health Management, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Yingjuan Zhang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of Senile Chronic Diseases, Department of Geriatrics, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Runlan Yan
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of Senile Chronic Diseases, Department of Geriatrics, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Bei Li
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of Senile Chronic Diseases, Department of Geriatrics, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Zhejiang 310006, China
| | - Wenbin Tang
- The Fourth Clinical School of Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Shuang Han
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of Senile Chronic Diseases, Department of Geriatrics, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Zhejiang 310006, China; School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China.
| | - Yue Gao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of Senile Chronic Diseases, Department of Geriatrics, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Zhejiang 310006, China.
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Hu X, Cai M, Xiao J, Wan X, Wang Z, Zhao H, Yang C. Benchmarking Mendelian randomization methods for causal inference using genome-wide association study summary statistics. Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:1717-1735. [PMID: 39059387 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Mendelian randomization (MR), which utilizes genetic variants as instrumental variables (IVs), has gained popularity as a method for causal inference between phenotypes using genetic data. While efforts have been made to relax IV assumptions and develop new methods for causal inference in the presence of invalid IVs due to confounding, the reliability of MR methods in real-world applications remains uncertain. Instead of using simulated datasets, we conducted a benchmark study evaluating 16 two-sample summary-level MR methods using real-world genetic datasets to provide guidelines for the best practices. Our study focused on the following crucial aspects: type I error control in the presence of various confounding scenarios (e.g., population stratification, pleiotropy, and family-level confounders like assortative mating), the accuracy of causal effect estimates, replicability, and power. By comprehensively evaluating the performance of compared methods over one thousand exposure-outcome trait pairs, our study not only provides valuable insights into the performance and limitations of the compared methods but also offers practical guidance for researchers to choose appropriate MR methods for causal inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianghong Hu
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Institute of Statistical Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Department of Mathematics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, Guangzhou 511458, China
| | - Mingxuan Cai
- Department of Biostatistics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jiashun Xiao
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Big Data, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Xiaomeng Wan
- Department of Mathematics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, Guangzhou 511458, China
| | - Zhiwei Wang
- Department of Mathematics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, Guangzhou 511458, China
| | - Hongyu Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Can Yang
- Department of Mathematics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, Guangzhou 511458, China; Big Data Bio-Intelligence Lab, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Burt CH. Polygenic Indices (a.k.a. Polygenic Scores) in Social Science: A Guide for Interpretation and Evaluation. SOCIOLOGICAL METHODOLOGY 2024; 54:300-350. [PMID: 39091537 PMCID: PMC11293310 DOI: 10.1177/00811750241236482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Polygenic indices (PGI)-the new recommended label for polygenic scores (PGS) in social science-are genetic summary scales often used to represent an individual's liability for a disease, trait, or behavior based on the additive effects of measured genetic variants. Enthusiasm for linking genetic data with social outcomes and the inclusion of premade PGIs in social science datasets have facilitated increased uptake of PGIs in social science research-a trend that will likely continue. Yet, most social scientists lack the expertise to interpret and evaluate PGIs in social science research. Here, we provide a primer on PGIs for social scientists focusing on key concepts, unique statistical genetic considerations, and best practices in calculation, estimation, reporting, and interpretation. We summarize our recommended best practices as a checklist to aid social scientists in evaluating and interpreting studies with PGIs. We conclude by discussing the similarities between PGIs and standard social science scales and unique interpretative considerations.
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Bourassa KJ, Sbarra DA. Trauma, adversity, and biological aging: behavioral mechanisms relevant to treatment and theory. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:285. [PMID: 38997260 PMCID: PMC11245531 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-03004-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Although stress and adversity are largely universal experiences, people exposed to greater hardship are at increased risk for negative health consequences. Recent studies identify accelerated biological aging as a mechanism that could explain how trauma and adversity gives rise to poor health, and advances in this area of study coincide with technological innovations in the measurement of biological aging, particularly epigenetic profiles consistent with accelerated aging derived from DNA methylation. In this review, we provide an overview of the current literature examining how adversity might accelerate biological aging, with a specific focus on social and health behaviors. The most extensive evidence in this area suggests that health-compromising behaviors, particularly smoking, may partially explain the association between adversity and accelerated aging. Although there is relatively less published support for the role of social behaviors, emerging evidence points to the importance of social connection as a mechanism for future study. Our review highlights the need to determine the extent to which the associations from adversity to accelerated aging are consistent with causal processes. As we consider these questions, the review emphasizes methodological approaches from the causal inference literature that can help deepen our understanding of how stress and trauma might result in poor health. The use of these methodologies will help provide evidence as to which behavioral interventions might slow aging and improve health, particularly among populations that more often experience adversity and trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J Bourassa
- VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA.
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham Veteran Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA.
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - David A Sbarra
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Suri P, Tsepilov YA, Elgaeva EE, Williams FMK, Freidin MB, Stanaway IB. No evidence for causal effects of C-reactive protein (CRP) on chronic pain conditions: a Mendelian randomization study. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.07.03.24309700. [PMID: 39006441 PMCID: PMC11245067 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.03.24309700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Objective We conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study to examine causal associations of C-reactive protein (CRP) with (1) spinal pain; (2) extent of multisite chronic pain; and (3) chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain. Design Two-sample MR study. Setting/Subjects We used summary statistics from publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted in multiple cohorts and biobanks. Genetic instrumental variables were taken from an exposure GWAS of CRP (n=204,402). Outcome GWASs examined spinal pain (n=1,028,947), extent of multisite chronic pain defined as the number of locations with chronic pain (n=387,649), and chronic widespread pain (n=249,843). Methods We examined MR evidence for causal associations using inverse-variance weighted (IVW) analysis and sensitivity analyses using other methods. We calculated odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), and p-values, using a Bonferroni correction (p<0.0166) to account for 3 primary comparisons. Results Greater serum CRP (mg/L) was not significantly causally associated with spinal pain (OR=1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.08; p=0.07) in IVW analysis. Greater serum CRP also showed no significant causal association with extent of multisite chronic pain in IVW analysis (beta coefficient= 0.014, standard error=0.011; p=0.19). CRP also showed no significant causal association with chronic widespread pain in IVW analysis (OR=1.00, 95% CI 1.00-1.00; p=0.75). All secondary and sensitivity analyses also showed no significant associations. Conclusions This MR study found no causal association of CRP on spinal pain, the extent of chronic pain, or chronic widespread pain. Future studies examining mechanistic biomarkers for pain conditions should consider other candidates besides CRP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Suri
- Division of Rehabilitation Care Services, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, USA
- Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, USA
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Clinical Learning, Evidence, and Research (CLEAR) Center, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Yakov A. Tsepilov
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elizaveta E. Elgaeva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Frances M. K. Williams
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, School of Life Course Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Maxim B. Freidin
- Department of Biology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Ian B. Stanaway
- Department of Nephrology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
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Polimanti R. Using Medical Records to Investigate the Genetics of Treatment-Resistant Depression Across Health Care Systems. Am J Psychiatry 2024; 181:569-571. [PMID: 38946279 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20240377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Renato Polimanti
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, and Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; VA Connecticut Healthcare Center, West Haven
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Qiu Z, Jia X, Li Y, Fu Y, Xiao Y. Screen time in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) : a two-sample Mendelian randomization study. Endocrine 2024; 85:158-167. [PMID: 38347339 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-024-03723-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the potential causal relationship between screen time and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using Mendelian randomization. METHODS Two-sample Mendelian randomization was conducted, utilizing genetic variants associated with different types of screen time as instrumental variables. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to assess the primary outcome, which was the risk of developing T2DM. RESULTS The analysis revealed a significant positive causal association between television viewing time and the risk of T2DM. Specifically, excessive television viewing time was found to increase the risk of developing T2DM (OR: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.90 to 3.00, P < 0.01). However, no significant causal relationship was observed between computer usage time and the risk of T2DM. Additionally, mobile phone use time showed a positive correlation with the risk of T2DM (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.64, P = 0.02), albeit to a lesser extent than television viewing time. CONCLUSION The findings of this study indicate a significant causal association between certain types of screen time, specifically television viewing and mobile phone use, and an increased risk of T2DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengqi Qiu
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Est. Seak Pai Van Praia Park, Rés-Do-Chão R, Coloane, Macao, 999078, China
| | - Xueyuan Jia
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Est. Seak Pai Van Praia Park, Rés-Do-Chão R, Coloane, Macao, 999078, China
| | - Yufei Li
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Est. Seak Pai Van Praia Park, Rés-Do-Chão R, Coloane, Macao, 999078, China
| | - Yancheng Fu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Ying Xiao
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Est. Seak Pai Van Praia Park, Rés-Do-Chão R, Coloane, Macao, 999078, China.
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Zhao SS, Burgess S. Use of Mendelian randomization to assess the causal status of modifiable exposures for rheumatic diseases. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 2024:101967. [PMID: 38951047 DOI: 10.1016/j.berh.2024.101967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
The explosion in Mendelian randomization (MR) publications is hard to ignore and shows no signs of slowing. Clinician readers, who may not be familiar with jargon-ridden methods, are expected to discern the good from the many low-quality studies that make overconfident claims of causality or stretch the plausibility of what MR can investigate. We aim to equip readers with foundational concepts, contextualized using examples in rheumatology, to appraise the many MR papers that are or will appear in their journals. We highlight the importance of assessing whether exposures are under plausibly specific genetic influence, whether the hypothesized causal pathways make biological sense, and whether results stand up to replication and use of control outcomes. Quality of research can vary substantially using MR as with any design, and all methods have inherent limitations. MR studies have provided and can still contribute valuable insights in the context of evidence triangulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sizheng Steven Zhao
- Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Division of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Science, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biological Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
| | - Stephen Burgess
- MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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9
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Meijsen J, Hu K, Krebs MD, Athanasiadis G, Washbrook S, Zetterberg R, Avelar E Silva RN, Shorter JR, Gådin JR, Bergstedt J, Howard DM, Ye W, Lu Y, Valdimarsdóttir UA, Ingason A, Helenius D, Plana-Ripoll O, McGrath JJ, Micali N, Andreassen OA, Werge TM, Fang F, Buil A. Quantifying the relative importance of genetics and environment on the comorbidity between mental and cardiometabolic disorders using 17 million Scandinavians. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5064. [PMID: 38871766 PMCID: PMC11176385 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49507-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Mental disorders are leading causes of disability and premature death worldwide, partly due to high comorbidity with cardiometabolic disorders. Reasons for this comorbidity are still poorly understood. We leverage nation-wide health records and near-complete genealogies of Denmark and Sweden (n = 17 million) to reveal the genetic and environmental contributions underlying the observed comorbidity between six mental disorders and 15 cardiometabolic disorders. Genetic factors contributed about 50% to the comorbidity of schizophrenia, affective disorders, and autism spectrum disorder with cardiometabolic disorders, whereas the comorbidity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and anorexia with cardiometabolic disorders was mainly or fully driven by environmental factors. In this work we provide causal insight to guide clinical and scientific initiatives directed at achieving mechanistic understanding as well as preventing and alleviating the consequences of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joeri Meijsen
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Kejia Hu
- Unit of Integrative Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Morten D Krebs
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Georgios Athanasiadis
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sarah Washbrook
- Center for Eating and feeding Disorders research, Psychiatric Centre Ballerup, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Richard Zetterberg
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Raquel Nogueira Avelar E Silva
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - John R Shorter
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jesper R Gådin
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jacob Bergstedt
- Unit of Integrative Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David M Howard
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Weimin Ye
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Unnur A Valdimarsdóttir
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrés Ingason
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Dorte Helenius
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Oleguer Plana-Ripoll
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - John J McGrath
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- National Centre for Register-based Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nadia Micali
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
- Center for Eating and feeding Disorders research, Psychiatric Centre Ballerup, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental disorders, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Thomas M Werge
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Fang Fang
- Unit of Integrative Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alfonso Buil
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.
