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Suominen A, Saldo Rubio G, Ruohonen S, Szabó Z, Pohjolainen L, Ghimire B, Ruohonen ST, Saukkonen K, Ijas J, Skarp S, Kaikkonen L, Cai M, Wardlaw SL, Ruskoaho H, Talman V, Savontaus E, Kerkelä R, Rinne P. α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone alleviates pathological cardiac remodeling via melanocortin 5 receptor. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:1987-2014. [PMID: 38454158 PMCID: PMC11014855 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00109-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) regulates diverse physiological functions by activating melanocortin receptors (MC-R). However, the role of α-MSH and its possible target receptors in the heart remain completely unknown. Here we investigate whether α-MSH could be involved in pathological cardiac remodeling. We found that α-MSH was highly expressed in the mouse heart with reduced ventricular levels after transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Administration of a stable α-MSH analog protected mice against TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy and systolic dysfunction. In vitro experiments revealed that MC5-R in cardiomyocytes mediates the anti-hypertrophic signaling of α-MSH. Silencing of MC5-R in cardiomyocytes induced hypertrophy and fibrosis markers in vitro and aggravated TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in vivo. Conversely, pharmacological activation of MC5-R improved systolic function and reduced cardiac fibrosis in TAC-operated mice. In conclusion, α-MSH is expressed in the heart and protects against pathological cardiac remodeling by activating MC5-R in cardiomyocytes. These results suggest that analogs of naturally occurring α-MSH, that have been recently approved for clinical use and have agonistic activity at MC5-R, may be of benefit in treating heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni Suominen
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Drug Research Doctoral Programme (DRDP), University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Guillem Saldo Rubio
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Saku Ruohonen
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Zoltán Szabó
- Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Lotta Pohjolainen
- Drug Research Program and Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bishwa Ghimire
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Suvi T Ruohonen
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Karla Saukkonen
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jani Ijas
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Sini Skarp
- Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Leena Kaikkonen
- Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Minying Cai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Sharon L Wardlaw
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Heikki Ruskoaho
- Drug Research Program and Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Virpi Talman
- Drug Research Program and Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eriika Savontaus
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku Center for Disease Modeling, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Risto Kerkelä
- Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Petteri Rinne
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
- Turku Center for Disease Modeling, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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Kilpiö T, Skarp S, Perjes A, Swan J, Kaikkonen L, Saarimaki S, Szokodi I, Penninger JM, Szabo Z, Magga J, Kerkela R. Apelin regulates skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise in a high intensity interval training (HIIT) model. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2024. [PMID: 38525542 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00427.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Plasma apelin levels are reduced in aging and muscle wasting conditions. We aimed to investigate the significance of apelin signaling in cardiac and skeletal muscle responses to physiological stress. Apelin knockout (KO) and wild type (WT) mice were subjected to high intensity interval training (HIIT) by treadmill running. The effects of apelin on energy metabolism were studied in primary mouse skeletal muscle myotubes and cardiomyocytes. Apelin increased mitochondrial ATP production and mitochondrial coupling efficiency in myotubes and promoted the expression of mitochondrial genes both in primary myotubes and cardiomyocytes. HIIT induced mild concentric cardiac hypertrophy in WT mice, whereas eccentric growth was observed in the left ventricles of apelin KO mice. HIIT did not affect myofiber size in skeletal muscles of WT mice but decreased the myofiber size in apelin KO mice. The decrease in myofiber size resulted from a fiber type switch towards smaller slow-twitch type I fibers. The increased proportion of slow-twitch type I fibers in apelin KO mice was associated with upregulation of myosin heavy chain slow isoform expression, accompanied with upregulated expression of genes related to fatty acid transport and downregulated expression of genes related to glucose metabolism. Mechanistically, skeletal muscles of apelin KO mice showed defective induction of insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling in response to HIIT. In conclusion, apelin is required for proper skeletal and cardiac muscle adaptation to high intensity exercise. Promoting apelinergic signaling may have benefits in aging- or disease-related muscle wasting conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Josef M Penninger
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, VBC - Vienna BioCenter; Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | | | - Risto Kerkela
- Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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Toivonen E, Lee E, Leppänen MH, Laitinen T, Kähönen M, Lakka TA, Haapala EA. The associations of depressive symptoms and perceived stress with arterial health in adolescents. Physiol Rep 2024; 12:e15986. [PMID: 38519264 PMCID: PMC10959692 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular and mental diseases are among the most important global health problems, but little is known on the associations between mental and arterial health in adolescents. Therefore, we investigated the associations of arterial health with depressive symptoms and perceived stress in adolescents. A total of 277 adolescents, 151 boys, 126 girls, aged 15-17 years participated in the study. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory and perceived stress by the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale. Arterial health was assessed by measures from carotid ultrasonography (carotid intima-media thickness, Young's Elastic Modulus, carotid artery distensibility, stiffness index), impedance cardiography (pulse wave velocity, cardio-ankle vascular index), and pulse contour analysis (reflection index, stiffness index). The data were analyzed using linear regression models adjusted for age and sex. Depressive symptoms or perceived stress were not associated with indices of arterial health in the whole study group (β = -0.08 to 0.09, p > 0.05), in boys (β = -0.13 to 0.10, p > 0.05) or in girls (standardized regression coefficient β = -0.16 to 0.08, p > 0.05). We found no associations of depressive symptoms and perceived stress with arterial health in adolescents. These observations suggest that the association between mental and arterial health problems develop in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmi Toivonen
