A genetic association study detects haplotypes associated with obstructive heart defects

The development of congenital heart defects (CHDs) involves a complex interplay between genetic variants, epigenetic variants, and environmental exposures. Previous studies have suggested that susceptibility to CHDs is associated with maternal genotypes, fetal genotypes, and maternal–fetal genotype (MFG) interactions. We conducted a haplotype-based genetic association study of obstructive heart defects (OHDs), aiming to detect the genetic effects of 877 SNPs involved in the homocysteine, folate, and transsulfuration pathways. Genotypes were available for 285 mother-offspring pairs with OHD-affected pregnancies and 868 mother-offspring pairs with unaffected pregnancies. A penalized logistic regression model was applied with an adaptive least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso), which dissects the maternal effect, fetal effect, and MFG interaction effects associated with OHDs. By examining the association between 140 haplotype blocks, we identified 9 blocks that are potentially associated with OHD occurrence. Four haplotype blocks, located in genes MGMT, MTHFS, CBS, and DNMT3L, were statistically significant using a Bayesian false-discovery probability threshold of 0.8. Two blocks in MGMT and MTHFS appear to have significant fetal effects, while the CBS and DNMT3L genes may have significant MFG interaction effects.     

Common Variants in CLDN2 and MORC4 Genes Confer Disease Susceptibility in Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis

A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified association with variants in X-linked CLDN2 and MORC4, and PRSS1-PRSS2 loci with chronic pancreatitis (CP) in North American patients of European ancestry. We selected 9 variants from the reported GWAS and replicated the association with CP in Indian patients by genotyping 1807 unrelated Indians of Indo-European ethnicity, including 519 patients with CP and 1288 controls. The etiology of CP was idiopathic in 83.62% and alcoholic in 16.38% of 519 patients. Our study confirmed a significant association of 2 variants in CLDN2 gene (rs4409525—OR 1.71, P = 1.38 x 10^-09; rs12008279—OR 1.56, P = 1.53 x 10^-04) and 2 variants in MORC4 gene (rs12688220—OR 1.72, P = 9.20 x 10^-09; rs6622126—OR 1.75, P = 4.04x10^-05) in Indian patients with CP. We also found significant association at PRSS1-PRSS2 locus (OR 0.60; P = 9.92 x 10^-06) and SAMD12-TNFRSF11B (OR 0.49, 95% CI [0.31–0.78], P = 0.0027). A variant in the gene MORC4 (rs12688220) showed significant interaction with alcohol (OR for homozygous and heterozygous risk allele -14.62 and 1.51 respectively, P = 0.0068) suggesting gene-environment interaction. A combined analysis of the genes CLDN2 and MORC4 based on an effective risk allele score revealed a higher percentage of individuals homozygous for the risk allele in CP cases with 5.09 fold enhanced risk in individuals with 7 or more effective risk alleles compared with individuals with 3 or less risk alleles (P = 1.88 x 10^-14). Genetic variants in CLDN2 and MORC4 genes were associated with CP in Indian patients.     

TNFAIP3 gene polymorphisms confer risk for Behcet’s disease in a Chinese Han population

The tumor necrosis factor alpha-inducible protein 3 (TNFAIP3) gene polymorphisms have recently been reported to be associated with the susceptibility to several immune-related diseases. This study was performed to evaluate the potential association of TNFAIP3 polymorphisms with Behcet’s disease (BD) in a Chinese Han population. Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs10499194, rs610604, rs7753873, rs5029928, and rs9494885 of TNFAIP3 were genotyped in 722 BD patients and 1,415 healthy controls using a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Allele and genotype frequencies were compared between patients and controls using the χ ² test. The results showed a significantly increased prevalence of the rs9494885 TC genotype and C allele in BD patients compared with controls (Bonferroni corrected p (p _c) = 1.83 × 10^?10, odds ratio (OR) [95 % CI] 2.03 [1.65–2.49]; p _c = 8.35 × 10^?10, OR [95 % CI] 1.81 [1.51–2.18], respectively).The frequency of the TT genotype and T allele of rs9494885 was markedly lower in BD patients than that in controls (p _c = 1.23 × 10^?10, OR [95 % CI] 0.50 [0.40–0.61]; p _c = 8.35 × 10^?10, OR [95 % CI] 0.55 [0.46–0.66], respectively). For rs10499194, a higher frequency of the CC genotype (p _c = 0.015, OR [95 % CI] 1.96 [1.30–2.97]) and C allele (p _c = 0.005, OR [95 % CI] 1.92 [1.28–2.90]), and a lower frequency of the TC genotype (p _c = 0.015, OR [95 % CI] 0.51 [0.34–0.77]) and T allele (p _c = 0.005, OR [95 % CI] 0.52 [0.35–2.97]) were found in BD patients. Concerning rs7753873, a higher frequency of the AC genotype (p _c = 0.015, OR [95 % CI] 1.49 [1.17–1.91]) and C allele (p _c = 0.025, OR [95 % CI] 1.39 [1.11–1.76]), and a lower frequency of the AA genotype (p _c = 0.03, OR [95 % CI] 0.68 [0.53–0.87]) and A allele (p _c = 0.025, OR [95 % CI] 0.72 [0.57–0.91]) were observed in BD patients. This study identified one strong risk SNP rs9494885 and two weak risk SNPs rs10499194 and rs7753873 of TNFAIP3 in Chinese Han BD patients.     

