scholarly journals Eyes of Africa: The Genetics of Blindness: Study Design and Methodology

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olusola Olawoye ◽  
Chimdi Chuka-Okosa ◽  
Onoja Akpa ◽  
Tony Realini ◽  
Michael Hauser ◽  
...  

Abstract Background This report describes the design and methodology of the “Eyes of Africa: The Genetics of Blindness,” a collaborative study funded through the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) program of the National Institute of Health. Methods This is a case control study that is collecting a large well phenotyped data set among glaucoma patients and controls for a genome wide association study. (GWAS). Multiplex families segregating Mendelian forms of early-onset glaucoma will also be collected for exome sequencing. Discussion A total of 4500 cases/controls have been recruited into the study at the end of the 3rd funded year of the study. All these participants have been appropriately phenotyped and blood samples have been received from these participants. Recent GWAS of POAG in African individuals demonstrated genome-wide significant association with the APBB2 locus which is an association that is unique to individuals of African ancestry. This study will add to the existing knowledge and understanding of POAG in the African population.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan C. Quach ◽  
Michael J. Bray ◽  
Nathan C. Gaddis ◽  
Mengzhen Liu ◽  
Teemu Palviainen ◽  
...  

AbstractCigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality. Knowledge is evolving on genetics underlying initiation, regular smoking, nicotine dependence (ND), and cessation. We performed a genome-wide association study using the Fagerström Test for ND (FTND) in 58,000 smokers of European or African ancestry. Five genome-wide significant loci, including two novel loci MAGI2/GNAI1 (rs2714700) and TENM2 (rs1862416) were identified, and loci reported for other smoking traits were extended to ND. Using the heaviness of smoking index (HSI) in the UK Biobank (N=33,791), rs2714700 was consistently associated, but rs1862416 was not associated, likely reflecting ND features not captured by the HSI. Both variants were cis-eQTLs (rs2714700 for MAGI2-AS3 in hippocampus, rs1862416 for TENM2 in lung), and expression of genes spanning ND-associated variants was enriched in cerebellum. SNP-based heritability of ND was 8.6%, and ND was genetically correlated with 17 other smoking traits (rg=0.40–0.95) and co-morbidities. Our results emphasize the FTND as a composite phenotype that expands genetic knowledge of smoking, including loci specific to ND.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongshan Cheng ◽  
Chureerat Phokaew ◽  
Yi-Ling Chou ◽  
Dongbing Lai ◽  
Jacquelyn L. Meyers ◽  
...  

AbstractCannabis, the most widely used illicit drug, can induce hallucinations. Our understanding of the biology of cannabis-induced hallucinations (Ca-HL) is limited. We used the Semi-Structured Assessment for Drug Dependence and Alcoholism (SSADDA) to identify cannabis-induced hallucinations (Ca-HL) among long-term cannabis users (used cannabis ≥1 year and ≥100 times). A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted by analyzing European Americans (EAs) and African Americans (AAs) in Yale-Penn 1 and 2 cohorts individually, then meta-analyzing the two cohorts within population. In the meta-analysis of Yale-Penn EAs (n = 1917), one genome-wide significant (GWS) signal emerged at the CHRM3 locus, represented by rs115455482 (P = 1.66 × 10−10), rs74722579 (P = 2.81 × 10−9), and rs1938228 (P = 1.57 × 10−8); signals were GWS in Yale-Penn 1 EAs (n = 1092) and nominally significant in Yale-Penn 2 EAs (n = 825). Two SNPs, rs115455482 and rs74722579, were available from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism data (COGA; 3630 long-term cannabis users). The signals did not replicate, but when meta-analyzing Yale-Penn and COGA EAs, the two SNPs’ association signals were increased (meta-P-values 1.32 × 10−10 and 2.60 × 10−9, respectively; n = 4291). There were no significant findings in AAs, but in the AA meta-analysis (n = 3624), nominal significance was seen for rs74722579. The rs115455482*T risk allele was associated with lower CHRM3 expression in the thalamus. CHRM3 was co-expressed with three psychosis risk genes (GABAG2, CHRNA4, and HRH3) in the thalamus and other human brain tissues and mouse GABAergic neurons. This work provides strong evidence for the association of CHRM3 with Ca-HL and provides insight into the potential involvement of thalamus for this trait.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boram Park ◽  
Eun Choe ◽  
Hae Kang ◽  
Eunsoon Shin ◽  
Sangwoo Lee ◽  
...  

