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Wong HSC, Tsai SY, Chu HW, Lin MR, Lin GH, Tai YT, Shen CY, Chang WC. Genome-wide association study identifies genetic risk loci for adiposity in a Taiwanese population. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1009952. [PMID: 35051171 PMCID: PMC8853642 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Overweight and obese are risk factors for various diseases. In Taiwan, the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased dramatically. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on four adiposity traits, including body-mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), waist circumference (WC), and waist-hip ratio (WHR), using the data for more than 21,000 subjects in Taiwan Biobank. Associations were evaluated between 6,546,460 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and adiposity traits, yielding 13 genome-wide significant (GWS) adiposity-associated trait-loci pairs. A known gene, FTO, as well as two BF%-associated loci (GNPDA2-GABRG1 [4p12] and RNU6-2-PIAS1 [15q23]) were identified as pleiotropic effects. Moreover, RALGAPA1 was found as a specific genetic predisposing factor to high BMI in a Taiwanese population. Compared to other populations, a slightly lower heritability of the four adiposity traits was found in our cohort. Surprisingly, we uncovered the importance of neural pathways that might influence BF%, WC and WHR in the Taiwanese (East Asian) population. Additionally, a moderate genetic correlation between the WHR and BMI (γg = 0.52; p = 2.37×10−9) was detected, suggesting different genetic determinants exist for abdominal adiposity and overall adiposity. In conclusion, the obesity-related genetic loci identified here provide new insights into the genetic underpinnings of adiposity in the Taiwanese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Sung-Ching Wong
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Szu-Yi Tsai
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hou-Wei Chu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Min-Rou Lin
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Gan-Hong Lin
- Master Program in Clinical Genomics and Proteomics, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Tai
- Department of Anesthesiology, Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Yang Shen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Master Program in Clinical Genomics and Proteomics, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (C-YS); (W-CC)
| | - Wei-Chiao Chang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Master Program in Clinical Genomics and Proteomics, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Pharmacy, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Integrative Research Center for Critical Care, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (C-YS); (W-CC)
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Wells JCK, Stock JT. Life History Transitions at the Origins of Agriculture: A Model for Understanding How Niche Construction Impacts Human Growth, Demography and Health. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:325. [PMID: 32508752 PMCID: PMC7253633 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over recent millennia, human populations have regularly reconstructed their subsistence niches, changing both how they obtain food and the conditions in which they live. For example, over the last 12,000 years the vast majority of human populations shifted from foraging to practicing different forms of agriculture. The shift to farming is widely understood to have impacted several aspects of human demography and biology, including mortality risk, population growth, adult body size, and physical markers of health. However, these trends have not been integrated within an over-arching conceptual framework, and there is poor understanding of why populations tended to increase in population size during periods when markers of health deteriorated. Here, we offer a novel conceptual approach based on evolutionary life history theory. This theory assumes that energy availability is finite and must be allocated in competition between the functions of maintenance, growth, reproduction, and defence. In any given environment, and at any given stage during the life-course, natural selection favours energy allocation strategies that maximise fitness. We argue that the origins of agriculture involved profound transformations in human life history strategies, impacting both the availability of energy and the way that it was allocated between life history functions in the body. Although overall energy supply increased, the diet composition changed, while sedentary populations were challenged by new infectious burdens. We propose that this composite new ecological niche favoured increased energy allocation to defence (immune function) and reproduction, thus reducing the allocation to growth and maintenance. We review evidence in support of this hypothesis and highlight how further work could address both heterogeneity and specific aspects of the origins of agriculture in more detail. Our approach can be applied to many other transformations of the human subsistence niche, and can shed new light on the way that health, height, life expectancy, and fertility patterns are changing in association with globalization and nutrition transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C. K. Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Population, Policy and Practice Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Jonathan C. K. Wells
| | - Jay T. Stock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
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Gao W, Cao W, Lv J, Yu C, Wu T, Wang S, Meng L, Wang D, Wang Z, Pang Z, Yu M, Wang H, Wu X, Dong Z, Wu F, Jiang G, Wang X, Liu Y, Deng J, Lu L, Li L. The Chinese National Twin Registry: a 'gold mine' for scientific research. J Intern Med 2019; 286:299-308. [PMID: 31270876 DOI: 10.1111/joim.12926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) currently includes data from 61 566 twin pair from 11 provinces or cities in China. Of these, 31 705, 15 060 and 13 531 pairs are monozygotic, same-sex dizygotic and opposite-sex dizygotic pairs, respectively, determined by opposite sex or intrapair similarity. Since its establishment in 2001, the CNTR has provided an important resource for analysing genetic and environmental influences on chronic diseases especially cardiovascular diseases. Recently, the CNTR has focused on collecting biologic specimens from disease-concordant or disease-discordant twin pairs or from twin pairs reared apart. More than 8000 pairs of these twins have been registered, and blood samples have been collected from more than 1500 pairs. In this review, we summarize the main findings from univariate and multivariate genetic effects analyses, gene-environment interaction studies, omics studies exploring DNA methylation and metabolomic markers associated with phenotypes. There remains further scope for CNTR research and data mining. The plan for future development of the CNTR is described. The CNTR welcomes worldwide collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Gao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - W Cao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - J Lv
