Genetic associations with age of menopause in familial longevity

Thioredoxin Domain Containing 5 (TXNDC5): Friend or Foe?

This review focuses on the thioredoxin domain containing 5 (TXNDC5), also known as endoplasmic reticulum protein 46 (ERp46), a member of the protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family with a dual role in multiple diseases. TXNDC5 is highly expressed in endothelial cells, fibroblasts, pancreatic β-cells, liver cells, and hypoxic tissues, such as cancer endothelial cells and atherosclerotic plaques. TXNDC5 plays a crucial role in regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and antioxidative stress. Its potential significance in cancer warrants further investigation, given the altered and highly adaptable metabolism of tumor cells. It has been reported that both high and low levels of TXNDC5 expression are associated with multiple diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, brain diseases, and infections, as well as worse prognoses. TXNDC5 has been attributed to both oncogenic and tumor-suppressive features. It has been concluded that in cancer, TXNDC5 acts as a foe and responds to metabolic and cellular stress signals to promote the survival of tumor cells against apoptosis. Conversely, in normal cells, TXNDC5 acts as a friend to safeguard cells against oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Therefore, TXNDC5 could serve as a viable biomarker or even a potential pharmacological target.

The role and mechanism of TXNDC5 in disease progression

Thioredoxin domain containing protein-5 (TXNDC5), also known as endothelial protein-disulfide isomerase (Endo-PDI), is confined to the endoplasmic reticulum through the structural endoplasmic reticulum retention signal (KDEL), is a member of the PDI protein family and is highly expressed in the hypoxic state. TXNDC5 can regulate the rate of disulfide bond formation, isomerization and degradation of target proteins through its function as a protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), thereby altering protein conformation, activity and improving protein stability. Several studies have shown that there is a significant correlation between TXNDC5 gene polymorphisms and genetic susceptibility to inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid, fibrosis and tumors. In this paper, we detail the expression characteristics of TXNDC5 in a variety of diseases, summarize the mechanisms by which TXNDC5 promotes malignant disease progression, and summarize potential therapeutic strategies to target TXNDC5 for disease treatment.

Micronutrients intake and genetic variants associated with premature ovarian insufficiency; MASHAD cohort study

BACKGROUND AND AIM

premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is defined as the menopause before 40 years of age, and its prevalence is reported to be two-fold higher in Iranian women than the average for woman globally. POI is associated with several cardio/cerebrovascular complications as well as an increased overall mortality. Genetic factors, and serum levels of minerals and vitamin D, have been reported to be related to the prevalence of POI. We have investigated the association between some POI -related genotypes with the serum levels of some important micronutrients.

METHODS

One hundred and seventeen women with POI and 183 controls without any renal, hepatic, and thyroid abnormalities were recruited as part of the MASHAD study. Demographic and anthropometric features were recorded and blood samples were collected and processed. DNA was extracted from the buffy coat of blood samples from all participants and 8 POI-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were determined using ASO-PCR or Tetra ARMS-PCR. Serum minerals and vitamin D concentrations were measured using routine methods.

RESULTS

In women with POI, serum copper, phosphate, and calcium were significantly different for those with rs244715, rs16991615, and rs4806660 genotypes, respectively. In our control population, significant differences were also found in serum copper concentrations between different genotypes of rs4806660, rs7246479, rs1046089, and rs2303369. After adjusting for all confounding factors, the women with POI carrying TC genotype (rs4806660) had a lower risk to have serum copper levels < 80 (µg/dL) than those carrying a TT genotype. Furthermore, women with POI carrying GG genotype (rs244715) had a 6-fold higher risk to have serum copper levels > 155 than those carrying AA genotype.

CONCLUSION

The C and G alleles of the rs4806660 and rs244715 polymorphisms respectively are independently associated with serum copper in women with POI. Further studies are necessary to investigate the association of serum copper and other micronutrients in women and other POI -related polymorphisms.

Sex Hormones and Cardiovascular Disease in Relation to Menopause

Natural menopause is defined as the cessation of menstruation among women who have not undergone hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy. The implications of menopause management are particularly important with the aging of the population and increasing awareness of the importance of midlife risk upon longevity. Our understanding of the relationships between reproductive milestones and cardiovascular disease continues to evolve particularly regarding shared determinants of health.

Positive associations between menstrual lifespan, geriatric depression and healthy longevity in Chinese oldest-old and centenarian women

OBJECTIVE

Menstrual lifespan (ML) is an important biological characteristic for women. Rare evidence has established the associations between menopause age (MI), geriatric depression and healthy longevity. This study aimed to address these associations in Chinese oldest-old and centenarian women, and explore their related factors in order to provide strategy support for healthy aging.

METHODS

The China Hainan Centenarian Cohort Study provides a population-based sample in Hainan, China. A total of 723 women including 318 centenarian women and 405 oldest-old women aged 80-99 years were included in this study. Data on demographic information were collected using a structured questionnaire. Physical examination and blood samples were obtained following standard procedure. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) was used to evaluate depressive symptoms for all participants.