- Faculty of Sports and Health SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Earric Lee
- Faculty of Sports and Health SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
- Institut de Cardiologie de MontréalMontréalQCCanada
- École de kinésiologie et des sciences de l’activité physiqueUniversité de MontréalMontréalQCCanada
| | - Marja H. Leppänen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern FinlandKuopio CampusKuopioFinland
| | - Tomi Laitinen
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear ImagingUniversity of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University HospitalKuopioFinland
| | - Mika Kähönen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Tampere University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityTampereFinland
| | - Timo A. Lakka
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern FinlandKuopio CampusKuopioFinland
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear ImagingUniversity of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University HospitalKuopioFinland
- Foundation for Research in Health Exercise and NutritionKuopio Research Institute of Exercise MedicineKuopioFinland
| | - Eero A. Haapala
- Faculty of Sports and Health SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern FinlandKuopio CampusKuopioFinland
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Bouquin H, Koskela JK, Tikkakoski A, Honkonen M, Hiltunen TP, Mustonen JT, Pörsti IH. Differences in heart rate responses to upright posture are associated with variations in the high-frequency power of heart rate variability. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2024; 326:H479-H489. [PMID: 38133619 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00567.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
High resting heart rate is a cardiovascular risk factor, but limited data exist on the underlying hemodynamics and reproducibility of supine-to-upright increase in heart rate. We recorded noninvasive hemodynamics in 574 volunteers [age, 44.9 yr; body mass index (BMI), 26.4 kg/m2; 49% male] during passive head-up tilt (HUT) using whole body impedance cardiography and radial artery tonometry. Heart rate regulation was evaluated using heart rate variability (HRV) analyses. Comparisons were made between quartiles of supine-to-upright heart rate changes, in which heart rate at rest ranged 62.6-64.8 beats/min (P = 0.285). The average upright increases in heart rate in the quartiles 1-4 were 4.7, 9.9, 13.5, and 21.0 beats/min, respectively (P < 0.0001). No differences were observed in the low-frequency power of HRV, whether in the supine or upright position, or in the high-frequency power of HRV in the supine position. Upright high-frequency power of HRV was highest in quartile 1 with lowest upright heart rate and lowest in quartile 4 with highest upright heart rate. Mean systolic blood pressure before and during HUT (126 vs. 108 mmHg) and the increase in systemic vascular resistance during HUT (650 vs. 173 dyn·s/cm5/m2) were highest in quartile 1 and lowest in quartile 4. The increases in heart rate during HUT on three separate occasions several weeks apart were highly reproducible (r = 0.682) among 215 participants. To conclude, supine-to-upright increase in heart rate is a reproducible phenotype with underlying differences in the modulation of cardiac parasympathetic tone and systemic vascular resistance. As heart rate at rest influences prognosis, future research should elucidate the prognostic significance of these phenotypic differences.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Subjects with similar supine heart rates are characterized by variable increases in heart rate during upright posture. Individual heart rate increases in response to upright posture are highly reproducible as hemodynamic phenotypes and present underlying differences in the modulation of cardiac parasympathetic tone and systemic vascular resistance. These results indicate that resting heart rate obtained in the supine position alone is not an optimal means of classifying people into groups with differences in cardiovascular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Bouquin
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Jenni K Koskela
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Internal Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Antti Tikkakoski
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Milja Honkonen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Timo P Hiltunen
- Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jukka T Mustonen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Internal Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ilkka H Pörsti
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Internal Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
- Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center Tampere, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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Agbaje AO. Mediating effect of fat mass, lean mass, blood pressure and insulin resistance on the associations of accelerometer-based sedentary time and physical activity with arterial stiffness, carotid IMT and carotid elasticity in 1574 adolescents. J Hum Hypertens 2024:10.1038/s41371-024-00905-6. [PMID: 38409590 DOI: 10.1038/s41371-024-00905-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
This study examined the mediating effect of total body fat mass, lean mass, blood pressure (BP) and insulin resistance on the associations of sedentary time (ST), light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid elasticity in 1574 adolescents from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children birth cohort, UK. ST, LPA and MVPA were assessed with ActiGraph accelerometer. ST and LPA were sex-categorised in tertiles as low (reference), moderate and high, while MVPA was categorised as <40 min/day (reference), 40-<60 min/day and ≥60 min/day. cfPWV, cIMT and carotid elasticity were measured with Vicorder and ultrasound. Fat mass and lean mass were assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was computed. Mediation analyses structural equation models and linear mixed-effect models adjusted for cardiometabolic and lifestyle factors were conducted. Among 1574 adolescents [56.2% female; mean (SD) age 15.4 (0.24) years], 41% males and 17% females accumulated ≥60 min/day of MVPA. Higher ST was associated with lower cIMT partly mediated by lean mass. Higher LPA (standardized β = -0.057; [95% CI -0.101 to -0.013; p = 0.014]) and the highest LPA tertile were associated with lower cfPWV. BP had no significant mediating effect movement behaviour relations with vascular indices. Lean mass partially mediated associations of higher MVPA with higher cIMT (0.012; [0.007-0.002; p = 0.001], 25.5% mediation) and higher carotid elasticity (0.025; [0.014-0.039; p = 0.001], 28.1% mediation). HOMA-IR mediated the associations of higher MVPA with higher carotid elasticity (7.7% mediation). Engaging in ≥60 min/day of MVPA was associated with higher carotid elasticity. In conclusion, higher LPA was associated with lower arterial stiffness, but higher MVPA was associated with thicker carotid wall explained by higher lean mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew O Agbaje
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
- Children's Health and Exercise Research Centre, Department of Public Health and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