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - C Yu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - T Wu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - S Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - L Meng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - D Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Z Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Z Pang
- Qingdao Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qingdao, China
| | - M Yu
- Zhejiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - H Wang
- Jiangsu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China
| | - X Wu
- Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, China
| | - Z Dong
- Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - F Wu
- Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China
| | - G Jiang
- Tianjin Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin, China
| | - X Wang
- Qinghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xining, China
| | - Y Liu
- Heilongjiang Agricultural Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin, China
| | - J Deng
- Handan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Handan, China
| | - L Lu
- Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China
| | - L Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
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Prakash J, Gabdulina G, Trofimov S, Livshits G. Quantitative genetics of circulating Hyaluronic Acid (HA) and its correlation with hand osteoarthritis and obesity-related phenotypes in a community-based sample. Ann Hum Biol 2017; 44:522-530. [PMID: 28535729 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2017.1334822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the potential molecular biomarkers of osteoarthritis (OA) is hyaluronic acid (HA). HA levels may be related to the severity and progression of OA. However, little is known about the contribution of major risk factors for osteoarthritis, e.g. obesity-related phenotypes and genetics to HA variation. AIM To clarify the quantitative effect of these factors on HA. SUBJECTS AND METHODS An ethnically homogeneous sample of 911 apparently healthy European-derived individuals, assessed for radiographic hand osteoarthritis (RHOA), HA, leptin, adiponectin, and several anthropometrical measures of obesity-related phenotypes was studied. Model-based quantitative genetic analysis was used to reveal genetic and shared environmental factors affecting the variation of the study's phenotypes. RESULTS The HA levels significantly correlated with the age, RHOA, adiponectin, obesity-related phenotypes, and the waist-to-hip ratio. The putative genetic effects contributed significantly to the variation of HA (66.2 ± 9.3%) and they were also significant factors in the variations of all the other studied phenotypes, with the heritability estimate ranging between 0.122 ± 4.4% (WHR) and 45.7 ± 2.2% (joint space narrowing). CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to report heritability estimates of HA variation and its correlation with obesity-related phenotypes, ADP and RHOA. However, the nature of genetic effects on HA and its correlation with other study phenotypes require further clarification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jai Prakash
- a Human Population Biology Research Unit, Department of Anatomy and Anthropology , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel
| | - Gulzhan Gabdulina
- b Department of Internal Medicine , Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University , Almigty , Kazakhstan
| | - Svetlana Trofimov
- a Human Population Biology Research Unit, Department of Anatomy and Anthropology , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel
| | - Gregory Livshits
- a Human Population Biology Research Unit, Department of Anatomy and Anthropology , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel.,c Lilian and Marcel Pollak Chair of Biological Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel
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Payab M, Amoli MM, Qorbani M, Hasani-Ranjbar S. Adiponectin gene variants and abdominal obesity in an Iranian population. Eat Weight Disord 2017; 22:85-90. [PMID: 26902743 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-016-0252-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) can be effective for the diagnosis of abdominal obesity and the risk of type 2 diabetes. The role of genetic factors in the development of obesity has been broadly recognized. Adiponectin's level is inversely correlated with body fat percentage and is reduced in obesity and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between WHtR and adiponectin gene polymorphisms in Iranian population. METHODS This study was conducted on 610 subjects from two Iranian populations. Anthropometric characteristics were measured by routine methods. Blood samples were collected in tubes (3-5 mL) containing EDTA and were stored at 20 °C. After DNA extraction, genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP technique. RESULTS There were statistically significant differences in genotype frequencies of -11391 G/A in centrally obese (WHtR >0.5) and noncentrally obese (WHtR ≤0.5) subjects (P value <0.044). In the former, the frequencies of GG and GA + AA genotypes were 89.4 and 10.6 %, respectively, while the frequencies of GG and GA + AA genotypes were 95.9 and 4.1 %, respectively, in noncentrally obese subjects. CONCLUSIONS The frequency of GG genotype was significantly increased in subjects with WHtR >0.5 compared to the other group. After adjustment for diabetes, abdominal obesity was significantly associated with the -11391 G/A polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moloud Payab
- Obesity and Eating Habits Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Shariati Hospital, 5th Floor, North Kargar Ave, 1411413137, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa M Amoli
- Metabolic Disorders Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mostafa Qorbani
- Department of Community Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
- Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shirin Hasani-Ranjbar
- Obesity and Eating Habits Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Shariati Hospital, 5th Floor, North Kargar Ave, 1411413137, Tehran, Iran.