RESULTS

The proportions of participants with depression and longevity were 19.78 % (143 older adults) and 43.98 % (318 older adults), respectively. After adjusting for a wide range of other covariates in multiple logistic regression analyses, ML was positively and significantly associated with depression and longevity [Exp(β) 1.076 and 1.121; P < 0.05 for all]. In multiple linear regression analyses, there were significantly positive associations of ML with GDS-15 (β = 0.061) and age (β = 0.238, p < 0.05 for all) after adjusting for all covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides epidemiological evidence that menstrual lifespan has positive associations with geriatric depression and healthy longevity in Chinese oldest-old and centenarian women. Future researches should focus on the effects of intervening MI on psychological health and successful longevity.

The role and mechanism of TXNDC5 in diseases

Thioredoxin domain-containing protein 5 (TXNDC5) is a member of the protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family. It can promote the formation and rearrangement of disulfide bonds, ensuring proper protein folding. TXNDC5 has three Trx-like domains, which can act independently to introduce disulfide bonds rapidly and disorderly. TXNDC5 is abnormally expressed in various diseases, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), etc. It can protect cells from oxidative stress, promote cell proliferation, inhibit apoptosis and promote the progression of disease. Aberrant expression of TXNDC5 in different diseases suggests its role in disease diagnosis. In addition, targeting TXNDC5 in the treatment of diseases has shown promising application prospects. This article reviews the structure and function of TXNDC5 as well as its role and mechanism in cancer, RA and other diseases.

Association between late maternal age and age-related endophenotypes in the Long Life Family Study

Extended maternal age has been suggested as marker of delayed age-associated disabilities. We use the Long Life Family Study (LLFS) offspring generation to investigate the association between extended maternal age at last childbirth and healthy-aging endophenotypes. We hypothesize that women with extended maternal age at last childbirth will exhibit healthier endophenotype profiles compared to younger mothers. The association between maternal age and age-related endophenotypes previously derived in LLFS was assessed using Generalized Estimating Equations to adjust for relatedness. The quartiles of the maternal age at last childbirth were modeled as the independent variables. Univariate analyses tested the association between maternal age at last childbirth and age at clinical assessment, education, field center, Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, depression, stress, smoking and successful pregnancies. Only the variables significantly associated in the univariate analyses were considered in secondary multivariate analyses. Univariate analyses showed that compared to older mothers (age at last birth ≥35), mothers 30 years old or younger at last childbirth are less educated (12 ± 3 years versus 13 ± 3 years) and have a higher frequency of smoking (9% versus 3% for maternal age ≥35). Results showed that older mothers (age at last birth ≥31-34 or ≥ 35) demonstrated significantly better cognitive profiles (p = 0.017 and p = 0.021 respectively) compared with mothers with last childbirth age ≤30. Later maternal age among women from long-life families is associated with a better cognitive profile, supporting the hypothesis that later age at childbirth may be a marker for healthy aging.

Novel Subgroups of Type 2 Diabetes Display Different Epigenetic Patterns That Associate With Future Diabetic Complications

OBJECTIVE

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) was recently reclassified into severe insulin-deficient diabetes (SIDD), severe insulin-resistant diabetes (SIRD), mild obesity-related diabetes (MOD), and mild age-related diabetes (MARD), which have different risk of complications. We explored whether DNA methylation differs between these subgroups and whether subgroup-unique methylation risk scores (MRSs) predict diabetic complications.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Genome-wide DNA methylation was analyzed in blood from subjects with newly diagnosed T2D in discovery and replication cohorts. Subgroup-unique MRSs were built, including top subgroup-unique DNA methylation sites. Regression models examined whether MRSs associated with subgroups and future complications.

RESULTS

We found epigenetic differences between the T2D subgroups. Subgroup-unique MRSs were significantly different in those patients allocated to each respective subgroup compared with the combined group of all other subgroups. These associations were validated in an independent replication cohort, showing that subgroup-unique MRSs associate with individual subgroups (odds ratios 1.6-6.1 per 1-SD increase, P < 0.01). Subgroup-unique MRSs were also associated with future complications. Higher MOD-MRS was associated with lower risk of cardiovascular (hazard ratio [HR] 0.65, P = 0.001) and renal (HR 0.50, P < 0.001) disease, whereas higher SIRD-MRS and MARD-MRS were associated with an increased risk of these complications (HR 1.4-1.9 per 1-SD increase, P < 0.01). Of 95 methylation sites included in subgroup-unique MRSs, 39 were annotated to genes previously linked to diabetes-related traits, including TXNIP and ELOVL2. Methylation in the blood of 18 subgroup-unique sites mirrors epigenetic patterns in tissues relevant for T2D, muscle and adipose tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified differential epigenetic patterns between T2D subgroups that associated with future diabetic complications. These data support a reclassification of diabetes and the need for precision medicine in T2D subgroups.

