Intake levels of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids modify the association between the genetic variation inPCSK5and HDL cholesterol

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence in Multimodal Omics Data Integration: Paving the Path for the Next Frontier in Precision Medicine

The integration of multiomics data with detailed phenotypic insights from electronic health records marks a paradigm shift in biomedical research, offering unparalleled holistic views into health and disease pathways. This review delineates the current landscape of multimodal omics data integration, emphasizing its transformative potential in generating a comprehensive understanding of complex biological systems. We explore robust methodologies for data integration, ranging from concatenation-based to transformation-based and network-based strategies, designed to harness the intricate nuances of diverse data types. Our discussion extends from incorporating large-scale population biobanks to dissecting high-dimensional omics layers at the single-cell level. The review underscores the emerging role of large language models in artificial intelligence, anticipating their influence as a near-future pivot in data integration approaches. Highlighting both achievements and hurdles, we advocate for a concerted effort toward sophisticated integration models, fortifying the foundation for groundbreaking discoveries in precision medicine.

Circulating fatty acids, genetic risk, and incident coronary artery disease: A prospective, longitudinal cohort study

The role of fatty acids (FAs) in primary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD) is highly debated, and the modification effect by genetic risk profiles remains unclear. Here, we report the prospective associations of circulating FAs and genetic predisposition with CAD development in 101,367 U.K. Biobank participants. A total of 3719 CAD cases occurred during a mean follow-up of 11.5 years. Plasma monounsaturated FAs (MUFAs) were positively associated with risk of CAD, whereas the risk was significantly lower with higher n-3 polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) and more reductions in risk were detected among TT carriers of rs174547. Furthermore, increased plasma saturated FAs (SFAs) and linoleic acid were related to a significant increase in CAD risk among participants with high genetic risk (genetic risk score > 90%). These findings suggest that individuals with high genetic risk need to reduce plasma SFAs levels for CAD prevention. Supplementation of n-3 PUFAs for CAD prevention may consider individuals' genetic makeup.

[CircPCSK5 is highly expressed in gastric cancer and promotes cancer cell proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of circPCSK5 in gastric cancer (GC) and its role in regulation of the proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of GC cells.

METHODS

High-throughput sequencing was performed in 3 pairs of GC and adjacent gastric mucosa tissues to obtain the differential expression profile of circRNA. The expression of circPCSK5 was detected in 62 patients undergoing radical surgery for GC using RT-qPCR, and the correlation between circPCSK5 expression level and clinicopathological data of the patients was analyzed. The overall survival and disease-free survival of the patients were assessed with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and the independent risk factors affecting the patients' prognosis were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression model. The stability and subcellular localization of circPCSK5 were assessed using RNase R and actinomycin D assays, fluorescence in situ hybridization and nucleocytoplasmic separation assay. CCK-8 assay, EdU assay and Transwell assay were employed to examine the changes in proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells with circPCSK5 knockdown or overexpression; Western blotting and RT-qPCR assays were used to detect the expression levels of EMT markers in the transfected cells.

RESULTS

The expression of circPCSK5 was significantly upregulated in GC tissues and cells (P < 0.001, P < 0.01). The expression level of circPCSK5 was positively correlated with tumor size, vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis and AJCC stage of GC (P < 0.05). The overall survival and disease-free survival were significantly lower in GC patients with high circPCSK5 expression than in those with low circPCSK5 expression (P < 0.001). High circPCSK5 expression was an independent risk factor for a poor prognosis of GC patients (P < 0.05). Knockdown of circPCSK5 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of HGC27 cells (P < 0.01), increased the expressions of E-cadherin, and decreased the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin (P < 0.01). CircPCSK5 overexpression promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of MKN45 cells (P < 0.01), reduced E-cadherin expression and increased N-cadherin and vimentin expressions (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

CircPCSK5 is highly expressed in GC and promotes the proliferation, invasion and EMT of GC cells, suggesting its potential as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for GC.

