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Brandenburg JT, Chen WC, Boua PR, Govender MA, Agongo G, Micklesfield LK, Sorgho H, Tollman S, Asiki G, Mashinya F, Hazelhurst S, Morris AP, Fabian J, Ramsay M. Genetic association and transferability for urinary albumin-creatinine ratio as a marker of kidney disease in four Sub-Saharan African populations and non-continental individuals of African ancestry. Front Genet 2024; 15:1372042. [PMID: 38812969 PMCID: PMC11134365 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1372042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have predominantly focused on populations of European and Asian ancestry, limiting our understanding of genetic factors influencing kidney disease in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) populations. This study presents the largest GWAS for urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) in SSA individuals, including 8,970 participants living in different African regions and an additional 9,705 non-resident individuals of African ancestry from the UK Biobank and African American cohorts. Methods Urine biomarkers and genotype data were obtained from two SSA cohorts (AWI-Gen and ARK), and two non-resident African-ancestry studies (UK Biobank and CKD-Gen Consortium). Association testing and meta-analyses were conducted, with subsequent fine-mapping, conditional analyses, and replication studies. Polygenic scores (PGS) were assessed for transferability across populations. Results Two genome-wide significant (P < 5 × 10-8) UACR-associated loci were identified, one in the BMP6 region on chromosome 6, in the meta-analysis of resident African individuals, and another in the HBB region on chromosome 11 in the meta-analysis of non-resident SSA individuals, as well as the combined meta-analysis of all studies. Replication of previous significant results confirmed associations in known UACR-associated regions, including THB53, GATM, and ARL15. PGS estimated using previous studies from European ancestry, African ancestry, and multi-ancestry cohorts exhibited limited transferability of PGS across populations, with less than 1% of observed variance explained. Conclusion This study contributes novel insights into the genetic architecture of kidney disease in SSA populations, emphasizing the need for conducting genetic research in diverse cohorts. The identified loci provide a foundation for future investigations into the genetic susceptibility to chronic kidney disease in underrepresented African populations Additionally, there is a need to develop integrated scores using multi-omics data and risk factors specific to the African context to improve the accuracy of predicting disease outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Tristan Brandenburg
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Strengthening Oncology Services Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Wenlong Carl Chen
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Strengthening Oncology Services Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- National Cancer Registry, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Palwende Romuald Boua
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | | | - Godfred Agongo
- Navrongo Health Research Centre, Navrongo, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Lisa K. Micklesfield
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Hermann Sorgho
- Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | - Stephen Tollman
- Medical Research Council/Wits University Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Gershim Asiki
- African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Felistas Mashinya
- Department of Pathology and Medical Sciences, School of Healthcare Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, Polokwane, South Africa
| | - Scott Hazelhurst
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Andrew P. Morris
- Centre for Genetics and Genomics Versus Arthritis, Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - June Fabian
- Medical Research Council/Wits University Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Michèle Ramsay
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Brandenburg JT, Chen WC, Boua PR, Govender MA, Agongo G, Micklesfield LK, Sorgho H, Tollman S, Asiki G, Mashinya F, Hazelhurst S, Morris AP, Fabian J, Ramsay M. Genetic Association and Transferability for Urinary Albumin-Creatinine Ratio as a Marker of Kidney Disease in four Sub-Saharan African Populations and non-continental Individuals of African Ancestry. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.01.17.24301398. [PMID: 38293229 PMCID: PMC10827237 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.17.24301398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have predominantly focused on populations of European and Asian ancestry, limiting our understanding of genetic factors influencing kidney disease in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) populations. This study presents the largest GWAS for urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) in SSA individuals, including 8,970 participants living in different African regions and an additional 9,705 non-resident individuals of African ancestry from the UK Biobank and African American cohorts. METHODS Urine biomarkers and genotype data were obtained from two SSA cohorts (AWI-Gen and ARK), and two non-resident African-ancestry studies (UK Biobank and CKD-Gen Consortium). Association testing and meta-analyses were conducted, with subsequent fine-mapping, conditional analyses, and replication studies. Polygenic scores (PGS) were assessed for transferability across populations. RESULTS Two genome-wide significant (P<5x10-8) UACR-associated loci were identified, one in the BMP6 region on chromosome 6, in the meta-analysis of resident African individuals, and another in the HBB region on chromosome 11 in the meta-analysis of non-resident SSA individuals, as well as the combined meta-analysis of all studies. Replication of previous significant results confirmed associations in known UACR-associated regions, including THB53, GATM, and ARL15. PGS estimated using previous studies from European ancestry, African ancestry, and multi-ancestry cohorts exhibited limited transferability of PGS across populations, with less than 1% of observed variance explained. CONCLUSION This study contributes novel insights into the genetic architecture of kidney disease in SSA populations, emphasizing the need for conducting genetic research in diverse cohorts. The identified loci provide a foundation for future investigations into the genetic susceptibility to chronic kidney disease in underrepresented African populations Additionally, there is a need to develop integrated scores using multi-omics data and risk factors specific to the African context to improve the accuracy of predicting disease outcomes. METHODS Urine biomarkers and genotype data were obtained from two SSA cohorts (AWI-Gen and ARK), and two non-resident African-ancestry studies (UK Biobank and CKD-Gen Consortium). Association testing and meta-analyses were conducted, with subsequent fine-mapping, conditional analyses, and replication studies. Polygenic scores (PGS) were assessed for transferability across populations. RESULTS Two genome-wide significant (P<5x10-8) UACR-associated loci were identified, one in the BMP6 region on chromosome 6, in the meta-analysis of resident African individuals, and another in the HBB region on chromosome 11 in the meta-analysis of non-resident SSA individuals, as well as the combined meta-analysis of all studies. Replication of previous significant results confirmed associations in known UACR-associated regions, including THB53, GATM, and ARL15. PGS estimated using previous studies from European ancestry, African ancestry, and multi-ancestry cohorts exhibited limited transferability of PGS across populations, with less than 1% of observed variance explained. CONCLUSION This study contributes novel insights into the genetic architecture of kidney function in SSA populations, emphasizing the need for conducting genetic research in diverse cohorts. The identified loci provide a foundation for future investigations into the genetic susceptibility to chronic kidney disease in underrepresented African populations.
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