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Xie W, Kong C, Luo W, Zheng J, Zhou Y. C-reactive protein and cognitive impairment: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2024; 121:105359. [PMID: 38412560 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES While C-reactive protein (CRP) has been solidly linked as a risk factor for cognitive impairment, observational research alone cannot definitively demonstrate a causal relationship. This study therefore sought to determine whether there was an association between CRP and the development of cognitive impairment. METHODS This study employed bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the genetic association between CRP and cognitive impairment. genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary statistics for both were sourced from IEU Open GWAS or prior reports. Cognitive GWAS's used were on tests designed to assess cognitive performance, fluid intelligence, prospective memory, and reaction time. The MR analysis applied several methods, including inverse variance-weighted (IVW), MR Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode approaches, then use of MR sensitivity analyses to interrogate findings. RESULTS Forward MR analysis showed that genetically proxied CRP was associated with prospective memory (P = 0.009), whereas there is little evidence to support an association between CRP and other cognitive tests. Reverse MR analysis indicated a potential association between genetic proxy cognitive performance (P = 0.002) and fluid intelligence score (P = 0.019) with CRP levels. For genetically proxied CRP on prospective memory, the level of pleiotropy (P > 0.05) and no genetic variant heterogeneity (P > 0.05) made bias unlikely, and leave-one-out tests also confirmed robust associations. CONCLUSIONS The effect of genetically proxied CRP on prospective memory, with little evidence on other cognitive tests. The reverse MR shows some evidence of genetically proxied cognition (cognitive performance and fluid intelligence) on CRP levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhuo Xie
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Chenghua Kong
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wei Luo
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jiaping Zheng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
| | - Yu Zhou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
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Trindade Pons V, Claringbould A, Kamphuis P, Oldehinkel AJ, van Loo HM. Using parent-offspring pairs and trios to estimate indirect genetic effects in education. Genet Epidemiol 2024; 48:190-199. [PMID: 38472165 DOI: 10.1002/gepi.22554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
We investigated indirect genetic effects (IGEs), also known as genetic nurture, in education with a novel approach that uses phased data to include parent-offspring pairs in the transmitted/nontransmitted study design. This method increases the power to detect IGEs, enhances the generalizability of the findings, and allows for the study of effects by parent-of-origin. We validated and applied this method in a family-based subsample of adolescents and adults from the Lifelines Cohort Study in the Netherlands (N = 6147), using the latest genome-wide association study data on educational attainment to construct polygenic scores (PGS). Our results indicated that IGEs play a role in education outcomes in the Netherlands: we found significant associations of the nontransmitted PGS with secondary school level in youth between 13 and 24 years old as well as with education attainment and years of education in adults over 25 years old (β = 0.14, 0.17 and 0.26, respectively), with tentative evidence for larger maternal IGEs. In conclusion, we replicated previous findings and showed that including parent-offspring pairs in addition to trios in the transmitted/nontransmitted design can benefit future studies of parental IGEs in a wide range of outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victória Trindade Pons
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Annique Claringbould
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Structural & Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Priscilla Kamphuis
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Albertine J Oldehinkel
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hanna M van Loo
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Chen LG, Tubbs JD, Liu Z, Thach TQ, Sham PC. Mendelian randomization: causal inference leveraging genetic data. Psychol Med 2024; 54:1461-1474. [PMID: 38639006 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724000321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Mendelian randomization (MR) leverages genetic information to examine the causal relationship between phenotypes allowing for the presence of unmeasured confounders. MR has been widely applied to unresolved questions in epidemiology, making use of summary statistics from genome-wide association studies on an increasing number of human traits. However, an understanding of essential concepts is necessary for the appropriate application and interpretation of MR. This review aims to provide a non-technical overview of MR and demonstrate its relevance to psychiatric research. We begin with the origins of MR and the reasons for its recent expansion, followed by an overview of its statistical methodology. We then describe the limitations of MR, and how these are being addressed by recent methodological advances. We showcase the practical use of MR in psychiatry through three illustrative examples - the connection between cannabis use and psychosis, the link between intelligence and schizophrenia, and the search for modifiable risk factors for depression. The review concludes with a discussion of the prospects of MR, focusing on the integration of multi-omics data and its extension to delineating complex causal networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lane G Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Justin D Tubbs
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zipeng Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Thuan-Quoc Thach
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Pak C Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for PanorOmic Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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13
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Trejo S. Exploring the Fetal Origins Hypothesis Using Genetic Data. SOCIAL FORCES; A SCIENTIFIC MEDIUM OF SOCIAL STUDY AND INTERPRETATION 2024; 102:1555-1581. [PMID: 38638179 PMCID: PMC11021852 DOI: 10.1093/sf/soae018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Birth weight is a robust predictor of valued life course outcomes, emphasizing the importance of prenatal development. But does birth weight act as a proxy for environmental conditions in utero, or do biological processes surrounding birth weight themselves play a role in healthy development? To answer this question, we leverage variation in birth weight that is, within families, orthogonal to prenatal environmental conditions: one's genes. We construct polygenic scores in two longitudinal studies (Born in Bradford, N = 2008; Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, N = 8488) to empirically explore the molecular genetic correlates of birth weight. A 1 standard deviation increase in the polygenic score is associated with an ~100-grams increase in birth weight and a 1.4 pp (22 percent) decrease in low birth weight probability. Sibling comparisons illustrate that this association largely represents a causal effect. The polygenic score-birth weight association is increased for children who spend longer in the womb and whose mothers have higher body mass index, though we find no differences across maternal socioeconomic status. Finally, the polygenic score affects social and cognitive outcomes, suggesting that birth weight is itself related to healthy prenatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Trejo
- Princeton University, Department of Sociology and Office of Population Research, United States
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14
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Dang M, Li Y, Zhao L, Li T, Lu Z, Lu J, Feng Y, Yang Y, Li F, Tang F, Wang X, Jian Y, Wang H, Zhang L, Fan H, Zhang G. Causal association between particulate matter 2.5 and Alzheimer's disease: a Mendelian randomization study. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1343915. [PMID: 38873321 PMCID: PMC11169690 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1343915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Although epidemiological evidence implies a link between exposure to particulate matter (PM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), establishing causality remains a complex endeavor. In the present study, we used Mendelian randomization (MR) as a robust analytical approach to explore the potential causal relationship between PM exposure and AD risk. We also explored the potential associations between PM exposure and other neurodegenerative diseases. Methods Drawing on extensive genome-wide association studies related to PM exposure, we identified the instrumental variables linked to individual susceptibility to PM. Using summary statistics from five distinct neurodegenerative diseases, we conducted two-sample MR analyses to gauge the causal impact of PM on the risk of developing these diseases. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken to evaluate the robustness of our findings. Additionally, we executed multivariable MR (MVMR) to validate the significant causal associations identified in the two-sample MR analyses, by adjusting for potential confounding risk factors. Results Our MR analysis identified a notable association between genetically predicted PM2.5 (PM with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less) exposure and an elevated risk of AD (odds ratio, 2.160; 95% confidence interval, 1.481 to 3.149; p < 0.001). A sensitivity analysis supported the robustness of the observed association, thus alleviating concerns related to pleiotropy. No discernible causal relationship was identified between PM and any other neurodegenerative diseases. MVMR analyses-adjusting for smoking, alcohol use, education, stroke, hearing loss, depression, and hypertension-confirmed a persistent causal relationship between PM2.5 and AD. Sensitivity analyses, including MR-Egger and weighted median analyses, also supported this causal association. Conclusion The present MR study provides evidence to support a plausible causal connection between PM2.5 exposure and AD. The results emphasize the importance of contemplating air quality interventions as a public health strategy for reducing AD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hong Fan
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guilian Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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15
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Gerring ZF, Thorp JG, Treur JL, Verweij KJH, Derks EM. The genetic landscape of substance use disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02547-z. [PMID: 38811691 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02547-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Substance use disorders represent a significant public health concern with considerable socioeconomic implications worldwide. Twin and family-based studies have long established a heritable component underlying these disorders. In recent years, genome-wide association studies of large, broadly phenotyped samples have identified regions of the genome that harbour genetic risk variants associated with substance use disorders. These regions have enabled the discovery of putative causal genes and improved our understanding of genetic relationships among substance use disorders and other traits. Furthermore, the integration of these data with clinical information has yielded promising insights into how individuals respond to medications, allowing for the development of personalized treatment approaches based on an individual's genetic profile. This review article provides an overview of recent advances in the genetics of substance use disorders and demonstrates how genetic data may be used to reduce the burden of disease and improve public health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary F Gerring
- Translational Neurogenomics Laboratory, Mental Health and Neuroscience, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jackson G Thorp
- Translational Neurogenomics Laboratory, Mental Health and Neuroscience, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jorien L Treur
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Karin J H Verweij
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eske M Derks
- Translational Neurogenomics Laboratory, Mental Health and Neuroscience, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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16
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Capalbo A, de Wert G, Mertes H, Klausner L, Coonen E, Spinella F, Van de Velde H, Viville S, Sermon K, Vermeulen N, Lencz T, Carmi S. Screening embryos for polygenic disease risk: a review of epidemiological, clinical, and ethical considerations. Hum Reprod Update 2024:dmae012. [PMID: 38805697 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmae012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genetic composition of embryos generated by in vitro fertilization (IVF) can be examined with preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). Until recently, PGT was limited to detecting single-gene, high-risk pathogenic variants, large structural variants, and aneuploidy. Recent advances have made genome-wide genotyping of IVF embryos feasible and affordable, raising the possibility of screening embryos for their risk of polygenic diseases such as breast cancer, hypertension, diabetes, or schizophrenia. Despite a heated debate around this new technology, called polygenic embryo screening (PES; also PGT-P), it is already available to IVF patients in some countries. Several articles have studied epidemiological, clinical, and ethical perspectives on PES; however, a comprehensive, principled review of this emerging field is missing. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE This review has four main goals. First, given the interdisciplinary nature of PES studies, we aim to provide a self-contained educational background about PES to reproductive specialists interested in the subject. Second, we provide a comprehensive and critical review of arguments for and against the introduction of PES, crystallizing and prioritizing the key issues. We also cover the attitudes of IVF patients, clinicians, and the public towards PES. Third, we distinguish between possible future groups of PES patients, highlighting the benefits and harms pertaining to each group. Finally, our review, which is supported by ESHRE, is intended to aid healthcare professionals and policymakers in decision-making regarding whether to introduce PES in the clinic, and if so, how, and to whom. SEARCH METHODS We searched for PubMed-indexed articles published between 1/1/2003 and 1/3/2024 using the terms 'polygenic embryo screening', 'polygenic preimplantation', and 'PGT-P'. We limited the review to primary research papers in English whose main focus was PES for medical conditions. We also included papers that did not appear in the search but were deemed relevant. OUTCOMES The main theoretical benefit of PES is a reduction in lifetime polygenic disease risk for children born after screening. The magnitude of the risk reduction has been predicted based on statistical modelling, simulations, and sibling pair analyses. Results based on all methods suggest that under the best-case scenario, large relative risk reductions are possible for one or more diseases. However, as these models abstract several practical limitations, the realized benefits may be smaller, particularly due to a limited number of embryos and unclear future accuracy of the risk estimates. PES may negatively impact patients and their future children, as well as society. The main personal harms are an unindicated IVF treatment, a possible reduction in IVF success rates, and patient confusion, incomplete counselling, and choice overload. The main possible societal harms include discarded embryos, an increasing demand for 'designer babies', overemphasis of the genetic determinants of disease, unequal access, and lower utility in people of non-European ancestries. Benefits and harms will vary across the main potential patient groups, comprising patients already requiring IVF, fertile people with a history of a severe polygenic disease, and fertile healthy people. In the United States, the attitudes of IVF patients and the public towards PES seem positive, while healthcare professionals are cautious, sceptical about clinical utility, and concerned about patient counselling. WIDER IMPLICATIONS The theoretical potential of PES to reduce risk across multiple polygenic diseases requires further research into its benefits and harms. Given the large number of practical limitations and possible harms, particularly unnecessary IVF treatments and discarded viable embryos, PES should be offered only within a research context before further clarity is achieved regarding its balance of benefits and harms. The gap in attitudes between healthcare professionals and the public needs to be narrowed by expanding public and patient education and providing resources for informative and unbiased genetic counselling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Capalbo