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Agbaje AO, Perng W, Tuomainen TP. Effects of accelerometer-based sedentary time and physical activity on DEXA-measured fat mass in 6059 children. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8232. [PMID: 38086810 PMCID: PMC10716139 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43316-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally, childhood obesity is on the rise and the effect of objectively measured movement behaviour on body composition remains unclear. Longitudinal and causal mediation relationships of accelerometer-based sedentary time (ST), light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-measured fat mass were examined in 6059 children aged 11 years followed-up until age 24 years from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), UK birth cohort. Over 13-year follow-up, each minute/day of ST was associated with 1.3 g increase in fat mass. However, each minute/day of LPA was associated with 3.6 g decrease in fat mass and each minute/day of MVPA was associated with 1.3 g decrease in fat mass. Persistently accruing ≥60 min/day of MVPA was associated with 2.8 g decrease in fat mass per each minute/day of MVPA, partly mediated by decrease insulin and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. LPA elicited similar and potentially stronger fat mass-lowering effect than MVPA and thus may be targeted in obesity and ST prevention in children and adolescents, who are unable or unwilling to exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew O Agbaje
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
- Children's Health and Exercise Research Centre, Department of Public Health and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | - Wei Perng
- Colorado School of Public Health, Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Tomi-Pekka Tuomainen
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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Tapio J, Kiviniemi AM, Perkiömäki J, Junttila MJ, Huikuri HV, Ukkola O, Koivunen P, Tulppo MP. Lower hemoglobin levels associate with higher baroreflex sensitivity and heart rate variability. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2023; 325:H629-H634. [PMID: 37566112 PMCID: PMC10659262 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00415.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to cross-sectionally examine whether hemoglobin (Hb) levels within the normal variation associate with heart rate variability (HRV) measures and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). The study population included 733 Finnish subjects of the OPERA cohort (aged 41-59 yr, 53% males, 51.7% treated for hypertension) of whom HRV was measured from a standardized 45-min period and whose Hb levels were within the Finnish reference intervals. The low Hb tertile (mean Hb, 135 g/L) had an overall healthier metabolic profile compared with the high Hb tertile (mean Hb, 152 g/L). BRS was higher in the low Hb tertile compared with the high Hb tertile (P < 0.05). R-R interval (RRi) and standard deviation (SD) of the RRi (SDNN)index were the longest in the low Hb tertile regardless of posture. Of the spectral components of HRV, HF power was the highest in the low Hb tertile regardless of posture (P < 0.05). In a stepwise logistic regression model, BRS associated negatively with Hb levels after adjusting for covariates (B = -0.160 [-0.285; -0.035]). Similar associations were observed for SDNNindex when lying down (B = -0.105 [-0.207; -0.003]) and walking (B = -0.154 [-0.224; -0.083]). For HF power negative associations with Hb levels were observed when lying down (B = -0.110 [-0.180; -0.040]), sitting (B = -0.150 [-0.221; -0.079]), and in total analysis (B = -0.124 [-0.196; -0.053]). Overall, lower Hb levels associated independently with healthier cardiac autonomic function.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Heart rate variability (HRV) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), which can be measured noninvasively, can predict cardiac and metabolic diseases. Our findings show that within normal variation subjects with lower hemoglobin (Hb) levels have an overall healthier HRV profile and increased cardiac parasympathetic activity in middle age, independent of age, sex, smoking status, and key metabolic covariates. These findings support our previous findings that Hb levels can be used in assessing long-term risks for cardiometabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joona Tapio
- Biocenter Oulu and Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Oulu Center for Cell-Matrix Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Antti M Kiviniemi
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Faculty of Medicine, Oulu University Hospital and Research Unit of Internal Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Juha Perkiömäki
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Faculty of Medicine, Oulu University Hospital and Research Unit of Internal Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - M Juhani Junttila
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Faculty of Medicine, Oulu University Hospital and Research Unit of Internal Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Heikki V Huikuri
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Faculty of Medicine, Oulu University Hospital and Research Unit of Internal Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Olavi Ukkola
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Faculty of Medicine, Oulu University Hospital and Research Unit of Internal Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Peppi Koivunen
- Biocenter Oulu and Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Oulu Center for Cell-Matrix Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Mikko P Tulppo
- Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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Åberg F, Färkkilä M, Salomaa V, Jula A, Männistö S, Perola M, Lundqvist A, Männistö V. Waist-hip ratio is superior to BMI in predicting liver-related outcomes and synergizes with harmful alcohol use. Commun Med (Lond) 2023; 3:119. [PMID: 37674006 PMCID: PMC10482890 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-023-00353-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity is associated with liver disease, but the best obesity-related predictor remains undefined. Controversy exists regarding possible synergism between obesity and alcohol use for liver-related outcomes (LRO). We assessed the predictive performance for LROs, and synergism with alcohol use, of abdominal obesity (waist-hip ratio, WHR), and compared it to overall obesity (body mass index, BMI). METHODS Forty-thousand nine-hundred twenty-two adults attending the Finnish health-examination surveys, FINRISK 1992-2012 and Health 2000 studies, were followed through linkage with electronic healthcare registries for LROs (hospitalizations, cancers, and deaths). Predictive performance of obesity measures (WHR, waist circumference [WC], and BMI) were assessed by Fine-Gray models and time-dependent area-under-the-curve (AUC). RESULTS There are 355 LROs during a median follow-up of 12.9 years (509047.8 person-years). WHR and WC emerge as more powerful predictors of LROs than BMI. WHR shows significantly better 10-year AUC values for LROs (0.714, 95% CI 0.685-0.743) than WC (0.648, 95% CI 0.617-0.679) or BMI (0.550, 95% CI 0.514-0.585) both overall and separately among men and women. WHR is predictive also in BMI strata. Absolute 10-year risks of LROs are more dependent on WHR than BMI. Moreover, WHR shows a significant supra-additive interaction effect with harmful alcohol use for liver-related outcomes (excess 10-year cumulative incidence of 2.8% from the interaction), which is not seen between BMI and harmful alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS WHR is a better predictor than BMI or WC for LROs, and WHR better reflects the synergism with harmful alcohol use. WHR should be included in clinical assessment when evaluating obesity-related risks for liver outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Åberg