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Abstract
Evolution has molded metabolic thrift within humans, a genetic heritage that, when thrust into our modern "obesogenic" environment, creates the current obesity crisis. Modern genetic analysis has identified genetic and epigenetic contributors to obesity, an understanding of which will guide the development of environmental, pharmacologic, and genetic therapeutic interventions.
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Pena GG, Dutra MS, Gazzinelli A, Corrêa-Oliveira R, Velasquez-Melendez G. Heritability of phenotypes associated with glucose homeostasis and adiposity in a rural area of Brazil. Ann Hum Genet 2014; 78:40-9. [PMID: 24359477 PMCID: PMC3874120 DOI: 10.1111/ahg.12047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to estimate the heritability and genetic correlation between glucose homeostasis and adiposity traits in a population in a rural community in Brazil. The Jequitinhonha Community Family Study cohort consists of subjects aged ≥18 years residing in rural areas in Brazil. The data on the following traits were assembled for 280 individuals (51.7% women): body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, waist and mid-upper arm circumferences, triceps skinfold, conicity index, insulin, glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), triglycerides and C-reactive protein. Extended pedigrees were constructed up to the third generation of individuals using the data management software PEDSYS. The heritability and genetic correlations were estimated using a variance component method. The age- and sex-adjusted heritability values estimated for insulin (h(2) = 52%), glucose (h(2) = 51%), HDLc (h(2) = 58%), and waist circumference (WC; h(2) = 49%) were high. Significantly adjusted genetic correlations were observed between insulin paired with each of the following phenotypes; (BMI; ρg = 0.48), WC (ρg = 0.47) and HDLc (ρg = -0.47). The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was genetically correlated with BMI (ρg = 0.53) and HDLc (ρg = -0.58). The adjusted genetic correlations between traits were consistently higher compared with the environmental correlations. In conclusion, glucose metabolism and adiposity traits are highly heritable and share common genetic effects with body adiposity traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geórgia G Pena
- Departamento de Enfermagem Materno-Infantil e Saúde Pública, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Enfermagem, Avenida Alfredo Balena 190, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30130-100, Brazil
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Min J, Chiu DT, Wang Y. Variation in the heritability of body mass index based on diverse twin studies: a systematic review. Obes Rev 2013; 14:871-82. [PMID: 23980914 PMCID: PMC4346225 DOI: 10.1111/obr.12065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 06/27/2013] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Over the past three decades, twin studies have shown variation in the heritability of obesity. This study examined the difference of body mass index (BMI) heritability (BMI-H) by population characteristics, such as sex, age, time period of observation and average BMI, as well as by broad social-environmental factors as indicated by country-level gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and GDP growth rate. METHODS Twin studies that reported BMI-H and were published in English from January 1990 to February 2011 after excluding those with disease, special occupations or combined heritability estimates for country/ethnic groups were searched in PubMed. 32 studies were identified from Finland (7), the United Kingdom (6), the United States (3), Denmark (3), China (3), Netherlands (2), South Korea (2), Sweden (2) and four from other countries. Meta-regression models with random effects were used to assess variation in BMI-H. RESULTS Heterogeneity of BMI-H is significantly attributable to variations in age (<20, 20-55 and ≥56 years), time period of observation (i.e. year of data collection), average BMI and GDP (≤$20,000, $20,001-26,000 and >$26,000). BMI-H was higher in adolescents (<20 years), in studies done in past years, and in populations with higher average BMIs or higher GDP per capita (≥$26,000) than their counterparts. Consistent lowering effects of high GDP growth rate (>median) on BMI-H were shown through stratified analyses by GDP. BMI-H was lower in countries of mid-level GDP, particularly those experiencing rapid economic growth. CONCLUSIONS BMI-H is sensitive to age, time period of observation, average BMI, GDP and rapid economic growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Min
- Johns Hopkins Global Center on Childhood Obesity, Department of International Health Human Nutrition Program, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
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Vermeiren APA, Bosma H, Gielen M, Lindsey PJ, Derom C, Vlietinck R, Loos RJF, Zeegers MP. Do genetic factors contribute to the relation between education and metabolic risk factors in young adults? A twin study. Eur J Public Health 2012; 23:986-91. [PMID: 23220627 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/cks167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lower educated people have a higher prevalence of metabolic risk factors (MRF), that is, high waist circumference (WC), high systolic blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, high triglycerides and high fasting glucose levels. Behavioural and psychosocial factors cannot fully explain this educational gradient. We aim to examine the possible role of genetic factors by estimating the extent to which education and MRF share a genetic basis and the extent to which the heritability of MRF varies across educational levels. METHODS We examined 388 twin pairs, aged 18-34 years, from the Belgian East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey. Using structural equation modelling, a Cholesky bivariate model was applied to assess the shared genetic basis between education and MRF. The