- Juno Genetics, Department of Reproductive Genetics, Rome, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), Department of Medical Genetics, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Guido de Wert
- Department of Health, Ethics & Society, CAPHRI-School for Public Health and Primary Care and GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi Mertes
- Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Liraz Klausner
- Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Edith Coonen
- Departments of Clinical Genetics and Reproductive Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, GROW, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Francesca Spinella
- Eurofins GENOMA Group Srl, Molecular Genetics Laboratories, Department of Scientific Communication, Rome, Italy
| | - Hilde Van de Velde
- Research Group Genetics Reproduction and Development (GRAD), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
- Brussels IVF, UZ Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Stephane Viville
- Laboratoire de Génétique Médicale LGM, Institut de Génétique Médicale d'Alsace IGMA, INSERM UMR 1112, Université de Strasbourg, France
- Laboratoire de Diagnostic Génétique, Unité de Génétique de l'infertilité (UF3472), Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Karen Sermon
- Research Group Genetics Reproduction and Development (GRAD), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | | | - Todd Lencz
- Institute of Behavioral Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Shai Carmi
- Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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17
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Schooling CM, Terry MB. Interpreting disease genome-wide association studies and polygenetic risk scores given eligibility and study design considerations. Genet Epidemiol 2024. [PMID: 38797991 DOI: 10.1002/gepi.22567] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been helpful in identifying genetic variants predicting cancer risk and providing new insights into cancer biology. Increasing use of genetically informed care, as well as genetically informed prevention and treatment strategies, have also drawn attention to some of the inherent limitations of cancer genetic data. Specifically, genetic endowment is lifelong. However, those recruited into cancer studies tend to be middle-aged or older people, meaning the exposure most likely starts before recruitment, as opposed to exposure and recruitment aligning, as in a trial or a target trial. Studies in survivors can be biased as a result of depletion of the susceptibles, here specifically due to genetic vulnerability and the cancer of interest or a competing risk. In addition, including prevalent cases in a case-control study will make the genetics of survival with cancer look harmful (Neyman bias). Here, we describe ways of designing GWAS to maximize explanatory power and predictive utility, by reducing selection bias due to only recruiting survivors and reducing Neyman bias due to including prevalent cases alongside using other techniques, such as selection diagrams, age-stratification, and Mendelian randomization, to facilitate GWAS interpretability and utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Mary Schooling
- Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, The City University of New York, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Mary Beth Terry
- Mailman School of Public Health and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA
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18
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Lin L, Andersen MK, Stæger FF, Li Z, Hanghøj K, Linneberg A, Grarup N, Jørgensen ME, Hansen T, Moltke I, Albrechtsen A. Analysis of admixed Greenlandic siblings shows that the mean genotypic values for metabolic phenotypes differ between Inuit and Europeans. Genome Med 2024; 16:71. [PMID: 38778393 PMCID: PMC11112775 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01326-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disease prevalence and mean phenotype values differ between many populations, including Inuit and Europeans. Whether these differences are partly explained by genetic differences or solely due to differences in environmental exposures is still unknown, because estimates of the genetic contribution to these means, which we will here refer to as mean genotypic values, are easily confounded, and because studies across genetically diverse populations are lacking. METHODS Leveraging the unique genetic properties of the small, admixed and historically isolated Greenlandic population, we estimated the differences in mean genotypic value between Inuit and European genetic ancestry using an admixed sibling design. Analyses were performed across 26 metabolic phenotypes, in 1474 admixed sibling pairs present in a cohort of 5996 Greenlanders. RESULTS After FDR correction for multiple testing, we found significantly lower mean genotypic values in Inuit genetic ancestry compared to European genetic ancestry for body weight (effect size per percentage of Inuit genetic ancestry (se), -0.51 (0.16) kg/%), body mass index (-0.20 (0.06) kg/m2/%), fat percentage (-0.38 (0.13) %/%), waist circumference (-0.42 (0.16) cm/%), hip circumference (-0.38 (0.11) cm/%) and fasting serum insulin levels (-1.07 (0.51) pmol/l/%). The direction of the effects was consistent with the observed mean phenotype differences between Inuit and European genetic ancestry. No difference in mean genotypic value was observed for height, markers of glucose homeostasis, or circulating lipid levels. CONCLUSIONS We show that mean genotypic values for some metabolic phenotypes differ between two human populations using a method not easily confounded by possible differences in environmental exposures. Our study illustrates the importance of performing genetic studies in diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Lin
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette K Andersen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Frederik Filip Stæger
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zilong Li
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristian Hanghøj
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Allan Linneberg
- Centre for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Grarup
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marit Eika Jørgensen
- Centre for Public Health in Greenland, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Clinical Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Herlev, Denmark
- Steno Diabetes Center Greenland, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Torben Hansen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Ida Moltke
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Anders Albrechtsen
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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19
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Cabana-Domínguez J, Bosch R, Soler Artigas M, Alemany S, Llonga N, Vilar-Ribó L, Carabí-Gassol P, Arribas L, Macias-Chimborazo V, Español-Martín G, Del Castillo C, Martínez L, Pagerols M, Pagespetit È, Prat R, Puigbó J, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Casas M, Ribasés M. Dissecting the polygenic contribution of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder on school performance by their relationship with educational attainment. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02582-w. [PMID: 38783053 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02582-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are strongly associated with educational attainment (EA), but little is known about their genetic relationship with school performance and whether these links are explained, in part, by the genetic liability of EA. Here, we aim to dissect the polygenic contribution of ADHD and ASD to school performance, early manifestation of psychopathology and other psychiatric disorders and related traits by their relationship with EA. To do so, we tested the association of polygenic scores for EA, ADHD and ASD with school performance, assessed whether the contribution of the genetic liability of ADHD and ASD to school performance is influenced by the genetic liability of EA, and evaluated the role of EA in the genetic overlap between ADHD and ASD with early manifestation of psychopathology and other psychiatric disorders and related traits in a sample of 4,278 school-age children. The genetic liability for ADHD and ASD dissected by their relationship with EA show differences in their association with school performance and early manifestation of psychopathology, partly mediated by ADHD and ASD symptoms. Genetic variation with concordant effects in ASD and EA contributes to better school performance, while the genetic variation with discordant effects in ADHD or ASD and EA is associated with poor school performance and higher rates of emotional and behavioral problems. Our results strongly support the usage of the genetic load for EA to dissect the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of ADHD and ASD, which could help to fill the gap of knowledge of mechanisms underlying educational outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Cabana-Domínguez
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa Bosch
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- SJD MIND Schools Program, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - María Soler Artigas
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Alemany
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalia Llonga
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Vilar-Ribó
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pau Carabí-Gassol
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lorena Arribas
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valeria Macias-Chimborazo
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Español-Martín
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Del Castillo
- SJD MIND Schools Program, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Laura Martínez
- SJD MIND Schools Program, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Mireia Pagerols
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- SJD MIND Schools Program, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Department of Clinical Foundations, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Èlia Pagespetit
- SJD MIND Schools Program, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Raquel Prat
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- SJD MIND Schools Program, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Group, Mental Health and Social Innovation Research Group, Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CEES), Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Julia Puigbó
- SJD MIND Schools Program, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miquel Casas
- SJD MIND Schools Program, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Privada d'Investigació Sant Pau (FISP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Ribasés
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
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Yuan C, Shu X, Hu Z, Jie Z. Genetic prediction of the relationship between metabolic syndrome and colorectal cancer risk: a Mendelian randomization study. Diabetol Metab Syndr 2024; 16:109. [PMID: 38773583 PMCID: PMC11110320 DOI: 10.1186/s13098-024-01351-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite a growing body of observational studies indicating a potential link between metabolic syndrome and colorectal cancer, a definitive causal relationship has yet to be established. This study aimed to elucidate the causal relationship between metabolic syndrome and colorectal cancer through Mendelian randomization. METHODS We screened for instrumental variables associated with metabolic syndrome and its diagnostic components and with colorectal cancer through the use of a genome-wide association study database, and conducted a preliminary Mendelian randomization analysis. To corroborate the dependability of our conclusions, an additional dataset was used for replication analysis in a Mendelian randomization method, which was further integrated with a meta-analysis. RESULTS Preliminary analysis using the inverse variance weighted method revealed positive correlations between metabolic syndrome (OR [95% CI] = 1.37[1.15-1.63], P = 5.02 × 10-4) and waist circumference (OR [95% CI] = 1.39[1.21-1.61], P = 7.38 × 10-6) and the risk of colorectal cancer. Replication analysis also revealed the same results: metabolic syndrome (OR [95% CI] = 1.24[1.02-1.51], P = 0.030) and waist circumference (OR [95% CI] = 1.23[1.05-1.45], P = 0.013). The meta-analysis results further confirmed the associations between metabolic syndrome (OR [95% CI] = 1.31[1.15-1.49], P < 0.001) and waist circumference (OR [95% CI] = 1.32[1.18-1.47], P < 0.001) and colorectal cancer. CONCLUSION Our study indicated that metabolic syndrome increases the risk of CRC, particularly in patients with abdominal obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chendong Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China
- Medical Innovation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xufeng Shu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China
- Medical Innovation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zhenzhen Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zhigang Jie
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China.
- Medical Innovation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China.