- Transplantation and Liver Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Martti Färkkilä
- Abdominal Center, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Veikko Salomaa
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Antti Jula
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Satu Männistö
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markus Perola
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Ville Männistö
- Departments of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
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Agbaje AO. Arterial Stiffness Preceding Metabolic Syndrome in 3862 Adolescents: A Mediation and Temporal Causal Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2023; 324:H905-H911. [PMID: 37083449 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00126.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The temporal associations of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), a measure of arterial stiffness, with the risk of incident metabolic syndrome (MS) was examined in 3862 adolescents from Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), aged 17.7 years with 7-year follow-up. cfPWV was assessed by Vicorder and MS was determined by the presence of three or more of: dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured trunk fat obesity, decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated triglyceride, hyperglycemia, and elevated/hypertensive blood pressure at baseline and follow up. Analyses were conducted using generalized logit mixed-effect models and structural equation models. Among 3862 adolescents (2143 [55.5%] female), 5% of males and 1.1% of females participants had MS at baseline while 8.8% of males and 2.4% of females participants had MS at follow-up. In the mixed-model analysis, a 7-year progressive increase in cfPWV was associated with a cumulatively increased risk of incident MS from baseline through follow-up in the total cohort [Odds ratio 1.04 (confidence interval 1.02 - 1.06), p=0.002] and in males [1.09 (1.06 - 1.12), p<0.001] but not in females [1.01 (0.95 - 1.06), p=0.885]. In the cross-lagged model, higher cfPWV at baseline was associated with a higher MS score [β = 0.08, standard-error = 0.39, p<0.0001] at follow-up but MS score at baseline was not associated with cfPWV at follow-up. Cumulatively increased fasting insulin and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol had 12.4 and 9.4% respective mediation effects on the positive relationships between cumulative arterial stiffness and MS score. In conclusion, arterial stiffness may precede MS in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew O Agbaje
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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Agbaje AO. Longitudinal left ventricular mass indexing for DEXA-measured lean mass and fat mass: novel normative reference centiles in postpubertal adolescents and young adults. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2023; 324:H571-H577. [PMID: 36827226 PMCID: PMC10042592 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00045.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy derived from LV mass (LVM) cut point is a marker of cardiovascular events in adults and target organ damage in pediatric research. Inadequate LVM indexing for body size due to scarcity of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)-measured lean mass may lead to misclassification in the pediatric population. The only LVM indexed for DEXA-measured lean mass reference in children, mean age 11.6 yr, is 3-decades old and accurate LVM indexing in postpubertal adolescents and young adults is nonexistent. We generate new sex-specific LVM indexed for lean mass percentiles in healthy adolescence and young adulthood and correlated them with surrogates for normalizing body size. From the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children UK birth cohort, 868 adolescents (531 females) aged 17 yr were followed up for 7 yr. Lean mass was measured by DEXA at both time points. Echocardiography M-mode, two-dimensional (2-D), and three-dimensional (3-D) echo data for estimating LVM were collected at baseline and follow-up. Over 7 years, LVM increased in males (177.1 g) and females (133.5 g) at 17 yr to 199.9 g (males) and 145 g (females) at 24 yr. LVM/height3 and LVM/height2.7 provided the most consistent cross-sectional and longitudinal intraclass correlation coefficients with LVM/lean mass in both sexes (0.90-0.93). Indexing LVM by lean mass eliminated the sex difference only at age 24 yr but not at 17 yr. LVM/height2.7 85th percentiles for males and females at age 17 yr were 45.1 g/m2.7 and 41.4 g/m2.7, respectively, and at age 24 yr the 75th percentiles were 45.5 g/m2.7 and 41.7 g/m2.7, respectively. The 95th percentiles for males and females at age 17 yr were 49.5 g/m2.7 and 46.8 g/m2.7, respectively, and at age 24 yr were 57.1 g/m2.7 and 50.2 g/m2.7, respectively. These new reference percentile cut points were higher than the currently used 95th percentile pediatric reference of 38.6 g/m2.7. Future studies are warranted in youth with clinical diseases to examine whether these new cut points provide a more accurate stratification of cardiovascular risk.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Current left ventricular mass cut points for pediatric left ventricular hypertrophy are inaccurate. The inaccuracies are due, in part, to the average age of participants (11.6 yr) evaluated and also due to the lack of Echo and DEXA-measured body composition in postpubertal youth. Novel sex-based cut points are proposed for postpubertal youths at 17 and 24 yr. The new 95th percentile cut points are 15-20 g/m2.7 higher than the current cut point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew O Agbaje
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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11