Nutrigenetics, omega-3 and plasma lipids/lipoproteins/apolipoproteins with evidence evaluation using the GRADE approach: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Despite the uptake of nutrigenetic testing through direct-to-consumer services and healthcare professionals, systematic reviews determining scientific validity are limited in this field. The objective of this review was to: retrieve, synthesise and assess the quality of evidence (confidence) for nutrigenetic approaches related to the effect of genetic variation on plasma lipid, lipoprotein and apolipoprotein responsiveness to omega-3 fatty acid intake.

DESIGN

A systematic review was conducted using three search engines (Embase, Web of Science and Medline) for articles published up until 1 August 2020. We aimed to systematically search, identify (select) and provide a narrative synthesis of all studies that assessed nutrigenetic associations/interactions for genetic variants (comparators) influencing the plasma lipid, lipoprotein and/or apolipoprotein response (outcomes) to omega-3 fatty acid intake (intervention/exposure) in humans-both paediatric and adult populations (population). We further aimed to assess the overall quality of evidence for specific priority nutrigenetic associations/interactions based on the following inclusion criteria: nutrigenetic associations/interactions reported for the same genetic variants (comparators) influencing the same plasma lipid, lipoprotein and/or apolipoprotein response (outcomes) to omega-3 fatty acid intake (intervention/exposure) in humans-both paediatric and adult populations (population) in at least two independent studies, irrespective of the findings. Risk of bias was assessed in individual studies. Evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach with a modification to further consider biological plausibility.

RESULTS

Out of 1830 articles screened, 65 met the inclusion criteria for the narrative synthesis (n=23 observational, n=42 interventional); of these, 25 met the inclusion criteria for GRADE evidence evaluation. Overall, current evidence is insufficient for gene-diet associations related to omega-3 fatty acid intake on plasma apolipoproteins, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and LDL particle size. However, there is strong (GRADE rating: moderate quality) evidence to suggest that male APOE-E4 carriers (rs429358, rs7412) exhibit significant triglyceride reductions in response to omega-3-rich fish oil with a dose-response effect. Moreover, strong (GRADE rating: high quality) evidence suggests that a 31-SNP nutrigenetic risk score can predict plasma triglyceride responsiveness to omega-3-rich fish oil in adults with overweight/obesity from various ethnicities.

CONCLUSIONS

Most evidence in this area is weak, but two specific nutrigenetic interactions exhibited strong evidence, with generalisability limited to specific populations.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020185087.

Mouse Models of Human Proprotein Convertase Insufficiency

The kexin-like proprotein convertases perform the initial proteolytic cleavages that ultimately generate a variety of different mature peptide and proteins, ranging from brain neuropeptides to endocrine peptide hormones, to structural proteins, among others. In this review, we present a general introduction to proprotein convertase structure and biochemistry, followed by a comprehensive discussion of each member of the kexin-like subfamily of proprotein convertases. We summarize current knowledge of human proprotein convertase insufficiency syndromes, including genome-wide analyses of convertase polymorphisms, and compare these to convertase null and mutant mouse models. These mouse models have illuminated our understanding of the roles specific convertases play in human disease and have led to the identification of convertase-specific substrates; for example, the identification of procorin as a specific PACE4 substrate in the heart. We also discuss the limitations of mouse null models in interpreting human disease, such as differential precursor cleavage due to species-specific sequence differences, and the challenges presented by functional redundancy among convertases in attempting to assign specific cleavages and/or physiological roles. However, in most cases, knockout mouse models have added substantively both to our knowledge of diseases caused by human proprotein convertase insufficiency and to our appreciation of their normal physiological roles, as clearly seen in the case of the furin, proprotein convertase 1/3, and proprotein convertase 5/6 mouse models. The creation of more sophisticated mouse models with tissue- or temporally-restricted expression of specific convertases will improve our understanding of human proprotein convertase insufficiency and potentially provide support for the emerging concept of therapeutic inhibition of convertases.