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Jewett EM. CORRECTING MODEL MISSPECIFICATION IN RELATIONSHIP ESTIMATES. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.13.594005. [PMID: 38868169 PMCID: PMC11167690 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.13.594005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The datasets of large genotyping biobanks and direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies contain many related individuals. Until now, it has been widely accepted that the most distant relationships that can be detected are around fifteen degrees (approximately 8 th cousins) and that practical relationship estimates have a ceiling around ten degrees (approximately 5 th cousins). However, we show that these assumptions are incorrect and that they are due to a misapplication of relationship estimators. In particular, relationship estimators are applied almost exclusively to putative relatives who have been identified because they share detectable tracts of DNA identically by descent (IBD). However, no existing relationship estimator conditions on the event that two individuals share at least one detectable segment of IBD anywhere in the genome. As a result, the relationship estimates obtained using existing estimators are dramatically biased for distant relationships, inferring all sufficiently distant relationships to be around ten degrees regardless of the depth of the true relationship. Moreover, existing relationship estimators are derived under a model that assumes that each pair of related individuals shares a single common ancestor (or mating pair of ancestors). This model breaks down for relationships beyond 10 generations in the past because individuals share many thousands of cryptic common ancestors due to pedigree collapse. We first derive a corrected likelihood that conditions on the event that at least one segment is observed between a pair of putative relatives and we demonstrate that the corrected likelihood largely eliminates the bias in estimates of pairwise relationships and provides a more accurate characterization of the uncertainty in these estimates. We then reformulate the relationship inference problem to account for the fact that individuals share many common ancestors, not just one. We demonstrate that the most distant relationship that can be inferred may be forty degrees or more, rather than ten, extending the time-to-common ancestor from approximately 200 years in the past to approximately 600 years in the past or more. This dramatic increase in the range of relationship estimators makes it possible to infer relationships whose common ancestors lived before historical events such as European settlement of the Americas and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and possibly much earlier.
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Lu T, Chen Y, Yoshiji S, Ilboudo Y, Forgetta V, Zhou S, Greenwood CMT. Circulating Metabolite Abundances Associated With Risks of Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Depression: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01285-X. [PMID: 38705554 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preventive measures and treatments for psychiatric disorders are limited. Circulating metabolites are potential candidates for biomarker and therapeutic target identification, given their measurability and essential roles in biological processes. METHODS Leveraging large-scale genome-wide association studies, we conducted Mendelian randomization analyses to assess the associations between circulating metabolite abundances and the risks of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression. Genetic instruments were selected for 94 metabolites measured in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging cohort (N = 8299). We repeated Mendelian randomization analyses based on the UK Biobank, INTERVAL, and EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer)-Norfolk studies. RESULTS After validating Mendelian randomization assumptions and colocalization evidence, we found that a 1 SD increase in genetically predicted circulating abundances of eicosapentaenoate and docosapentaenoate was associated with odds ratios of 0.72 (95% CI, 0.65-0.79) and 0.63 (95% CI, 0.55-0.72), respectively, for bipolar disorder. Genetically increased Ω-3 unsaturated fatty acids abundance and Ω-3-to-total fatty acids ratio, as well as genetically decreased Ω-6-to-Ω-3 ratio, were negatively associated with the risk of bipolar disorder in the UK Biobank. Genetically increased circulating abundances of 3 N-acetyl-amino acids were associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia with a maximum odds ratio of 1.31 (95% CI, 1.18-1.44) per 1 SD increase. Furthermore, a 1 SD increase in genetically predicted circulating abundance of hypotaurine was associated with an odds ratio of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.78-0.93) for depression. CONCLUSIONS The biological mechanisms that underlie Ω-3 unsaturated fatty acids, NAT8-catalyzed N-acetyl-amino acids, and hypotaurine warrant exploration to identify new biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyuan Lu
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Yiheng Chen
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Five Prime Sciences Inc., Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Satoshi Yoshiji
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Kyoto-McGill International Collaborative Program in Genomic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yann Ilboudo
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Sirui Zhou
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Celia M T Greenwood
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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Assary E, Coleman J, Hemani G, van Der Veijer M, Howe L, Palviainen T, Grasby K, Ahlskog R, Nygaard M, Cheesman R, Lim K, Reynolds C, Ordoñana J, Colodro-Conde L, Gordon S, Madrid-Valero J, Thalamuthu A, Hottenga JJ, Mengel-From J, Armstrong NJ, Sachdev P, Lee T, Brodaty H, Trollor J, Wright M, Ames D, Catts V, Latvala A, Vuoksimaa E, Mallard T, Harden K, Tucker-Drob E, Oskarsson S, Hammond C, Christensen K, Taylor M, Lundström S, Larsson H, Karlsson R, Pedersen N, Mather K, Medland S, Boomsma D, Martin N, Plomin R, Bartels M, Lichtenstein P, Kaprio J, Eley T, Davies N, Munroe P, Keers R. Genetics of environmental sensitivity to psychiatric and neurodevelopmental phenotypes: evidence from GWAS of monozygotic twins. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4333635. [PMID: 38746362 PMCID: PMC11092831 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4333635/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Individual sensitivity to environmental exposures may be genetically influenced. This genotype-by-environment interplay implies differences in phenotypic variance across genotypes. However, environmental sensitivity genetic variants have proven challenging to detect. GWAS of monozygotic twin differences is a family-based variance analysis method, which is more robust to systemic biases that impact population-based methods. We combined data from up to 21,792 monozygotic twins (10,896 pairs) from 11 studies to conduct the largest GWAS meta-analysis of monozygotic phenotypic differences in children and adolescents/adults for seven psychiatric and neurodevelopmental phenotypes: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, autistic traits, anxiety and depression symptoms, psychotic-like experiences, neuroticism, and wellbeing. The SNP-heritability of variance in these phenotypes were estimated (h2: 0% to 18%), but were imprecise. We identified a total of 13 genome-wide significant associations (SNP, gene, and gene-set), including genes related to stress-reactivity for depression, growth factor-related genes for autistic traits and catecholamine uptake-related genes for psychotic-like experiences. Monozygotic twins are an important new source of evidence about the genetics of environmental sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan Coleman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London
| | | | | | | | - Teemu Palviainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University of Helsinki, Helsinki
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Karen Mather
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, Psychiatry, University of New South Wales (UNSW)
| | | | - D Boomsma
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Robert Plomin
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London
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24
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Qin Y, Yang X, Ning Z. Causal roles of educational duration in bone mineral density and risk factors for osteoporosis: a Mendelian randomization study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2024; 25:345. [PMID: 38693494 PMCID: PMC11064366 DOI: 10.1186/s12891-024-07428-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Educational duration might play a vital role in preventing the occurrence and development of osteoporosis(OP). PURPOSE To assess the causal effect of educational duration on bone mineral density(BMD) and risk factors for OP by Mendelian randomization(MR) study. METHODS The causal relationship was analyzed using data from genome-wide association study(GWAS). Inverse variance weighting (IVW) was used as the main analysis method. Horizontal pleiotropy was identified by MR-Egger intercept test, MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) test. The leave-one-out method was used as a sensitivity analysis. RESULTS The IVW results indicated that there was a positive causal relationship between educational duration and BMD (OR = 1.012, 95%CI:1.003-1.022), physical activity(PA) (OR = 1.156, 95%CI:1.032-1.295), calcium consumption (OR = 1.004, 95%CI:1.002-1.005), and coffee intake (OR = 1.019, 95%CI:1.014-1.024). There was a negative association between whole body fat mass (OR = 0.950, 95%CI:0.939-0.961), time for vigorous PA (OR = 0.955, 95%CI:0.939-0.972), sunbath (OR = 0.987, 95%CI:0.986-0.989), salt consumption (OR = 0.965, 95%CI:0.959-0.971), fizzy drink intake (OR = 0.985, 95%CI:0.978-0.992), smoking (OR = 0.969, 95%CI:0.964-0.975), and falling risk (OR = 0.976, 95%CI:0.965-0.987). There was no significant association between educational duration and lean mass, time for light-to-moderate PA, milk intake, and alcohol intake. Horizontal pleiotropy was absent in this study. The results were robust under sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION A longer educational duration was causally linked with increased BMD. No causal relationship had been found between educational duration and lean mass, time for light-to-moderate PA, milk intake, and alcohol consumption as risk factors for osteoporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujun Qin
- Department of General Practice, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, P.R. China.
- The People's Hospital of Hechi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hechi, P.R. China.
| | - Xia Yang
- Department of General Practice, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, P.R. China
| | - Zong Ning
- Department of General Practice, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, P.R. China.