heritability of MRF across education levels was estimated using a non-linear multivariate Gaussian regression. RESULTS Fifteen percent (P < 0.01) of the negative relation between education and WC was because of genes shared between these two traits. Furthermore, the heritability of WC was lower in the lowest educated group (65%) compared with the highest educated group (78%, P = 0.04). The lower heritabilities among the lower educated twins for the other MRF were not significant. The heritability of glucose was higher in the lowest education (80%) group compared with the high education group (67%, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that genetic factors partly explain educational differences in WC. Furthermore, the lower heritability estimates in WC in the lower educated young adults suggest opportunities for environmental interventions to prevent the development of full-blown metabolic syndrome in middle and older age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelique P A Vermeiren
- 1 Department of Social Medicine, CAPHRI, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
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The genetic correlation between cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking among Chinese adult male twins: an ordinal bivariate genetic analysis. Twin Res Hum Genet 2012; 15:483-90. [PMID: 22853853 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2012.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Though multiple policies have been implemented, the cigarette control in China is still facing a great challenge. At the same time, alcohol drinking has increasingly become a public health problem. Considering cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking often co-occur, a few studies tested the covariance of these phenotypes. However, the genetic and environmental correlation between them among Chinese population has not been determined. The main aim of this study is to fill this gap. METHODS From the Chinese National Twin Registry, we obtained the data on cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking behaviors. The ordinal bivariate genetic analysis was performed to fit the categorical variables. After identifying the best decomposition among the Cholesky, common, and independent pathway model, we established the most parsimonious submodel. RESULTS The correlation between current tobacco and alcohol use could be explained by Cholesky model. The shared environmental variances for both phenotypes were dropped to construct the most parsimonious submodel. Furthermore, the most parsimonious submodel showed a moderate correlation (0.32, 95%CI=0.17-0.46) between the genetic components and a negligible non-shared environmental correlation. CONCLUSION As the first bivariate genetic analysis on current tobacco smoking and current alcohol drinking in China, this study suggested a common genetic vulnerability to tobacco and alcohol use in male twins. Further studies should be carried out to track the pertinent genes that are related to the comorbidity of smoking and drinking in Chinese population. Another urgent need is to recognize the behavior-specific environmental risk factors.
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Abstract
Because obesity is associated with diverse chronic diseases, little attention has been directed to the multiple beneficial functions of adipose tissue. Adipose tissue not only provides energy for growth, reproduction and immune function, but also secretes and receives diverse signaling molecules that coordinate energy allocation between these functions in response to ecological conditions. Importantly, many relevant ecological cues act on growth and physique, with adiposity responding as a counterbalancing risk management strategy. The large number of individual alleles associated with adipose tissue illustrates its integration with diverse metabolic pathways. However, phenotypic variation in age, sex, ethnicity and social status is further associated with different strategies for storing and using energy. Adiposity therefore represents a key means of phenotypic flexibility within and across generations, enabling a coherent life-history strategy in the face of ecological stochasticity. The sensitivity of numerous metabolic pathways to ecological cues makes our species vulnerable to manipulative globalized economic forces. The aim of this article is to understand how human adipose tissue biology interacts with modern environmental pressures to generate excess weight gain and obesity. The disease component of obesity might lie not in adipose tissue itself, but in its perturbation by our modern industrialized niche. Efforts to combat obesity could be more effective if they prioritized 'external' environmental change rather than attempting to manipulate 'internal' biology through pharmaceutical or behavioral means.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C K Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
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Poveda A, Ibáñez ME, Rebato E. Heritability and genetic correlations of obesity-related phenotypes among Roma people. Ann Hum Biol 2012; 39:183-9. [DOI: 10.3109/03014460.2012.669794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alaitz Poveda
- Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU),
Bilbao 48080, Spain
| | - Ma Eugenia Ibáñez
- Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU),
Bilbao 48080, Spain
| | - Esther Rebato
- Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU),
Bilbao 48080, Spain
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13