Protective Effects of Dietary MUFAs Mediating Metabolites against Hypertension Risk in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study

Background and Aims: Metabolites related to dietary factors can be used to identify biological markers to prevent metabolic disease. However, most studies have been conducted in the United States and Europe, and those in the Asian region are limited. We investigated the effects of dietary monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and metabolites on new-onset hypertension in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Method and Results: A total of 1529 subjects without hypertension were divided into tertiles of dietary MUFAs intake. After a 4-year follow-up, 135 serum metabolites were measured using the AbsoluteIDQ p180 kit. During the 4-year follow-up period, 193 new-onset hypertension incidences were observed. The highest MUFAs intake group was inversely associated with the risk of hypertension compared with the lowest MUFAs intake group (odds ratio (OR) = 0.49, (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.29–0.82)). Of the 135 metabolites, eight were significantly associated with MUFAs intake. Phosphatidylcholine-diacyl (PC aa) C 38:1 and hydroxysphingomyelin (SM OH) C 16:1 were associated with a decrease in hypertension risk (PC aa C 38:1, OR = 0.60 (95% CI = 0.37–0.96); SM OH C 16:1, OR = 0.42 (95% CI = 0.20–0.90)). The highest MUFAs intake group had a significantly decreased risk of hypertension, even considering PC aa C 38:1 and SM (OH) C 16:1 as a mediator. Conclusion: We confirmed that dietary MUFAs intake, and PC aa C 38:1 and SM (OH) C 16:1 had protective effects against hypertension. Furthermore, high MUFAs intake combined with PC aa C 38:1 and SM (OH) C 16:1 has the most significant effect on reducing the risk hypertension.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 and high-density lipoprotein metabolism: experimental animal models and clinical evidence

Proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) belongs to the proprotein convertase family. Several studies have demonstrated its involvement in the regulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by inducing the degradation of the LDL receptor (LDLR). However, experimental, epidemiologic, and pharmacologic data provide important evidence on the role of PCSK9 also on high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). In mice, PCSK9 regulates the HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels by the degradation of hepatic LDLR, thus inhibiting the uptake of apolipoprotein (Apo)E-containing HDLs. Several epidemiologic and genetic studies reported positive relationship between PCSK9 and HDL-C levels, likely by reducing the uptake of the ApoE-containing HDL particles. PCSK9 enhances also the degradation of LDLR's closest family members, ApoE receptor 2, very low-density lipoprotein receptor, and LDLR-related protein 1. This feature provides a molecular mechanism by which PCSK9 may affect HDL metabolism. Experimental studies demonstrated that PCSK9 directly interacts with HDL by modulating PCSK9 self-assembly and its binding to the LDLR. Finally, the inhibition of PCSK9 by means of monoclonal antibodies directed to PCSK9 (ie, evolocumab and alirocumab) determines an increase of HDL-C fraction by 7% and 4.2%, respectively. Thus, the understanding of the role of PCSK9 on HDL metabolism needs to be elucidated with a particular focus on the effect of PCSK9 on HDL-mediated reverse cholesterol transport.

Dietary Fat Intake and the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults

Background

The effect of dietary fat intake on the risk of cardiovascular disease remains unclear. We investigated the association between dietary fat and specific types of fat intake and the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Methods

The study population included 1,662 healthy adults who were 50.2 years of age and had no known hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, or metabolic syndrome at the initial visit. Dietary intake was obtained from a 1-day food record. During 20.7 months of follow-up, we documented 147 cases of metabolic syndrome confirmed by self-report, anthropometric data, and blood test results. The intakes of total fat, vegetable fat, animal fat, saturated fatty acid (SFA), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), and cholesterol level divided by quintile. Multivariate analyses included age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, physical activity, total calorie, and protein intake.

Results

Vegetable fat intake was inversely associated with metabolic syndrome risk (odds ratio for the highest vs. the lowest quintile, 0.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.14 to 0.76). Total fat, animal fat, SFA, PUFA, MUFA, and cholesterol intakes showed no association with metabolic syndrome. Vegetable fat intake was inversely associated with the risk of hypertriglyceridemia among the components of metabolic syndrome.

Conclusion

These data support an inverse association between vegetable fat and the risk of metabolic syndrome.