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25
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Demange PA, Boomsma DI, van Bergen E, Nivard MG. Evaluating the causal relationship between educational attainment and mental health. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2023.01.26.23285029. [PMID: 36747639 PMCID: PMC9901051 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.26.23285029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the causal relationship between educational attainment (EA) and mental health using two research designs. First, we compare the relationship between EA and 18 psychiatric diagnoses within sibship in Dutch national registry data (N=1.7 million), thereby controlling for unmeasured familial factors. Second, we apply two-sample Mendelian Randomization, which uses genetic variants related to EA or psychiatric diagnosis as instrumental variables, to test whether there is a causal relation in either direction. Our results suggest that lower levels of EA causally increase the risk of MDD, ADHD, alcohol dependence, GAD and PTSD diagnoses. We also find evidence of a causal effect of ADHD on EA. For schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa, OCD, and bipolar disorder, results were inconsistent across the different approaches, highlighting the importance of using multiple research designs to understand complex relationships such as between EA and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perline A Demange
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Research Institute LEARN!, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Mental Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elsje van Bergen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Research Institute LEARN!, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Mental Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michel G Nivard
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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26
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Boardman JD, Harris KM, Finch BK. Pathways between a polygenic index for education and years of completed schooling: the presentation of self and assessment of others. BIODEMOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL BIOLOGY 2024; 69:102-109. [PMID: 38828740 PMCID: PMC11208116 DOI: 10.1080/19485565.2024.2355891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Polygenic scores (PGS) are broadly misconstrued as reflecting direct causal genetic effects on their respective phenotypes. While this assumption might be accurate for some anthropometric traits like height, more complex traits such as educational attainment show very large indirect effects that stem from many sources. One unexplored source of confounding is the possibility of evocative gene-environment correlation (rGE). Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we examine the relationship between interviewer assessments of respondent appearance as a function of education PGS. We show a bivariate association between educational PGS and 1) perceived grooming, 2) physical attractiveness, and 3) personality. We then regress years of education on the educational PGS and show that very little of the association (~1-2%) is mediated by attractiveness or personality but 7.5% of the baseline association is confounded with how others may perceive grooming. These results highlight the importance of social-behavioral mechanisms that may link specific genotypes to successful transitions through high school and college and continue to bridge research from the social and biological sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D Boardman
- Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Sociology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Kathleen Mullan Harris
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Brian Karl Finch
- Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Sociology & Spatial Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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27
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Veller C, Coop GM. Interpreting population- and family-based genome-wide association studies in the presence of confounding. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002511. [PMID: 38603516 PMCID: PMC11008796 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
A central aim of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) is to estimate direct genetic effects: the causal effects on an individual's phenotype of the alleles that they carry. However, estimates of direct effects can be subject to genetic and environmental confounding and can also absorb the "indirect" genetic effects of relatives' genotypes. Recently, an important development in controlling for these confounds has been the use of within-family GWASs, which, because of the randomness of mendelian segregation within pedigrees, are often interpreted as producing unbiased estimates of direct effects. Here, we present a general theoretical analysis of the influence of confounding in standard population-based and within-family GWASs. We show that, contrary to common interpretation, family-based estimates of direct effects can be biased by genetic confounding. In humans, such biases will often be small per-locus, but can be compounded when effect-size estimates are used in polygenic scores (PGSs). We illustrate the influence of genetic confounding on population- and family-based estimates of direct effects using models of assortative mating, population stratification, and stabilizing selection on GWAS traits. We further show how family-based estimates of indirect genetic effects, based on comparisons of parentally transmitted and untransmitted alleles, can suffer substantial genetic confounding. We conclude that, while family-based studies have placed GWAS estimation on a more rigorous footing, they carry subtle issues of interpretation that arise from confounding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Veller
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Graham M. Coop
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, and Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
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Dixon P, Martin RM, Harrison S. Causal Estimation of Long-term Intervention Cost-effectiveness Using Genetic Instrumental Variables: An Application to Cancer. Med Decis Making 2024; 44:283-295. [PMID: 38426435 PMCID: PMC10988994 DOI: 10.1177/0272989x241232607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This article demonstrates a means of assessing long-term intervention cost-effectiveness in the absence of data from randomized controlled trials and without recourse to Markov simulation or similar types of cohort simulation. METHODS Using a Mendelian randomization study design, we developed causal estimates of the genetically predicted effect of bladder, breast, colorectal, lung, multiple myeloma, ovarian, prostate, and thyroid cancers on health care costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) using outcome data drawn from the UK Biobank cohort. We then used these estimates in a simulation model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical population-wide preventative intervention based on a repurposed class of antidiabetic drugs known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors very recently shown to reduce the odds of incident prostate cancer. RESULTS Genetic liability to prostate cancer and breast cancer had material causal impacts on either or both health care costs and QALYs. Mendelian randomization results for the less common cancers were associated with considerable uncertainty. SGLT2 inhibition was unlikely to be a cost-effective preventative intervention for prostate cancer, although this conclusion depended on the price at which these drugs would be offered for a novel anticancer indication. IMPLICATIONS Our new causal estimates of cancer exposures on health economic outcomes may be used as inputs into decision-analytic models of cancer interventions such as screening programs or simulations of longer-term outcomes associated with therapies investigated in randomized controlled trials with short follow-ups. Our method allowed us to rapidly and efficiently estimate the cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical population-scale anticancer intervention to inform and complement other means of assessing long-term intervention value. HIGHLIGHTS The article demonstrates a novel method of assessing long-term intervention cost-effectiveness without relying on randomized controlled trials or cohort simulations.Mendelian randomization was used to estimate the causal effects of certain cancers on health care costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) using data from the UK Biobank cohort.Given causal data on the association of different cancer exposures on costs and QALYs, it was possible to simulate the cost-effectiveness of an anticancer intervention.Genetic liability to prostate cancer and breast cancer significantly affected health care costs and QALYs, but the hypothetical intervention using SGLT2 inhibitors for prostate cancer may not be cost-effective, depending on the drug's price for the new anticancer indication. The methods we propose and implement can be used to efficiently estimate intervention cost-effectiveness and to inform decision making in all manner of preventative and therapeutic contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padraig Dixon
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Richard M. Martin
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Sean Harrison
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- UK Health Security Agency
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29
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Frach L, Barkhuizen W, Allegrini AG, Ask H, Hannigan LJ, Corfield EC, Andreassen OA, Dudbridge F, Ystrom E, Havdahl A, Pingault JB. Examining intergenerational risk factors for conduct problems using polygenic scores in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:951-961. [PMID: 38225381 PMCID: PMC11176059 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02383-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
The aetiology of conduct problems involves a combination of genetic and environmental factors, many of which are inherently linked to parental characteristics given parents' central role in children's lives across development. It is important to disentangle to what extent links between parental heritable characteristics and children's behaviour are due to transmission of genetic risk or due to parental indirect genetic influences via the environment (i.e., genetic nurture). We used 31,290 genotyped mother-father-child trios from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), testing genetic transmission and genetic nurture effects on conduct problems using 13 polygenic scores (PGS) spanning psychiatric conditions, substance use, education-related factors, and other risk factors. Maternal or self-reports of conduct problems at ages 8 and 14 years were available for up to 15,477 children. We found significant genetic transmission effects on conduct problems for 12 out of 13 PGS at age 8 years (strongest association: PGS for smoking, β = 0.07, 95% confidence interval = [0.05, 0.08]) and for 4 out of 13 PGS at age 14 years (strongest association: PGS for externalising problems, β = 0.08, 95% confidence interval = [0.05, 0.11]). Conversely, we did not find genetic nurture effects for conduct problems using our selection of PGS. Our findings provide evidence for genetic transmission in the association between parental characteristics and child conduct problems. Our results may also indicate that genetic nurture via traits indexed by our polygenic scores is of limited aetiological importance for conduct problems-though effects of small magnitude or effects via parental traits not captured by the included PGS remain a possibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Frach
- Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Wikus Barkhuizen
- Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrea G Allegrini
- Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Helga Ask
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Laurie J Hannigan
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Elizabeth C Corfield
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental disorders, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Frank Dudbridge
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Eivind Ystrom
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Alexandra Havdahl
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jean-Baptiste Pingault
- Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Young AS. Genome-wide association studies have problems due to confounding: Are family-based designs the answer? PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002568. [PMID: 38607978 PMCID: PMC11014432 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) can be affected by confounding. Family-based GWAS uses random, within-family genetic variation to avoid this. A study in PLOS Biology details how different sources of confounding affect GWAS and whether family-based designs offer a solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Strudwick Young
- UCLA Anderson School of Management, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Human Genetics Department, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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Cao J, Ma Y, Zhao W, Feng C. Age at menarche and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a two-sample mendelian randomization study. BMC Pulm Med 2024; 24:117. [PMID: 38448907 PMCID: PMC10916238 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-024-02936-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex difference in the incidence rate of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) indicates that estrogen has a certain protective effect on the disease. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of study investigating the association between factors pertaining to endogenous estrogen exposure level, such as age at menarche (AAM) in women, and IPF. Our study intended to employ Mendelian randomization (MR) method to elucidate the causal association between AAM and IPF. METHODS Our study utilized AAM as a measure of endogenous estrogen exposure and investigated its causal effect on the risk of IPF through MR. We employed the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method to assess the causal relationship between AAM and IPF risk, with supplementary analyses conducted using the weighted median estimator (WME) and MR-Egger method. Several sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the dependability of MR estimates. RESULTS A total of 9 selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with AAM were selected as instrumental variables. The IVW method showed that genetically later AAM was associated with an increased risk of IPF (odds ratio [OR] = 1.0014, 95%confidence interval [CI] = 1.0005-1.0023, p = 0.001). The median weighting method and the MR-Egger method obtained similar estimates, and no heterogeneity or pleiotropy was found, indicating that the results were robust. CONCLUSIONS Our MR study suggested a causal relationship between a later onset of menarche and a heightened susceptibility to IPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Cao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, 213003, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yazhou Ma
- Department of Neurology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, 213003, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, 213003, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chunlai Feng
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, 213003, Jiangsu, China.
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32
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Wang J, Wang Y, Ou Q, Yang S, Jing J, Fang J. Computer gaming alters resting-state brain networks, enhancing cognitive and fluid intelligence in players: evidence from brain imaging-derived phenotypes-wide Mendelian randomization. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae061. [PMID: 38436466 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The debate on whether computer gaming enhances players' cognitive function is an ongoing and contentious issue. Aiming to delve into the potential impacts of computer gaming on the players' cognitive function, we embarked on a brain imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs)-wide Mendelian randomization (MR) study, utilizing publicly available data from a European population. Our findings indicate that computer gaming has a positive impact on fluid intelligence (odds ratio [OR] = 6.264, P = 4.361 × 10-10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.520-11.147) and cognitive function (OR = 3.322, P = 0.002, 95% CI 1.563-7.062). Out of the 3062 brain IDPs analyzed, only one phenotype, IDP NET100 0378, was significantly influenced by computer gaming (OR = 4.697, P = 1.10 × 10-5, 95% CI 2.357-9.361). Further MR analysis suggested that alterations in the IDP NET100 0378 caused by computer gaming may be a potential factor affecting fluid intelligence (OR = 1.076, P = 0.041, 95% CI 1.003-1.153). Our MR study lends support to the notion that computer gaming can facilitate the development of players' fluid intelligence by enhancing the connectivity between the motor cortex in the resting-state brain and key regions such as the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the language center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiadong Wang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou City University School of Medicine, 50 Huzhou Street, Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The Second Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Street, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Qian Ou
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 866 Yvhangtang Street, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Sengze Yang