Background: The neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a valuable prognostic or predictive biomarker in various diseases, but the genetic factors that underlie the NLR have not been studied. We attempted to investigate polymorphisms related to NLR phenotype and analyze their ability to predict metabolic risks. Methods: A genome-wide association study was performed with log-transformed NLR using an Affymetrix Axiom™ KORV1.1-96 Array. Regression models for metabolic risk status were designed using the identified significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Results: We identified four SNPs near the TMEM116, NAA25, and PTPN11 genes that were associated with the NLR. The top SNP associated with the log-transformed NLR was rs76181728 in TMEM116. A case–control study was performed to analyze the metabolic risks associated with each SNP after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Three SNPs displayed significant odds ratios (ORs) for increased blood pressure and increased waist circumference. In the regression model for metabolic syndrome, rs76181728 showed a significant association (OR = 1.465, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.091–1.969, P = 0.011) after adjustment for the NLR phenotype. Conclusions: We identified four novel SNPs that are associated with the NLR in healthy Koreans. SNPs in relevant genes might therefore serve as biomarkers for metabolic risks.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 117693511877510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Yang ◽  
Saonli Basu ◽  
Lisa Mirabello ◽  
Logan Spector ◽  
Lin Zhang

Osteosarcoma is considered to be the most common primary malignant bone cancer among children and young adults. Previous studies suggest growth spurts and height to be risk factors for osteosarcoma. However, studies on the genetic cause are still limited given the rare occurrence of the disease. In this study, we investigated in a family trio data set that is composed of 209 patients and their unaffected parents and conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify genetic risk factors for osteosarcoma. We performed a Bayesian gene-based GWAS based on the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-level summary statistics obtained from a likelihood ratio test of the trio data, which uses a hierarchically structured prior that incorporates the SNP-gene hierarchical structure. The Bayesian approach has higher power than SNP-level GWAS analysis due to the reduced number of tests and is robust by accounting for the correlations between SNPs so that it borrows information across SNPs within a gene. We identified 217 genes that achieved genome-wide significance. Ingenuity pathway analysis of the gene set indicated that osteosarcoma is potentially related to TP53, estrogen receptor signaling, xenobiotic metabolism signaling, and RANK signaling in osteoclasts.


Author(s):  
Erola Pairo-Castineira ◽  
Sara Clohisey ◽  
Lucija Klaric ◽  
Andrew Bretherick ◽  
Konrad Rawlik ◽  
...  

The subset of patients who develop critical illness in Covid-19 have extensive inflammation affecting the lungs[PMID: 32526193] and are strikingly different from other patients: immunosuppressive therapy benefits critically-ill patients, but may harm some non-critical cases.[PMID: 32678530] Since susceptibility to life-threatening infections and immune-mediated diseases are both strongly heritable traits, we reasoned that host genetic variation may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development in Covid-19.[PMID: 24855243] GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care, <a href="https://genomicc.org">genomicc.org</a>) is a global collaborative study to understand the genetic basis of critical illness. Here we report the results of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 2244 critically-ill Covid-19 patients from 208 UK intensive care units (ICUs), representing >95% of all ICU beds. Ancestry-matched controls were drawn from the UK Biobank population study and results were confirmed in GWAS comparisons with two other population control groups: the 100,000 genomes project and Generation Scotland. We identify and replicate three novel genome-wide significant associations, at chr19p13.3 (rs2109069, p = 3.98 x 10-12), within the gene encoding dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9), at chr12q24.13 (rs10735079, p = 1.65 x 10-8) in a gene cluster encoding antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2, OAS3), and at chr21q22.1 (rs2236757, p = 4.99 x 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. Consistent with our focus on extreme disease in younger patients with less comorbidity, we detect a stronger signal at the known 3p21.31 locus than previous studies (rs73064425, p = 4.77 x 10-30).


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