Tagging Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the IRF1 and IRF8 Genes and Tuberculosis Susceptibility

Genes encoding IRF1 and IRF8 protein have been proposed as candidate tuberculosis susceptibility genes. In order to elucidate whether the IRF1 and IRF8 variants were associated with tuberculosis susceptibility, we conducted a case-control study consisting of 495 controls and 452 ethnically matched cases with tuberculosis in a Chinese population. Seven haplotype tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs) (rs2057656; rs2706381; rs2070724; rs2070721; rs2549008; rs2549007; rs2706386) from HapMap database were analyzed, which provided an almost complete coverage of the genetic variations in the IRF1 gene. Fifteen tagSNPs (rs12924316; rs182511; rs305080; rs2292980; rs925994; rs424971; rs16939967; rs11117415; rs4843860; rs9926411; rs8064189; rs12929551; rs10514611; rs1044873; rs6638) were observed in the IRF8 gene. All these tagSNPs were genotyped by SNPstream genotyping and SNaPshot typing. None of the seven tagSNPs was individually associated with tuberculosis in the IRF1 gene. In the IRF8 gene, interestingly, we found that three tagSNPs (rs925994 and rs11117415 located in the intron region; rs10514611 located in the 3′UTR) were associated with risk of tuberculosis after Bonferroni correction. Per allele OR was 1.75 (95% CI 1.35∼2.27, P = 0.002), 4.75 (95% CI 2.16∼10.43, P = 0.002) and 3.39 (95% CI 1.60∼7.20, P = 0.015) respectively. Luciferase reporter gene assay showed that the construct that contained the non-risk allele C of rs10514611 showed significantly higher luciferase activity than did the risk T allele (P<0.01), which implied rs10514611 was a potential functional SNP site. Our results indicated that the IRF8 gene might participate in genetic susceptibility to tuberculosis in a Chinese population.     

A TagSNP in SIRT1 Gene Confers Susceptibility to Myocardial Infarction in a Chinese Han Population

SIRT1 exerts protective effects against endothelial cells dysfunction, inflammation and atherosclerosis, indicating an important role on myocardial infarction (MI) pathogenesis. Nonetheless, the effects of SIRT1 variants on MI risk remain poorly understood. Here we aimed to investigate the influence of SIRT1 polymorphisms on individual susceptibility to MI. Genotyping of three tagSNPs (rs7069102, rs3818292 and rs4746720) in SIRT1 gene was performed in a Chinese Han population, consisting of 287 MI cases and 654 control subjects. In a logistic regression analysis, we found that G allele of rs7069102 had increased MI risk with odds ratio (OR) of 1.57 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.15–2.16, Bonferroni corrected P (P_c) = 0.015] after adjustment for conventional risk factors compared to C allele. Similarly, the combined CG/GG genotypes was associated with the increased MI risk (OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.14–2.35, P_c = 0.021) compared to the CC genotype. Further stratified analysis revealed a more significant association with MI risk among younger subjects (≤ 55 years old). Consistent with these results, the haplotype rs7069102G-rs3818292A-rs4746720T containing the rs7069102 G allele was also associated with the increased MI risk (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.09–1.84, P_c = 0.040). However, we did not detect any association of rs3818292 and rs4746720 with MI risk. Our study provides the first evidence that the tagSNP rs7069102 and haplotype rs7069102G-rs3818292A-rs4746720T in SIRT1 gene confer susceptibility to MI in the Chinese Han population.     

Association between BH3 interacting domain death agonist (BID) gene polymorphism and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in Korean population

The purpose of this study was to investigate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the BH3 interacting domain death agonist (BID) gene as a risk factor in Korean patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). To investigate the genetic association, two coding SNPs (rs8190315, Ser10Gly; rs2072392, Asp60Asp) of BID were genotyped in 157 OPLL patients and 209 control subjects. SNPStats, SNPAnalyzer Pro, Helixtree, and Haploview 4.2 programs were used for association analysis. Multiple logistic regression models (codominant, dominant, and recessive) were calculated for the odds ratios (ORs), 95 % confidence intervals (CIs), and corresponding P values. For multiple testing, Bonferroni correction was performed. After Bonferroni correction, genotype analysis of both rs8190315 and rs2072392 showed association between the OPLL group and the control group in the codominant model (P = 0.042, OR 1.86, 95 % CI 1.10–3.15). A complete linkage disequilibrium block was estimated between the two SNPs. Both of the G allele of rs8190315 and C allele of rs2072392 were strongly associated with an increased risk in the development of OPLL (P = 0.0052, OR 2.66, 95 % CI 1.51–4.68). These results suggest that BID is associated with OPLL, and both the G allele of a missense SNP (rs8190315, Ser10Gly) and C allele of a synonymous SNP (rs2072392, Asp60Asp) are risk factors for the development of OPLL in Korean population.     