- School of Economics and Management, Harbin University of Science and Technology, 4 Linyuan Street, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Jiajie Jing
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou City University School of Medicine, 50 Huzhou Street, Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Jiaqi Fang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou City University School of Medicine, 50 Huzhou Street, Hangzhou 310015, China
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Rauf T, Freese J. Genetic influences on depression and selection into adverse life experiences. Soc Sci Med 2024; 344:116633. [PMID: 38324978 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies find that a large number of genetic variants jointly influence the risk of depression, which is summarized by polygenic indices (PGIs) of depressive symptoms and major depression. But PGIs by design remain agnostic about the causal mechanisms linking genes to depression. Meanwhile, the role of adverse life experiences in shaping depression risk is well-documented, including via gene-environment correlation. Building on theoretical work on dynamic and contingent genetic selection, we suggest that genetic influences may lead to differential selection into negative life experiences, forging gene-environment correlations that manifest in various permutations of depressive behaviors and environmental adversities. We also examine the extent to which apparent genetic influences may reflect spurious associations due to factors such as indirect genetic effects. Using data from two large surveys of middle-aged and older US adults, we investigate to what extent a PGI of depression predicts the risk of 27 different adversities. Further, to glean insights about the kinds of processes that might lead to gene-environment correlation, we augment these analyses with data from an original preregistered survey to measure cultural understandings of the behavioral dependence of various adversities. We find that the PGI predicts the risk of majority of adversities, net of class background and prior depression, and that the selection risk is greater for adversities typically perceived as being dependent on peoples' own behaviors. Taken together, our findings suggest that the PGI of depression largely picks up the risk of behaviorally-influenced adversities, but to a lesser degree also captures other environmental influences. The results invite further exploration into the behavioral and interactional processes that lie along the pathways intervening between genetic differences and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamkinat Rauf
- Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
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Meijsen J, Hu K, Krebs MD, Athanasiadis G, Washbrook S, Zetterberg R, e Silva RNA, Shorter JR, Gådin JR, Bergstedt J, Howard DM, Ye W, Lu Y, Valdimarsdóttir UA, Ingason A, Mikkelsen DH, Plana-Ripoll O, McGrath JJ, Micali N, Andreassen OA, Werge TM, Fang F, Buil A. Quantifying the Relative Importance of Genetics and Environment on the Comorbidity between Mental- and Cardiometabolic Disorders: A Comprehensive Analysis of National Register Data from 17 million Scandinavians. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.02.29.24303530. [PMID: 38464139 PMCID: PMC10925466 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.29.24303530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Mental disorders (MDs) are leading causes of disability and premature death worldwide, partly due to high comorbidity with cardiometabolic disorders (CMDs). Reasons for this comorbidity are still poorly understood. We leverage nation-wide health records and complete genealogies of Denmark and Sweden (n=17 million) to reveal the genetic and environmental contributions underlying the observed comorbidity between six MDs and 14 CMDs. Genetic factors contributed about 50% to the comorbidity of schizophrenia, affective disorders, and autism spectrum disorder with CMDs, whereas the comorbidity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and anorexia with CMDs was mainly or fully driven by environmental factors. These findings provide causal insight to guide clinical and scientific initiatives directed at achieving mechanistic understanding as well as preventing and alleviating the consequences of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joeri Meijsen
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kejia Hu
- Unit of Integrative Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Morten Dybdahl Krebs
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Georgios Athanasiadis
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sarah Washbrook
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Richard Zetterberg
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Raquel Nogueira Avelar e Silva
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - John R. Shorter
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Denmark
| | - Jesper R. Gådin
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jacob Bergstedt
- Unit of Integrative Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David M. Howard
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Weimin Ye
- Unit of Integrative Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Yi Lu
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Unnur A. Valdimarsdóttir
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrés Ingason
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dorte Helenius Mikkelsen
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Oleguer Plana-Ripoll
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - John J. McGrath
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- National Centre for Register-based Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nadia Micali
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- Center for Eating and feeding Disorders research, Psychiatric Centre Ballerup, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ole A. Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental disorders, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Thomas M. Werge
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Fang Fang
- Unit of Integrative Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alfonso Buil
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Copenhagen, Denmark
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Lappalainen T, Li YI, Ramachandran S, Gusev A. Genetic and molecular architecture of complex traits. Cell 2024; 187:1059-1075. [PMID: 38428388 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Human genetics has emerged as one of the most dynamic areas of biology, with a broadening societal impact. In this review, we discuss recent achievements, ongoing efforts, and future challenges in the field. Advances in technology, statistical methods, and the growing scale of research efforts have all provided many insights into the processes that have given rise to the current patterns of genetic variation. Vast maps of genetic associations with human traits and diseases have allowed characterization of their genetic architecture. Finally, studies of molecular and cellular effects of genetic variants have provided insights into biological processes underlying disease. Many outstanding questions remain, but the field is well poised for groundbreaking discoveries as it increases the use of genetic data to understand both the history of our species and its applications to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuuli Lappalainen
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA; Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Yang I Li
- Section of Genetic Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sohini Ramachandran
- Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Center for Computational Molecular Biology, and the Data Science Institute, Brown University, Providence, RI 029129, USA
| | - Alexander Gusev
- Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
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36
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Faraone SV, Bellgrove MA, Brikell I, Cortese S, Hartman CA, Hollis C, Newcorn JH, Philipsen A, Polanczyk GV, Rubia K, Sibley MH, Buitelaar JK. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2024; 10:11. [PMID: 38388701 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-024-00495-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; also known as hyperkinetic disorder) is a common neurodevelopmental condition that affects children and adults worldwide. ADHD has a predominantly genetic aetiology that involves common and rare genetic variants. Some environmental correlates of the disorder have been discovered but causation has been difficult to establish. The heterogeneity of the condition is evident in the diverse presentation of symptoms and levels of impairment, the numerous co-occurring mental and physical conditions, the various domains of neurocognitive impairment, and extensive minor structural and functional brain differences. The diagnosis of ADHD is reliable and valid when evaluated with standard diagnostic criteria. Curative treatments for ADHD do not exist but evidence-based treatments substantially reduce symptoms and/or functional impairment. Medications are effective for core symptoms and are usually well tolerated. Some non-pharmacological treatments are valuable, especially for improving adaptive functioning. Clinical and neurobiological research is ongoing and could lead to the creation of personalized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen V Faraone
- Departments of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience and Physiology, Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
| | - Mark A Bellgrove
- School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Isabell Brikell
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Samuele Cortese
- Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences (CNS and Psychiatry), Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Solent NHS Trust, Southampton, UK
- Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York University Child Study Center, New York City, NY, USA
- DiMePRe-J-Department of Precision and Rigenerative Medicine-Jonic Area, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Catharina A Hartman
- Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation (ICPE), Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Chris Hollis
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) MindTech MedTech Co-operative and NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Mental Health, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Jeffrey H Newcorn
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexandra Philipsen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Guilherme V Polanczyk
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Katya Rubia
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neurosciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Transcampus Professor KCL-Dresden, Technical University, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Darrous L, Hemani G, Davey Smith G, Kutalik Z. PheWAS-based clustering of Mendelian Randomisation instruments reveals distinct mechanism-specific causal effects between obesity and educational attainment. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1420. [PMID: 38360877 PMCID: PMC10869347 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45655-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Mendelian Randomisation (MR) estimates causal effects between risk factors and complex outcomes using genetic instruments. Pleiotropy, heritable confounders, and heterogeneous causal effects violate MR assumptions and can lead to biases. To alleviate these, we propose an approach employing a Phenome-Wide association Clustering of the MR instruments (PWC-MR) and apply this method to revisit the surprisingly large apparent causal effect of body mass index (BMI) on educational attainment (EDU): [Formula: see text] = -0.19 [-0.22, -0.16]. First, we cluster 324 BMI-associated genetic instruments based on their association with 407 traits in the UK Biobank, which yields six distinct groups. Subsequent cluster-specific MR reveals heterogeneous causal effect estimates on EDU. A cluster enriched for socio-economic indicators yields the largest BMI-on-EDU causal effect estimate ([Formula: see text] = -0.49 [-0.56, -0.42]) whereas a cluster enriched for body-mass specific traits provides a more likely estimate ([Formula: see text] = -0.09 [-0.13, -0.05]). Follow-up analyses confirms these findings: within-sibling MR ([Formula: see text] = -0.05 [-0.09, -0.01]); MR for childhood BMI on EDU ([Formula: see text] = -0.03 [-0.06, -0.002]); step-wise multivariable MR ([Formula: see text] = -0.05 [-0.07, -0.02]) where socio-economic indicators are jointly modelled. Here we show how the in-depth examination of the BMI-EDU causal relationship demonstrates the utility of our PWC-MR approach in revealing distinct pleiotropic pathways and confounder mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza Darrous
- University Center for Primary Care and Public Health, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Gibran Hemani
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - George Davey Smith
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Zoltán Kutalik
- University Center for Primary Care and Public Health, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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38
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Cox SL, Nicklisch N, Francken M, Wahl J, Meller H, Haak W, Alt KW, Rosenstock E, Mathieson I. Socio-cultural practices may have affected sex differences in stature in Early Neolithic Europe. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:243-255. [PMID: 38081999 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01756-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
The rules and structure of human culture impact health as much as genetics or environment. To study these relationships, we combine ancient DNA (n = 230), skeletal metrics (n = 391), palaeopathology (n = 606) and dietary stable isotopes (n = 873) to analyse stature variation in Early Neolithic Europeans from North Central, South Central, Balkan and Mediterranean regions. In North Central Europe, stable isotopes and linear enamel hypoplasias indicate high environmental stress across sexes, but female stature is low, despite polygenic scores identical to males, and suggests that cultural factors preferentially supported male recovery from stress. In Mediterranean populations, sexual dimorphism is reduced, indicating male vulnerability to stress and no strong cultural preference for males. Our analysis indicates that biological effects of sex-specific inequities can be linked to cultural influences at least as early as 7,000 yr ago, and culture, more than environment or genetics, drove height disparities in Early Neolithic Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Cox
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Physical Anthropology Section, Penn Museum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Nicole Nicklisch
- Center of Natural and Cultural Human History, Danube Private University, Krems-Stein, Austria
| | - Michael Francken
- State Office for Cultural Heritage Management Baden-Württemberg, Osteology, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Joachim Wahl
- Paleoanthropology Section, Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Harald Meller
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, State Museum of Prehistory, Halle, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Haak
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kurt W Alt
- Center of Natural and Cultural Human History, Danube Private University, Krems-Stein, Austria
| | - Eva Rosenstock
- Bonn Center for ArchaeoSciences, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Iain Mathieson
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Jareebi MA, Lyall DM, Gharawi NF, Shami MO, Dahas N, Alfaifi RF, Hakami A, Darraj MA, Hakami FA, Hakami MH, Almalki HM, Hakami ZT, Alessa A, Alhazmi AA. Causal Associations of Modifiable Risk Factors With Migraine: Evidence From Mendelian Randomization Analysis. Cureus 2024; 16:e53448. [PMID: 38435140 PMCID: PMC10909377 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.53448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives The exact etiology of migraine is unknown; however, it is likely a mixture of genetic and non-genetic factors including lifestyle variables like smoking and diet. This study aims to assess the causal effect of modifiable risk factors on the risk of migraine using two-sample Mendelian randomization. Materials and methods The study used publicly available genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The study evaluated a diverse smoking exposure, encompassing age at smoking initiation, smoking intensity, and maternal smoking, alongside other pertinent risk factors, namely key dietary aspects, coffee consumption, BMI, and physical activity. Self-reported migraine was the outcome of the study. The genetic data for migraine were obtained from the FinnGen (Finland) and the UK Biobank (United Kingdom) cohorts. Results With sample sizes ranging from 64,949 to 632,802 for each risk factor collected from several consorts, the study included a total of 282 SNPs for all risk factors. The findings demonstrated that in the FinnGen consortium, genetically estimated dietary factors as well as BMI, were significantly associated with the risk of migraine (OR 0.765 per single unit of BMI, p = 0.011; OR 0.468 per one SD higher cheese intake, p = 0.012; OR 0.286 per one SD higher salad intake, p = 0.004, and 0.625 per one SD higher coffee consumption, p = 0.003, respectively). The results also showed that in the UK Biobank specifically, a genetically estimated history of maternal smoking was significantly associated with an elevated risk of migraine (OR=1.02, p=0.004). Conclusions The latest study implies a connection between maternal smoking and a heightened risk of migraines, whereas cheese intake, salad intake, coffee consumption, BMI, and physical activity are associated with a lower risk of migraine development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Donald M Lyall