Identification of SNPs and Candidate Genes for Milk Production Ability in Yorkshire Pigs

Sow milk production ability is an important limiting factor impacting suboptimal growth and the survival of piglets. Through pig genetic improvement, litter sizes have been increased. Larger litters need more suckling mammary glands, which results in increased milk from the lactating sow. Hence, there is much significance to exploring sow lactation performance. For milk production ability, it is not practical to directly measure the milk yield, we used litter weight gain (LWG) throughout sow lactation as an indicator. In this study, we estimated the heritability of LWG, namely, 0.18 ± 0.07. We then performed a GWAS, and detected seven significant SNPs, namely, Sus scrofa Chromosome (SSC) 2: ASGA0010040 (p = 7.73E-11); SSC2:MARC0029355 (p = 1.30E-08), SSC6: WU_10.2_6_65751151 (p = 1.32E-10), SSC7: MARC0058875 (p = 4.99E-09), SSC10: WU_10.2_10_49571394 (p = 6.79E-08), SSC11: M1GA0014659 (p = 1.19E-07), and SSC15: MARC0042106 (p = 1.16E-07). We performed the distribution of phenotypes corresponding to the genotypes of seven significant SNPs and showed that ASGA0010040, MARC0029355, MARC0058875, WU_10.2_10_49571394, M1GA0014659, and MARC0042106 had extreme phenotypic values that corresponded to the homozygous genotypes, while the intermediate values corresponded to the heterozygous genotypes. We screened for flanking regions ± 200 kb nearby the seven significant SNPs, and identified 38 genes in total. Among them, 28 of the candidates were involved in lactose metabolism, colostrum immunity, milk protein, and milk fat by functional enrichment analysis. Through the combined analysis between 28 candidate genes and transcriptome data of the sow mammary gland, we found nine commons (ANO3, MUC15, DISP3, FBXO6, CLCN6, HLA-DRA, SLA-DRB1, SLA-DQB1, and SLA-DQA1). Furthermore, by comparing the chromosome positions of the candidate genes with the quantitative trait locus (QTLs) as previously reported, a total of 17 genes were found to be within 0.86–94.02 Mb of the reported QTLs for sow milk production ability, in which, NAV2 was found to be located with 0.86 Mb of the QTL region ssc2: 40936355. In conclusion, we identified seven significant SNPs located on SSC2, 6, 7, 10, 11, and 15, and propose 28 candidate genes for the ability to produce milk in Yorkshire pigs, 10 of which were key candidates.

How (Epi)Genetic Regulation of the LIM-Domain Protein FHL2 Impacts Multifactorial Disease

Susceptibility to complex pathological conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease is highly variable among individuals and arises from specific changes in gene expression in combination with external factors. The regulation of gene expression is determined by genetic variation (SNPs) and epigenetic marks that are influenced by environmental factors. Aging is a major risk factor for many multifactorial diseases and is increasingly associated with changes in DNA methylation, leading to differences in gene expression. Four and a half LIM domains 2 (FHL2) is a key regulator of intracellular signal transduction pathways and the FHL2 gene is consistently found as one of the top hyper-methylated genes upon aging. Remarkably, FHL2 expression increases with methylation. This was demonstrated in relevant metabolic tissues: white adipose tissue, pancreatic β-cells, and skeletal muscle. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on regulation of FHL2 by genetic variation and epigenetic DNA modification, and the potential consequences for age-related complex multifactorial diseases.

Genetic Determinants of Premature Menopause in A Mashhad Population Cohort

Background

Premature menopause is characterized by amenorrhea before age of 40 years, markedly raised serum luteinizing hormone (LH) level, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level and reduced serum level of estradiol. Genome-wide analysis suggested several loci associated with premature menopause. Here, we aimed to analyze association of variants at the MCM8, FNDC4, PRRC2A, TLK1, ZNF346 and TMEM150B gene loci with premature menopause.

Materials and Methods

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 117 women with premature menopause were compared to 183 healthy women. Anthropometric indices were measured in all participants: height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and wrist circumference. Eight single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the indicated genes (rs16991615, rs244715, rs451417, rs1046089, rs7246479, rs4806660, rs10183486 and rs2303369) were identified from the literature. Genotyping was performed using tetra-ARMS polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and ASO-PCR methods.

Results

T allele of the rs16991615, rs1046089, rs7246479 and rs10183486, C allele of rs244715, rs451417 and rs4806660 as well as TT genotype of rs2303369 were associated with an increased risk of premature menopause, likely causing susceptibility to primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) in comparison with C allele. We also found an association between the rs16991615 SNP with premature menopause. Frequency of the minor allele in cases was increased for all SNPs in comparison with controls. All minor alleles, except for rs2303369, showed a statistically significant increased odds ratio (OR). However, after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, none of the P values were remained significant.

Conclusion

The selected polymorphisms in MCM8, FNDC4, PRRC2A, TLK1, ZNF346 and TMEM150B genes may potentially affect susceptibility to premature menopause, although replication of the results in larger cohort could clarify this.

Current Resources for Evidence-Based Practice, November 2020

An extensive review of new resources to support the provision of evidence-based care for women and infants. The current column includes a discussion of diversity in the maternity care workforce and commentaries on reviews focused on burnout in midwifery and a cross-national comparison of guidelines for uncomplicated childbirth.