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Agbaje AO, Barmi S, Sansum KM, Baynard T, Barker AR, Tuomainen TP. Temporal longitudinal associations of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and carotid intima-media thickness with resting heart rate and inflammation in youth. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2023; 134:657-666. [PMID: 36727630 PMCID: PMC10010920 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00701.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We examined the temporal longitudinal associations of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) with the risk of elevated resting heart rate (RHR) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). We studied 3,862 adolescents, mean age 17.7 (SD 0.3 yr), followed-up for 7 yr until age 24.5 (0.7) yr, from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, UK. RHR, fasting plasma hsCRP, cfPWV, and cIMT were repeatedly assessed and analyzed using logistic regression, linear mixed-effect, and structural equation models adjusting for important covariates. Among 3,862 adolescents [2,143 (55.5%) female], 10% and 44% were at moderate-to-high risk of elevated RHR and hsCRP at 24.5 yr, respectively. Higher cfPWV at 17.7 yr was associated with elevated RHR risk at follow-up [odds-ratio (OR) 1.58 (CI 1.20-2.08); P = 0.001], whereas cIMT at 17.7 yr was associated with elevated hsCRP risk [OR 2.30 (1.18-4.46); P = 0.014] at follow-up, only among females. In mixed model, 7-yr progression in cfPWV was directly associated with 7-yr increase in RHR [effect-estimate 6 beats/min (1-11); P = 0.017] and hsCRP. cIMT progression was associated with 7-yr increase in RHR and hsCRP. In cross-lagged model, higher cfPWV at 17.7 yr was associated with higher RHR (β = 0.06, standard error = 3.85, P < 0.0001) at 24.5 yr but RHR at 17.7 yr was unassociated with cfPWV at 24.5 yr. Baseline cIMT or RHR was unassociated with either outcome at follow-up. Higher hsCRP at 17.7 yr was associated with higher cfPWV and cIMT at 24.5 yr. In conclusion, adolescent arterial stiffness but not cIMT appears to precede higher RHR in young adulthood, whereas elevated hsCRP in adolescence preceded higher cfPWV and cIMT.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Higher arterial stiffness but not carotid-intima media thickness in adolescence preceded higher resting heart rate in young adulthood, however, elevated high sensitivity C-reactive protein in adolescence preceded higher arterial stiffness and carotid intima-thickness in young adulthood in the temporal causal path. Low-grade inflammation during adolescence may be causally associated with the development of subclinical arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis in young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew O Agbaje
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Samuel Barmi
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kate M Sansum
- Children's Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- School of Health and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Development, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tracy Baynard
- Integrative Physiology Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Alan R Barker
- Children's Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Tomi-Pekka Tuomainen
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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12
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Agbaje AO, Zachariah JP, Bamsa O, Odili AN, Tuomainen TP. Cumulative insulin resistance and hyperglycemia with arterial stiffness and carotid IMT progression in 1,779 adolescents: a 9-yr longitudinal cohort study. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2023; 324:E268-E278. [PMID: 36753290 PMCID: PMC10010917 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00008.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
In pediatric population with diabetes and obesity, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) has been associated with worsening vascular outcomes, however, the cumulative role of HOMA-IR, hyperglycemia, and hyperinsulinemia on repeatedly measured vascular outcomes in asymptomatic youth is unknown. We examined the longitudinal associations of fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT). From the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort, UK 1,779, 15-yr-old participants were followed up for 9 yr. Glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR assessed at 15, 17, and 24 yr and sex-specifically dichotomized as ≥75th percentile, indicating high category and <75th percentile as reference. cfPWV and cIMT were measured at ages 17 and 24 yr. Associations were examined using linear mixed-effect models adjusted for cardiometabolic and lifestyle covariates. Among 1,779 participants [49.9% female], glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR had a J- or U-shaped increase from ages 15 through 24 yr. The cumulative exposures to hyperinsulinemia effect estimate -0.019 mU/L; [95% CI -0.019 to -0.002; P = 0.033] and high HOMA-IR: -0.021; [-0.039 to -0.004; P = 0.019] from 15 to 24 yr of age were negatively associated with the 7-yr cfPWV progression. Only cumulative hyperinsulinemia and high HOMA-IR from ages 15 to 17 yr but not from ages 17 to 24 yr was associated with decreased cfPWV progression. There were no associations between cumulative hyperglycemia and cfPWV or cIMT progression. Hyperinsulinemia and HOMA-IR were not associated with cIMT progression. In conclusion, late adolescence may be an optimal timing for intervention targeted at sustaining the protective effect of the decline of insulin and insulin resistance on arterial stiffness progression.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance had a J- or U-shaped increase from 15 to 24 yr with the base of the curve at age 17 yr. Cumulative high insulin and high insulin resistance from 15 to 24 yr were negatively associated with arterial stiffness progression from ages 17 to 24 yr. Age 17 yr may be an optimal timing for intervention targeted at sustaining the protective effect of the decline of insulin and insulin resistance on arterial stiffness progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew O Agbaje
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Justin P Zachariah
- Section of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States
| | | | - Augustine N Odili
- Department of Epidemiology, Circulatory Health Research Laboratory, College of Health Sciences, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Tomi-Pekka Tuomainen
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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13
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Helkkula P, Hassan S, Saarentaus E, Vartiainen E, Ruotsalainen S, Leinonen JT, Palotie A, Karjalainen J, Kurki M, Ripatti S, Tukiainen T. Genome-wide association study of varicose veins identifies a protective missense variant in GJD3 enriched in the Finnish population. Commun Biol 2023; 6:71. [PMID: 36653477 PMCID: PMC9849365 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04285-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Varicose veins is the most common manifestation of chronic venous disease that displays female-biased incidence. To identify protein-inactivating variants that could guide identification of drug target genes for varicose veins and genetic evidence for the disease prevalence difference between the sexes, we conducted a genome-wide association study of varicose veins in Finns using the FinnGen dataset with 17,027 cases and 190,028 controls. We identified 50 associated genetic loci (P < 5.0 × 10-8) of which 29 were novel including one near ERG with female-specificity (rs2836405-G, OR[95% CI] = 1.09[1.05-1.13], P = 3.1 × 10-8). These also include two X-chromosomal (ARHGAP6 and SRPX) and two autosomal novel loci (TGFB2 and GJD3) with protein-coding lead variants enriched above 56-fold in Finns over non-Finnish non-Estonian Europeans. A low-frequency missense variant in GJD3 (p.Pro59Thr) is exclusively associated with a lower risk for varicose veins (OR = 0.62 [0.55-0.70], P = 1.0 × 10-14) in a phenome-wide scan of the FinnGen data. The absence of observed pleiotropy and its membership of the connexin gene family underlines GJD3 as a potential connexin-modulating therapeutic strategy for varicose veins. Our results provide insights into varicose veins etiopathology and highlight the power of isolated populations, including Finns, to discover genetic variants that inform therapeutic development.