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, GBR
| | | | | | - Najwa Dahas
- Medicine and Surgery, Jazan University, Jazan, SAU
| | - Rashed F Alfaifi
- Directorate General of Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Jazan, SAU
| | | | | | - Faris A Hakami
- Directorate General of Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Jazan, SAU
| | - Mohammed H Hakami
- Directorate General of Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Jazan, SAU
| | - Hassan M Almalki
- Directorate General of Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Jazan, SAU
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Chen Y, Peng W, Pang M, Zhu B, Liu H, Hu D, Luo Y, Wang S, Wu S, He J, Yang Y, Peng D. The effects of psychiatric disorders on the risk of chronic heart failure: a univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization study. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1306150. [PMID: 38299073 PMCID: PMC10827915 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1306150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Substantial evidence suggests an association between psychiatric disorders and chronic heart failure. However, further investigation is needed to confirm the causal relationship between these psychiatric disorders and chronic heart failure. To address this, we evaluated the potential effects of five psychiatric disorders on chronic heart failure using two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR). Methods We selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with chronic heart failure and five psychiatric disorders (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia (SCZ)). Univariable (UVMR) and multivariable two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MVMR) were employed to assess causality between these conditions. Ever smoked and alcohol consumption were controlled for mediating effects in the multivariable MR. The inverse variance weighting (IVW) and Wald ratio estimator methods served as the primary analytical methods for estimating potential causal effects. MR-Egger and weighted median analyses were also conducted to validate the results. Sensitivity analyses included the funnel plot, leave-one-out, and MR-Egger intercept tests. Additionally, potential mediators were investigated through risk factor analyses. Results Genetically predicted heart failure was significantly associated with ADHD (odds ratio (OR), 1.12; 95% CI, 1.04-1.20; p = 0.001), ASD (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.07-1.56; p = 0.008), bipolar disorder (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.96; p = 0.001), major depression (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03-1.29; p = 0.015), SCZ (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00-1.07; p = 0.024). Several risk factors for heart failure are implicated in the above cause-and-effect relationship, including ever smoked and alcohol consumption. Conclusion Our study demonstrated ADHD, ASD, SCZ and major depression may have a causal relationship with an increased risk of heart failure. In contrast, bipolar disorder was associated with a reduced risk of heart failure, which could potentially be mediated by ever smoked and alcohol consumption. Therefore, prevention strategies for heart failure should also incorporate mental health considerations, and vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenke Peng
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Min Pang
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Botao Zhu
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Huixing Liu
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Die Hu
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yonghong Luo
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Sha Wu
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jia He
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Daoquan Peng
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Research Institute of Blood Lipid and Atherosclerosis, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Nivard MG, Belsky DW, Harden KP, Baier T, Andreassen OA, Ystrøm E, van Bergen E, Lyngstad TH. More than nature and nurture, indirect genetic effects on children's academic achievement are consequences of dynastic social processes. Nat Hum Behav 2024:10.1038/s41562-023-01796-2. [PMID: 38225408 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01796-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Families transmit genes and environments across generations. When parents' genetics affect their children's environments, these two modes of inheritance can produce an 'indirect genetic effect'. Such indirect genetic effects may account for up to half of the estimated genetic variance in educational attainment. Here we tested if indirect genetic effects reflect within-nuclear-family transmission ('genetic nurture') or instead a multi-generational process of social stratification ('dynastic effects'). We analysed indirect genetic effects on children's academic achievement in their fifth to ninth years of schooling in N = 37,117 parent-offspring trios in the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). We used pairs of genetically related families (parents were siblings, children were cousins; N = 10,913) to distinguish within-nuclear-family genetic-nurture effects from dynastic effects shared by cousins in different nuclear families. We found that indirect genetic effects on children's academic achievement cannot be explained by processes that operate exclusively within the nuclear family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel G Nivard
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Daniel W Belsky
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
- Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - K Paige Harden
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Tina Baier
- Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eivind Ystrøm
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Elsje van Bergen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Research Institute LEARN!, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Torkild H Lyngstad
- Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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Duan L, Li S, Li H, Shi Y, Xie X, Feng Y. Causality between rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of cognitive impairment: a Mendelian randomization study. Arthritis Res Ther 2024; 26:5. [PMID: 38167504 PMCID: PMC10759661 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-023-03245-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is mounting proof that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and cognitive decline are related. These studies, however, have not all been uniform, and others have not discovered such a correlation. It is essential to investigate the link between RA and cognitive decline. METHOD We conducted a Mendelian randomization analysis utilizing three different publicly accessible RA GWAS summary datasets and a variety of meticulously verified instrumental variables. We mostly used inverse variance weighting (IVW), as well as MR-Egger, weighted median, MR-PRESSO, and several sensitivity analyses, to figure out the link between RA and cognitive impairment (CI). RESULTS Our MR study identified the causality between RA and declining cognitive performance (β = - 0.010, 95% CI of - 0.017 to - 0.003, P = 4.33E-03) and cognitive function (β = - 0.029, 95% CI of - 0.053 to - 0.005, P = 1.93E-02). The consistent direction of the connection is revealed by sensitivity analysis utilizing the weighted median and the MR-Egger method. Furthermore, we reproduced our findings across two additional RA datasets and found identical outcomes, strengthening the validity of our findings. CONCLUSION This study offers proof of causality between RA and an increased risk of CI. Our findings highlight the importance of examining RA patients for cognitive ability, which may open up fresh ideas for the prevention of CI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lincheng Duan
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Shiyin Li
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Haoming Li
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yue Shi
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaolong Xie
- Meishan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Meishan Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Meishan, China.
| | - Yue Feng
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
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Irving-Pease EK, Refoyo-Martínez A, Barrie W, Ingason A, Pearson A, Fischer A, Sjögren KG, Halgren AS, Macleod R, Demeter F, Henriksen RA, Vimala T, McColl H, Vaughn AH, Speidel L, Stern AJ, Scorrano G, Ramsøe A, Schork AJ, Rosengren A, Zhao L, Kristiansen K, Iversen AKN, Fugger L, Sudmant PH, Lawson DJ, Durbin R, Korneliussen T, Werge T, Allentoft ME, Sikora M, Nielsen R, Racimo F, Willerslev E. The selection landscape and genetic legacy of ancient Eurasians. Nature 2024; 625:312-320. [PMID: 38200293 PMCID: PMC10781624 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06705-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The Holocene (beginning around 12,000 years ago) encompassed some of the most significant changes in human evolution, with far-reaching consequences for the dietary, physical and mental health of present-day populations. Using a dataset of more than 1,600 imputed ancient genomes1, we modelled the selection landscape during the transition from hunting and gathering, to farming and pastoralism across West Eurasia. We identify key selection signals related to metabolism, including that selection at the FADS cluster began earlier than previously reported and that selection near the LCT locus predates the emergence of the lactase persistence allele by thousands of years. We also find strong selection in the HLA region, possibly due to increased exposure to pathogens during the Bronze Age. Using ancient individuals to infer local ancestry tracts in over 400,000 samples from the UK Biobank, we identify widespread differences in the distribution of Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age ancestries across Eurasia. By calculating ancestry-specific polygenic risk scores, we show that height differences between Northern and Southern Europe are associated with differential Steppe ancestry, rather than selection, and that risk alleles for mood-related phenotypes are enriched for Neolithic farmer ancestry, whereas risk alleles for diabetes and Alzheimer's disease are enriched for Western hunter-gatherer ancestry. Our results indicate that ancient selection and migration were large contributors to the distribution of phenotypic diversity in present-day Europeans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan K Irving-Pease
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Alba Refoyo-Martínez
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - William Barrie
- GeoGenetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Andrés Ingason
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Services, Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Alice Pearson
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anders Fischer
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sealand Archaeology, Kalundborg, Denmark
| | - Karl-Göran Sjögren
- Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alma S Halgren
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ruairidh Macleod
- GeoGenetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Fabrice Demeter
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Eco-anthropologie, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Cité, Musée de l'Homme, Paris, France
| | - Rasmus A Henriksen
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tharsika Vimala
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hugh McColl
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andrew H Vaughn
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Leo Speidel
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Ancient Genomics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Aaron J Stern
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gabriele Scorrano
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Abigail Ramsøe
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andrew J Schork
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Services, Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
- Neurogenomics Division, The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN), Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Anders Rosengren
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Services, Copenhagen University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Lei Zhao
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristian Kristiansen
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Astrid K N Iversen
- Oxford Centre for Neuroinflammation, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lars Fugger
- Oxford Centre for Neuroinflammation, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Peter H Sudmant
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Daniel J Lawson
- Institute of Statistical Sciences, School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Richard Durbin
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thorfinn Korneliussen
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Werge
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Center Sct Hans, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten E Allentoft
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Science, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Martin Sikora
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rasmus Nielsen
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Departments of Integrative Biology and Statistics, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Fernando Racimo
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Eske Willerslev
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- GeoGenetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences and Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
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Drouard G, Wang Z, Heikkinen A, Foraster M, Julvez J, Kanninen KM, van Kamp I, Pirinen M, Ollikainen M, Kaprio J. Lifestyle differences between co-twins are associated with decreased similarity in their internal and external exposome profiles. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.12.12.23299868. [PMID: 38168348 PMCID: PMC10760270 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.12.23299868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Whether differences in lifestyle between co-twins are reflected in differences in their internal or external exposome profiles remains largely underexplored. We therefore investigated whether within-pair differences in lifestyle were associated with within-pair differences in exposome profiles across four domains: the external exposome, proteome, metabolome and epigenetic age acceleration (EAA). For each domain, we assessed the similarity of co-twin profiles using Gaussian similarities in up to 257 young adult same-sex twin pairs (54% monozygotic). We additionally tested whether similarity in one domain translated into greater similarity in another. Results suggest that a lower degree of similarity in co-twins' exposome profiles was associated with greater differences in their behavior and substance use. The strongest association was identified between excessive drinking behavior and the external exposome. Overall, our study demonstrates how social behavior and especially substance use are connected to the internal and external exposomes, while controlling for familial confounders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabin Drouard
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Zhiyang Wang
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aino Heikkinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maria Foraster
- PHAGEX Research Group, Blanquerna School of Health Science, Universitat Ramon Llull (URL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Julvez
- Clinical and epidemiological Neuroscience (NeuroÈpia), Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Spain
- ISGlobal, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona (PRBB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Katja M. Kanninen
- A.I.Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Irene van Kamp
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, Netherlands