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Daher S, Torloni MR, Gueuvoghlanian-Silva BY, Moron AF, Mattar R. Inflammatory mediator gene polymorphisms and gestational diabetes: a review of the literature. J Reprod Immunol 2011; 90:111-6. [PMID: 21684013 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2011.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2010] [Revised: 04/05/2011] [Accepted: 04/08/2011] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The incidence of gestational diabetes (GD) is rising worldwide, in parallel with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Obesity and GD are conditions that have in common a state of chronic, low-grade subclinical inflammation characterized by abnormal production of cytokines and mediators. Genetic polymorphisms may influence the production of inflammatory mediators and predispose to different disorders, including diabetes. The aim of this study was to review the existing literature on the relationship between inflammatory mediator gene polymorphisms and GD. The search in PubMed was restricted to articles published in English, from January 1990 to December 2010. Eight studies were included. These publications evaluated 13 different SNPs and six inflammatory mediators in the blood of women with GD. Gene polymorphisms related to leptin, mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) were individually evaluated in a single study each. Leptin and MBL plasma levels were also evaluated in two studies. The participants included in the studies were ethnically different, but matched with controls. Different criteria were adopted to select the participants. Seven of the eight studies included took into consideration the BMI of patients and controls. Due to the heterogeneity and limited number of studies on GD and inflammatory gene polymorphisms, we could not pool together any of the results or perform any additional analyses of the existing data. Since the existing findings come from isolated studies with mostly small sample sizes, there is a need for new, larger, properly designed studies of good methodological quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Daher
- Department of Obstetrics, Sao Paulo Federal University, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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Wells JCK, Stock JT. Re-examining heritability: genetics, life history and plasticity. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2011; 22:421-8. [PMID: 21757369 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2011.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2011] [Revised: 04/04/2011] [Accepted: 05/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Human life-history traits (growth, maturation, nutritional status) are increasingly associated with risk of chronic degenerative disease. Twin studies suggest high heritability of such traits; however, although sophisticated approaches have identified genetic variation underlying a proportion of this heritability, studies also increasingly demonstrate significant plasticity, and many life-history traits are able to change by one standard deviation (SD) over 3-6 generations. Developments in our understanding of the contributions of genetics and plasticity to human life history are likely to improve understanding of the growing burden of chronic diseases. We argue that a life-history approach to understanding variation in the human phenotype must integrate these two risk components, and highlight the important contribution of plasticity to changes in disease prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C K Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, University College London Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
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Duan H, Pang Z, Zhang D, Li S, Kruse TA, Kyvik KO, Christensen K, Tan Q. Genetic and environmental dissections of sub-phenotypes of metabolic syndrome in the Chinese population: a twin-based heritability study. Obes Facts 2011; 4:99-104. [PMID: 21577016 PMCID: PMC6444466 DOI: 10.1159/000327735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We perform a comprehensive heritability study on multiple phenotypes related to metabolic syndrome using Chinese twins to assess the genetic and environmental effects in determining the variation and covariation of the phenotypes in the Chinese population. METHODS The studied sample contains 654 twins collected in the Qingdao municipality. A total of 10 phenotypes covering anthropometric measurements, plasma glucose levels, lipids, blood pressures etc. were examined. Univariate and bivariate structural equation models were fitted for assessing the genetic and environmental contributions. RESULTS The AE model combining additive genetic (A) and unique environmental (E) factors produced the best fit for all phenotypes except for triglyceride. Modest to high heritability estimates were obtained in univariate analysis ranging from 0.5 for total cholesterol to 0.78 for weight. The bivariate model estimated high genetic correlations between systolic and diastolic blood pressures, between total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, modest genetic correlations between BMI and blood pressures. No significant common environmental correlation was found between any pair of the phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed significant genetic contributions to the sub-phenotypes of metabolic syndrome. Although pleiotropic genetic control may exist for some physiologically similar phenotypes, our results do not support a common genetic mechanism among the phenotypes covered in our study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiping Duan
- Qingdao Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Department of Public Health, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao China
| | - Zengchang Pang
- Qingdao Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Department of Public Health, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao China
| | - Dongfeng Zhang
- Department of Public Health, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao China
| | - Shuxia Li
- Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark
| | | | - Kirsten Ohm Kyvik
- Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark
- Institute for Regional Health Services Research, University of Southern Denmark
| | - Kaare Christensen
- Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Qihua Tan
- Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital
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