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Grants
- MC_PC_17228 Medical Research Council
- Academy of Finland (Suomen Akatemia)
- Sydäntutkimussäätiö (Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research)
- Academy of Finland Center of Excellence in Complex Disease Genetics (Grant No 312062), Sigrid Juselius Foundation (S.Ri. and T.T.), University of Helsinki HiLIFE Fellow and Grand Challenge grants (S.Ri.), University of Helsinki three-year research project grant (T.T.), FIMM-EMBL PhD program doctoral funding (S.H.), Nylands Nation, University of Helsinki (P.H.) The FinnGen project is funded by two grants from Business Finland (HUS 4685/31/2016 and UH 4386/31/2016) and the following industry partners: AbbVie Inc., AstraZeneca UK Ltd, Biogen MA Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb (and Celgene Corporation & Celgene International II Sàrl), Genentech Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp, Pfizer Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Intellectual Property Development Ltd., Sanofi US Services Inc., Maze Therapeutics Inc., Janssen Biotech Inc, Novartis AG, and Boehringer Ingelheim. Following biobanks are acknowledged for delivering biobank samples to FinnGen: Auria Biobank (www.auria.fi/biopankki), THL Biobank (www.thl.fi/biobank), Helsinki Biobank (www.helsinginbiopankki.fi), Biobank Borealis of Northern Finland (https://www.ppshp.fi/Tutkimus-ja-opetus/Biopankki/Pages/Biobank-Borealis-briefly-in-English.aspx), Finnish Clinical Biobank Tampere (www.tays.fi/en-US/Research_and_development/Finnish_Clinical_Biobank_Tampere), Biobank of Eastern Finland (www.ita-suomenbiopankki.fi/en), Central Finland Biobank (www.ksshp.fi/fi-FI/Potilaalle/Biopankki), Finnish Red Cross Blood Service Biobank (www.veripalvelu.fi/verenluovutus/biopankkitoiminta) and Terveystalo Biobank (www.terveystalo.com/fi/Yritystietoa/Terveystalo-Biopankki/Biopankki/).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pyry Helkkula
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Shabbeer Hassan
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elmo Saarentaus
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Emilia Vartiainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sanni Ruotsalainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaakko T Leinonen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aarno Palotie
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics and Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Juha Karjalainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mitja Kurki
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Samuli Ripatti
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Public Health, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Taru Tukiainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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14
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Zhu Q, Huang S, Gonzalez A, McGrath I, McDonald D, Haiminen N, Armstrong G, Vázquez-Baeza Y, Yu J, Kuczynski J, Sepich-Poore GD, Swafford AD, Das P, Shaffer JP, Lejzerowicz F, Belda-Ferre P, Havulinna AS, Méric G, Niiranen T, Lahti L, Salomaa V, Kim HC, Jain M, Inouye M, Gilbert JA, Knight R. Phylogeny-Aware Analysis of Metagenome Community Ecology Based on Matched Reference Genomes while Bypassing Taxonomy. mSystems 2022; 7:e0016722. [PMID: 35369727 PMCID: PMC9040630 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00167-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We introduce the operational genomic unit (OGU) method, a metagenome analysis strategy that directly exploits sequence alignment hits to individual reference genomes as the minimum unit for assessing the diversity of microbial communities and their relevance to environmental factors. This approach is independent of taxonomic classification, granting the possibility of maximal resolution of community composition, and organizes features into an accurate hierarchy using a phylogenomic tree. The outputs are suitable for contemporary analytical protocols for community ecology, differential abundance, and supervised learning while supporting phylogenetic methods, such as UniFrac and phylofactorization, that are seldom applied to shotgun metagenomics despite being prevalent in 16S rRNA gene amplicon studies. As demonstrated in two real-world case studies, the OGU method produces biologically meaningful patterns from microbiome data sets. Such patterns further remain detectable at very low metagenomic sequencing depths. Compared with taxonomic unit-based analyses implemented in currently adopted metagenomics tools, and the analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence variants, this method shows superiority in informing biologically relevant insights, including stronger correlation with body environment and host sex on the Human Microbiome Project data set and more accurate prediction of human age by the gut microbiomes of Finnish individuals included in the FINRISK 2002 cohort. We provide Woltka, a bioinformatics tool to implement this method, with full integration with the QIIME 2 package and the Qiita web platform, to facilitate adoption of the OGU method in future metagenomics studies. IMPORTANCE Shotgun metagenomics is a powerful, yet computationally challenging, technique compared to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing for decoding the composition and structure of microbial communities. Current analyses of metagenomic data are primarily based on taxonomic classification, which is limited in feature resolution. To solve these challenges, we introduce operational genomic units (OGUs), which are the individual reference genomes derived from sequence alignment results, without further assigning them taxonomy. The OGU method advances current read-based metagenomics in two dimensions: (i) providing maximal resolution of community composition and (ii) permitting use of phylogeny-aware tools. Our analysis of real-world data sets shows that it is advantageous over currently adopted metagenomic analysis methods and the finest-grained 16S rRNA analysis methods in predicting biological traits. We thus propose the adoption of OGUs as an effective practice in metagenomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyun Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Shi Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Antonio Gonzalez
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Imran McGrath
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Daniel McDonald
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Niina Haiminen
- IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York, USA
| | - George Armstrong
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Yoshiki Vázquez-Baeza
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Julian Yu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | | | | | - Austin D. Swafford
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Promi Das
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Justin P. Shaffer
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Franck Lejzerowicz
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Aki S. Havulinna
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Guillaume Méric
- Cambridge Baker Systems Genomics Initiative, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Teemu Niiranen
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Division of Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Finland
| | - Leo Lahti
- Department of Computing, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Veikko Salomaa
- Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ho-Cheol Kim
- IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, California, USA
| | - Mohit Jain
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michael Inouye
- Cambridge Baker Systems Genomics Initiative, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jack A. Gilbert
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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15
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Hautakangas H, Winsvold BS, Ruotsalainen SE, Bjornsdottir G, Harder AVE, Kogelman LJA, Thomas LF, Noordam R, Benner C, Gormley P, Artto V, Banasik K, Bjornsdottir A, Boomsma DI, Brumpton BM, Burgdorf KS, Buring JE, Chalmer MA, de Boer I, Dichgans M, Erikstrup C, Färkkilä M, Garbrielsen ME, Ghanbari M, Hagen K, Häppölä P, Hottenga JJ, Hrafnsdottir MG, Hveem K, Johnsen MB, Kähönen M, Kristoffersen ES, Kurth T, Lehtimäki T, Lighart L, Magnusson SH, Malik R, Pedersen OB, Pelzer N, Penninx BWJH, Ran C, Ridker PM, Rosendaal FR, Sigurdardottir GR, Skogholt AH, Sveinsson OA, Thorgeirsson TE, Ullum H, Vijfhuizen LS, Widén E, van Dijk KW, Aromaa A, Belin AC, Freilinger T, Ikram MA, Järvelin MR, Raitakari OT, Terwindt GM, Kallela M, Wessman M, Olesen J, Chasman DI, Nyholt DR, Stefánsson H, Stefansson K, van den Maagdenberg AMJM, Hansen TF, Ripatti S, Zwart JA, Palotie A, Pirinen M. Genome-wide analysis of 102,084 migraine cases identifies 123 risk loci and subtype-specific risk alleles. Nat Genet 2022; 54:152-160. [PMID: 35115687 PMCID: PMC8837554 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00990-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Migraine affects over a billion individuals worldwide but its genetic underpinning remains largely unknown. Here, we performed a genome-wide association study of 102,084 migraine cases and 771,257 controls and identified 123 loci, of which 86 are previously unknown. These loci provide an opportunity to evaluate shared and distinct genetic components in the two main migraine subtypes: migraine with aura and migraine without aura. Stratification of the risk loci using 29,679 cases with subtype information indicated three risk variants that seem specific for migraine with aura (in HMOX2, CACNA1A and MPPED2), two that seem specific for migraine without aura (near SPINK2 and near FECH) and nine that increase susceptibility for migraine regardless of subtype. The new risk loci include genes encoding recent migraine-specific drug targets, namely calcitonin gene-related peptide (CALCA/CALCB) and serotonin 1F receptor (HTR1F). Overall, genomic annotations among migraine-associated variants were enriched in both vascular and central nervous system tissue/cell types, supporting unequivocally that neurovascular mechanisms underlie migraine pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Hautakangas