| | - Matti Pirinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Miina Ollikainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Jareebi MA, Gharawi NF, Shami MO, Kariri AM, Hakami TF, Alamer NM, Alhazmi KM, Kariri AM, Darbashi AH, Kuriri AM, Someili AM. Unraveling the Complex Relationship Between Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Lifestyle Factors, and Interstitial Lung Disease: Insights From Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Analyses. Cureus 2023; 15:e51220. [PMID: 38283427 PMCID: PMC10821718 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.51220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Although the cause of interstitial lung disease (ILD) remains uncertain, it is believed to be a combination of genetic and non-inherited factors, such as smoking and diet. This research aims to evaluate the impact of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other modifiable risk factors on the likelihood of developing ILD by utilizing two-sample Mendelian randomization. Methodology The research utilized publicly accessible single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were deemed significant on a genome-wide scale. These SNPs were chosen from prior studies conducted by various consortia. The study examined GERD and a wide range of smoking habits, including the age at which individuals started smoking, the intensity of their smoking, and whether their mothers smoked. Additionally, the study considered other relevant risk factors such as key dietary factors, coffee consumption, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity. The study focused on self-reported ILD as its outcome measure. The genetic information for ILD was sourced from the FinnGen and UK Biobank (UKB) cohorts. Results The study encompassed a wide range of sample sizes, varying from 64,949 to 632,802, for each risk factor collected from multiple consortia. In total, 593 SNPs were included for all risk factors. The findings revealed significant associations between genetically estimated GERD, dietary factors, BMI, and the risk of ILD within the FinnGen consortium. The odds ratios (ORs) indicated an increase in the risk of ILD per unit of GERD (OR = 1.17, p = 0.001), smoking initiation (OR = 1.10, p < 0.05), BMI (OR = 1.15, p = 0.006), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (OR = 1.10, p = 0.02). On the other hand, there was a decrease in the risk of ILD per unit increase in coffee intake (OR = 0.64, p = 0.01) and physical activity (OR = 0.79, p=0.03). Additionally, the results demonstrated a significant association between genetically estimated GERD (OR = 1.01, p < 0.05), coffee intake (OR = 1.14, p=0.03), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) (OR = 1.01, p=0.04) and increased risk of ILD specifically within the UKB. Conclusions This research indicates that the development of ILDs may be causally associated with GERD and various factors such as coffee intake, smoking, BMI, physical activity, LDL, and HDL These results hold great importance in terms of devising effective strategies for the treatment and prevention of ILDs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mohammed O Shami
- Pediatrics, Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Health Affairs in Jazan, Jazan, SAU
| | - Alhassan M Kariri
- Internal Medicine, Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Health Affairs in Jazan, Jazan, SAU
| | - Tariq F Hakami
- Internal Medicine, Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Health Affairs in Jazan, Jazan, SAU
| | - Nasser M Alamer
- Internal Medicine, Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Health Affairs in Jazan, Jazan, SAU
| | - Khalid M Alhazmi
- Internal Medicine, Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Health Affairs in Jazan, Jazan, SAU
| | - Ali M Kariri
- Internal Medicine, Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Health Affairs in Jazan, Jazan, SAU
| | - Abdurahman H Darbashi
- Internal Medicine, Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Health Affairs in Jazan, Jazan, SAU
| | - Anwar M Kuriri
- Internal Medicine and Pulmonology, Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Health Affairs in Jazan, Jazan, SAU
- Internal Medicine and Pulmonology, King Fahad Central Hospital, Jazan, SAU
| | - Ali Mohammed Someili
- Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, SAU
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Furuya S, Liu J, Sun Z, Lu Q, Fletcher JM. Understanding Internal Migration: A Research Note Providing an Assessment of Migration Selection With Genetic Data. Demography 2023; 60:1631-1648. [PMID: 37937916 DOI: 10.1215/00703370-11053145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Migration is selective, resulting in inequalities between migrants and nonmigrants. However, investigating migration selection is empirically challenging because combined pre- and post-migration data are rarely available. We propose an alternative approach to assessing internal migration selection by integrating genetic data, enabling an investigation of migration selection with cross-sectional data collected post-migration. Using data from the UK Biobank, we utilized standard tools from statistical genetics to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for migration distance. We then calculated genetic correlations to compare GWAS results for migration with those for other characteristics. Given that individual genetics are determined at conception, these analyses allow a unique exploration of the association between pre-migration characteristics and migration. Results are generally consistent with the healthy migrant literature: genetics correlated with longer migration distance are associated with higher socioeconomic status and better health. We also extended the analysis to 53 traits and found novel correlations between migration and several physical health, mental health, personality, and sociodemographic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiro Furuya
- Department of Sociology, Center for Demography of Health and Aging, and Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jihua Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zhongxuan Sun
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Qiongshi Lu
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, and Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jason M Fletcher
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, Center for Demography and Ecology, La Follette School of Public Affairs, Department of Population Health Science, and Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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47
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Wang Z, Davey Smith G, Loos RJF, den Hoed M. Distilling causality between physical activity traits and obesity via Mendelian randomization. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2023; 3:173. [PMID: 38036650 PMCID: PMC10689836 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-023-00407-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whether obesity is a cause or consequence of low physical activity levels and more sedentary time has not yet been fully elucidated. Better instrumental variables and a more thorough consideration of potential confounding variables that may influence the causal inference between physical activity and obesity are needed. METHODS Leveraging results from our recent genome-wide association study for leisure time moderate-to-vigorous intensity (MV) physical activity and screen time, we here disentangle the causal relationships between physical activity, sedentary behavior, education-defined by years of schooling-and body mass index (BMI), using multiple univariable and multivariable Mendelian Randomization (MR) approaches. RESULTS Univariable MR analyses suggest bidirectional causal effects of physical activity and sedentary behavior with BMI. However, multivariable MR analyses that take years of schooling into account suggest that more MV physical activity causes a lower BMI, and a higher BMI causes more screen time, but not vice versa. In addition, more years of schooling causes higher levels of MV physical activity, less screen time, and lower BMI. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, our results highlight the beneficial effect of education on improved health and suggest that a more physically active lifestyle leads to lower BMI, while sedentary behavior is a consequence of higher BMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Wang
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - George Davey Smith
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol and NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Center, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol and NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Center, Bristol, UK
| | - Ruth J F Loos
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marcel den Hoed
- The Beijer Laboratory and Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University and SciLifeLab, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Andreu-Bernabeu Á, González-Peñas J, Arango C, Díaz-Caneja CM. Socioeconomic status and severe mental disorders: a bidirectional multivariable Mendelian randomisation study. BMJ MENTAL HEALTH 2023; 26:e300821. [PMID: 38007229 PMCID: PMC10680010 DOI: 10.1136/bmjment-2023-300821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the evidence supporting the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and severe mental disorders (SMD), the directionality of the associations between income or education and mental disorders is still poorly understood. OBJECTIVE To investigate the potential bidirectional causal relationships between genetic liability to the two main components of SES (income and educational attainment (EA)) on three SMD: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (BD) and depression. METHODS We performed a bidirectional, two-sample univariable Mendelian randomisation (UVMR) and multivariable Mendelian randomisation (MVMR) study using SES phenotypes (income, n=397 751 and EA, n=766 345) and SMD (schizophrenia, n=127 906; BD, n=51 710 and depression, n=500 119) genome-wide association studies summary-statistics to dissect the potential direct associations of income and EA with SMD. FINDINGS UVMR showed that genetic liability to higher income was associated with decreased risk of schizophrenia and depression, with a smaller reverse effect of schizophrenia and depression on income. Effects were comparable after adjusting for EA in the MVMR. UMVR showed bidirectional negative associations between genetic liability to EA and depression and positive associations between genetic liability to EA and BD, with no significant effects on schizophrenia. After accounting for income, MVMR showed a bidirectional positive direction between genetic liability to EA and BD and schizophrenia but not with depression. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest a heterogeneous link pattern between SES and SMD. We found a negative bidirectional association between genetic liability to income and the risk of schizophrenia and depression. On the contrary, we found a positive bidirectional relationship of genetic liability to EA with schizophrenia and BD, which only becomes apparent after adjusting for income in the case of schizophrenia. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS These findings shed light on the directional mechanisms between social determinants and mental disorders and suggest that income and EA should be studied separately in relation to mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Andreu-Bernabeu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), CIBERSAM, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier González-Peñas
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), CIBERSAM, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Celso Arango
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), CIBERSAM, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Covadonga M Díaz-Caneja
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM), CIBERSAM, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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49
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Veller C, Przeworski M, Coop G. Causal interpretations of family GWAS in the presence of heterogeneous effects. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.13.566950. [PMID: 38014124 PMCID: PMC10680648 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.13.566950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Family-based genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have emerged as a gold standard for assessing causal effects of alleles and polygenic scores. Notably, family studies are often claimed to provide an unbiased estimate of the average causal effect (or average treatment effect; ATE) of an allele, on the basis of an analogy between the random transmission of alleles from parents to children and a randomized controlled trial. Here, we show that this interpretation does not hold in general. Because Mendelian segregation only randomizes alleles among children of heterozygotes, the effects of alleles in the children of homozygotes are not observable. Consequently, if an allele has different average effects in the children of homozygotes and heterozygotes, as can arise in the presence of gene-by-environment interactions, gene-by-gene interactions, or differences in LD patterns, family studies provide a biased estimate of the average effect in the sample. At a single locus, family-based association studies can be thought of as providing an unbiased estimate of the average effect in the children of heterozygotes (i.e., a local average treatment effect; LATE). This interpretation does not extend to polygenic scores, however, because different sets of SNPs are heterozygous in each family. Therefore, other than under specific conditions, the within-family regression slope of a PGS cannot be assumed to provide an unbiased estimate for any subset or weighted average of families. Instead, family-based studies can be reinterpreted as enabling an unbiased estimate of the extent to which Mendelian segregation at loci in the PGS contributes to the population-level variance in the trait. Because this estimate does not include the between-family variance, however, this interpretation applies to only (roughly) half of the sample PGS variance. In practice, the potential biases of a family-based GWAS are likely smaller than those arising from confounding in a standard, population-based GWAS, and so family studies remain important for the dissection of genetic contributions to phenotypic variation. Nonetheless, the causal interpretation of family-based GWAS estimates is less straightforward than has been widely appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Veller
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago
| | - Molly Przeworski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University
| | - Graham Coop
- Center for Population Biology and Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis
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50
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Suri P, Elgaeva EE, Williams FMK, Freidin MB, Verzun DA, Tsepilov YA. Repurposing Antihypertensive and Statin Medications for Spinal Pain: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2023; 48:1568-1574. [PMID: 37539717 DOI: 10.1097/brs.0000000000004790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN Mendelian randomization (MR) study. OBJECTIVE To examine whether antihypertensive medications (beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors) and statins can be repurposed to prevent or treat spinal pain (back or neck pain). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Observational studies and a recent MR study have found associations between elevated blood pressure and a greater risk of back pain. Observational studies have found associations between hyperlipidemia and statin use and greater risk of back pain. No prior MR studies have examined the effects of antihypertensives or statins on spinal pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a two-sample MR study using publicly available summary statistics from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Sample sizes in exposure GWASs were n=757,601 (systolic blood pressure) and n=173,082 (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and n=1,028,947 for the outcome GWAS of spinal pain defined as health care seeking for any spinal pain-related diagnosis. Genes and cis-acting variants were identified as proxies for the drug targets of interest. MR analyses used inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis. The threshold for statistical significance after correction for multiple testing was P <0.0125. RESULTS No statistically significant associations of these medications with spinal pain were found. However, findings were suggestive of a protective effect of beta-blockers on spinal pain risk (odds ratio [OR] 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72-0.98; P =0.03), and calcium channel blockers on greater spinal pain risk (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.24; P =0.02). CONCLUSIONS A protective effect of beta-blockers on spinal pain was suggested in the current study, consistent with findings from observational studies of various other pain phenotypes. The detrimental effect of calcium channel blockers on spinal pain suggested in the current study must be interpreted in the context of conflicting directions of effect on nonspinal pain phenotypes in other observational studies.This Mendelian randomization study examined whether antihypertensive medications (beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors) and statins can be repurposed to prevent or treat spinal.This was a two-sample MR study using publicly available summary statistics from large-scale genome-wide association studies ranging size from 173,082 to 1,028,947 adults.While no statistically significant associations were found, a protective effect of beta-blockers on spinal pain was suggested (odds ratio [OR] 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72 to 0.98; p= 0.03), as was a detrimental effect of calcium channel blockers on spinal pain (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.24; p= 0.02).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Suri
- Division of Rehabilitation Care Services, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA
- Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA
- Clinical Learning, Evidence, and Research (CLEAR) Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Elizaveta E Elgaeva
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Laboratory of Recombination and Segregation Analysis, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Frances M K Williams
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Maxim B Freidin
- Department of Biology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, UK
| | - Dmitrii A Verzun
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Laboratory of Recombination and Segregation Analysis, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Yakov A Tsepilov
- Laboratory of Recombination and Segregation Analysis, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, Russia
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