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bendik S Winsvold
- Department of Research, Innovation and Education, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sanni E Ruotsalainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Aster V E Harder
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Lisette J A Kogelman
- Danish Headache Center, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Laurent F Thomas
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- BioCore - Bioinformatics Core Facility, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Clinic of Laboratory Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Raymond Noordam
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Christian Benner
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Ville Artto
- Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Karina Banasik
- Novo Nordic Foundation Center for Protein Research, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ben M Brumpton
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Julie E Buring
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mona Ameri Chalmer
- Danish Headache Center, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Irene de Boer
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Dichgans
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (Synergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Erikstrup
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Markus Färkkilä
- Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maiken Elvestad Garbrielsen
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Mohsen Ghanbari
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Knut Hagen
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Clinical Research Unit Central Norway, St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Paavo Häppölä
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jouke-Jan Hottenga
- Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Kristian Hveem
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- HUNT Research Center, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Marianne Bakke Johnsen
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Research and Communication Unit for Musculoskeletal Health (FORMI), Department of Research, Innovation and Education, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mika Kähönen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Tampere University Hospital, and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Espen S Kristoffersen
- Research and Communication Unit for Musculoskeletal Health (FORMI), Department of Research, Innovation and Education, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of General Practice, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
| | - Tobias Kurth
- Institute of Public Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Terho Lehtimäki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Lannie Lighart
- Netherlands Twin Register, Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Rainer Malik
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ole Birger Pedersen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark
| | - Nadine Pelzer
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Brenda W J H Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- GGZ inGeest Specialized Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Caroline Ran
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Paul M Ridker
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Frits R Rosendaal
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Anne Heidi Skogholt
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | | | - Henrik Ullum
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lisanne S Vijfhuizen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth Widén
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ko Willems van Dijk
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Arpo Aromaa
- National Public Health Institute (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare - THL), Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Tobias Freilinger
- Klinikum Passau, Department of Neurology, Passau, Germany
- Centre of Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - M Arfan Ikram
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marjo-Riitta Järvelin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Center for Life Course Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Unit of Primary Health Care, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, UK
| | - Olli T Raitakari
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Gisela M Terwindt
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Mikko Kallela
- Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maija Wessman
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jes Olesen
- Danish Headache Center, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel I Chasman
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dale R Nyholt
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Arn M J M van den Maagdenberg
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Folkmann Hansen
- Danish Headache Center, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordic Foundation Center for Protein Research, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Samuli Ripatti
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - John-Anker Zwart
- Department of Research, Innovation and Education, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Aarno Palotie
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Department of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- The Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research and Program in Medical and Population Genetics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matti Pirinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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16
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Mushimiyimana I, Tomas Bosch V, Niskanen H, Downes NL, Moreau PR, Hartigan K, Ylä-Herttuala S, Laham-Karam N, Kaikkonen MU. Genomic Landscapes of Noncoding RNAs Regulating VEGFA and VEGFC Expression in Endothelial Cells. Mol Cell Biol 2021; 41:e0059420. [PMID: 33875575 PMCID: PMC8224232 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00594-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are best known as key regulators of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. Although VEGFs have been promising therapeutic targets for various cardiovascular diseases, their regulatory landscape in endothelial cells remains elusive. Several studies have highlighted the involvement of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the modulation of VEGF expression. In this study, we investigated the role of two classes of ncRNAs, long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) and enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), in the transcriptional regulation of VEGFA and VEGFC. By integrating genome-wide global run-on sequencing (GRO-Seq) and chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data, we identified putative lncRNAs and eRNAs associated with VEGFA and VEGFC genes in endothelial cells. A subset of the identified putative enhancers demonstrated regulatory activity in a reporter assay. Importantly, we demonstrate that deletion of enhancers and lncRNAs by CRISPR/Cas9 promoted significant changes in VEGFA and VEGFC expression. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) data from lncRNA deletions showed downstream factors implicated in VEGFA- and VEGFC-linked pathways, such as angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, suggesting functional roles for these lncRNAs. Our study uncovers novel lncRNAs and eRNAs regulating VEGFA and VEGFC that can be targeted to modulate the expression of these important molecules in endothelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isidore Mushimiyimana
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Vanesa Tomas Bosch
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Henri Niskanen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Nicholas L. Downes
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Pierre R. Moreau
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Seppo Ylä-Herttuala
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Heart Center and Gene Therapy Unit, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Nihay Laham-Karam
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Minna U. Kaikkonen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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17
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Ruotsalainen SE, Partanen JJ, Cichonska A, Lin J, Benner C, Surakka I, Reeve MP, Palta P, Salmi M, Jalkanen S, Ahola-Olli A, Palotie A, Salomaa V, Daly MJ, Pirinen M, Ripatti S, Koskela J. An expanded analysis framework for multivariate GWAS connects inflammatory biomarkers to functional variants and disease. Eur J Hum Genet 2021; 29:309-324. [PMID: 33110245 PMCID: PMC7868371 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-00730-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Multivariate methods are known to increase the statistical power to detect associations in the case of shared genetic basis between phenotypes. They have, however, lacked essential analytic tools to follow-up and understand the biology underlying these associations. We developed a novel computational workflow for multivariate GWAS follow-up analyses, including fine-mapping and identification of the subset of traits driving associations (driver traits). Many follow-up tools require univariate regression coefficients which are lacking from multivariate results. Our method overcomes this problem by using Canonical Correlation Analysis to turn each multivariate association into its optimal univariate Linear Combination Phenotype (LCP). This enables an LCP-GWAS, which in turn generates the statistics required for follow-up analyses. We implemented our method on 12 highly correlated inflammatory biomarkers in a Finnish population-based study. Altogether, we identified 11 associations, four of which (F5, ABO, C1orf140 and PDGFRB) were not detected by biomarker-specific analyses. Fine-mapping identified 19 signals within the 11 loci and driver trait analysis determined the traits contributing to the associations. A phenome-wide association study on the 19 representative variants from the signals in 176,899 individuals from the FinnGen study revealed 53 disease associations (p < 1 × 10-4). Several reported pQTLs in the 11 loci provided orthogonal evidence for the biologically relevant functions of the representative variants. Our novel multivariate analysis workflow provides a powerful addition to standard univariate GWAS analyses by enabling multivariate GWAS follow-up and thus promoting the advancement of powerful multivariate methods in genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanni E Ruotsalainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juulia J Partanen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Cichonska
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Computer Science, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
- Department of Future Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jake Lin
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Christian Benner
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ida Surakka
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mary Pat Reeve
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Priit Palta
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Estonian Genome Center, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Marko Salmi
- MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Sirpa Jalkanen
- MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Ari Ahola-Olli
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aarno Palotie
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Veikko Salomaa
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mark J Daly
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matti Pirinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Public Health, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Samuli Ripatti
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Public Health, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Jukka Koskela
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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18
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Tabassum R, Rämö JT, Ripatti P, Koskela JT, Kurki M, Karjalainen J, Palta P, Hassan S, Nunez-Fontarnau J, Kiiskinen TTJ, Söderlund S, Matikainen N, Gerl MJ, Surma MA, Klose C, Stitziel NO, Laivuori H, Havulinna AS, Service SK, Salomaa V, Pirinen M, Jauhiainen M, Daly MJ, Freimer NB, Palotie A, Taskinen MR, Simons K, Ripatti S. Genetic architecture of human plasma lipidome and its link to cardiovascular disease. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4329. [PMID: 31551469 PMCID: PMC6760179 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11954-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding genetic architecture of plasma lipidome could provide better insights into lipid metabolism and its link to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Here, we perform genome-wide association analyses of 141 lipid species (n = 2,181 individuals), followed by phenome-wide scans with 25 CVD related phenotypes (n = 511,700 individuals). We identify 35 lipid-species-associated loci (P <5 ×10-8), 10 of which associate with CVD risk including five new loci-COL5A1, GLTPD2, SPTLC3, MBOAT7 and GALNT16 (false discovery rate<0.05). We identify loci for lipid species that are shown to predict CVD e.g., SPTLC3 for CER(d18:1/24:1). We show that lipoprotein lipase (LPL) may more efficiently hydrolyze medium length triacylglycerides (TAGs) than others. Polyunsaturated lipids have highest heritability and genetic correlations, suggesting considerable genetic regulation at fatty acids levels. We find low genetic correlations between traditional lipids and lipid species. Our results show that lipidomic profiles capture information beyond traditional lipids and identify genetic variants modifying lipid levels and risk of CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubina Tabassum
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Joel T Rämö
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pietari Ripatti
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jukka T Koskela
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mitja Kurki
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics and Genetic Analysis Platform, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Psychiatric & Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Juha Karjalainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Priit Palta
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Estonian Genome Center, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Shabbeer Hassan
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Javier Nunez-Fontarnau
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tuomo T J Kiiskinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sanni Söderlund
- Research Programs Unit, Diabetes & Obesity, University of Helsinki and Department of Internal Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Niina Matikainen
- Research Programs Unit, Diabetes & Obesity, University of Helsinki and Department of Internal Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Endocrinology, Abdominal Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Michal A Surma
- Lipotype GmbH, Dresden, Germany
- Łukasiewicz Research Network-PORT Polish Center for Technology Development, Stablowicka 147 Str., 54-066, Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | - Nathan O Stitziel
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Hannele Laivuori
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampere University Hospital and Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere, Finland
- Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aki S Havulinna
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Susan K Service
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Veikko Salomaa
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matti Pirinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT and Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matti Jauhiainen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Biomedicum, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mark J Daly
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nelson B Freimer
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Aarno Palotie
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Psychiatric & Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Department of Medicine, and the Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marja-Riitta Taskinen
- Research Programs Unit, Diabetes & Obesity, University of Helsinki and Department of Internal Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kai Simons
- Lipotype GmbH, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Samuli Ripatti
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Public Health, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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