Meta‐analysis Added Power to Identify Variants in FTO Associated With Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity in the Asian Population

Several common variants in the intron 1 of FTO (fat mass and associated obesity) gene have been reliably associated with BMI and obesity in European populations. We analyzed two variants (rs9939609 and rs8050136) in 4,189 Chinese Han individuals and conducted a meta‐analysis of published studies in Asian population to investigate whether these variants are associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity in Asian population. In this study, both the minor allele A of rs9939609 and the minor allele A of rs805136 were associated with increased risk of T2D, independent of measures of BMI; the odds ratios (ORs) per copy of the risk allele were 1.19 for rs9939609 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04–1.37; P = 0.01) and 1.22 for rs8050136 (95% CI, 1.07–1.40; P = 0.004) after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI. Our results also showed association with risk of obesity (rs9939609: OR = 1.39 (95% CI 1.04–1.85), P = 0.02; rs8050136: OR = 1.45 (95% CI 1.09–1.93), P = 0.01) but no association with overweight. These results were consistent with the pooled results from our meta‐analysis study (for diabetes, rs8050136, P = 1.3 × 10^?3; rs9939609, P = 9.8 × 10^?4; for obesity, rs8050136, P = 2.2 × 10^?7; rs9939609, P = 9.0 × 10^?9). Our findings indicate that the two variants (rs9939609 and rs8050136) in the FTO gene contribute to obesity and T2D in the Asian populations.     

ERAP1 genetic variations associated with HLA-B27 interaction and disease severity of syndesmophytes formation in Taiwanese ankylosing spondylitis

IntroductionAnkylosing spondylitis (AS) is a familial, heritable disease specified by syndesmophyte formation leading to an ankylosed spine. Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) genetic variations have been widely proved to be associated with AS in several ethnic populations. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ERAP1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with AS susceptibility and disease severity in Taiwanese.MethodsFour ERAP1 SNPs (rs27037, rs27980, rs27044 and rs30187) were genotyped in 797 Taiwanese AS patients and 1,150 healthy controls. Distributions of genotype and alleles were compared between AS patients and healthy controls, and among AS patients stratified by clinical parameters.ResultsThe SNP rs27037T allele appeared to be a risk factor for AS susceptibility (P = 5.5 × 10^-5, OR 1.30, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.48; GT+TT vs. GG P = 9.3 × 10^-5, OR 1.49, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.82). In addition, the coding SNP (cSNP) rs27044G allele (P = 1.5 × 10^-4, OR 1.28, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.46; CG+GG vs. CC, P = 1.7 × 10^-3, OR 1.44, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.81) and the cSNP rs30187T allele (P = 1.7 × 10^-3, OR 1.23, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.40; CT+TT vs. CC P = 6.1 × 10^-3, OR 1.38, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.74) were predisposing factors for AS. Notably, the rs27044G allele carriers (CG+GG vs. CC, P = 0.015, OR 1.59, 95% CI: 1.33 to 2.30) and rs30187T allele carriers (CT+TT vs. CC, P = 0.011, OR 1.63, 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.38) were susceptible to syndesmophyte formation in AS patients. Furthermore, two cSNPs (rs27044 and rs30187) strongly associated with HLA-B27 positivity in AS patients. Finally, the ERAP1 SNP haplotype TCG (rs27037T/rs27980C/rs27044G) is a major risk factor for AS (adjusted P <0.00001, OR 1.38, 95% CI: 1.12 to 1.58) in Taiwanese.ConclusionsThis study provides the first evidence of ERAP1 SNPs involving syndesmophyte formation. The interactions between ERAP1 SNPs and HLA-B27 play critical roles in pMHC I pathway processing contributing to the pathogenesis of AS in multiple populations.     

Genetic Variants in GAPDH Confer Susceptibility to Sporadic Parkinson’s Disease in a Chinese Han Population

Background

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a part of Lewy body inclusions and involves the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, it remains unknown whether or not genetic variation at the GAPDH locus contributes to the risk for PD.

Methods

A total of 302 sporadic PD patients and 377 control subjects were recruited in our study for assessing two single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs3741918 and rs1060619) in the GAPDH gene. Both allelic association and additive models were used to analyze association between GAPDH variants and risk for PD.

Results

Both polymorphisms were significantly associated with risk for PD after correction by Bonferroni multiple testing. The minor allele of rs3741918 was associated with decreased risk of sporadic PD (allelic contrast, OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.59–0.93, corrected P = 0.028; additive model, OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.58–0.92, corrected P = 0.018). While for the rs1060619 locus, the minor allele conferred increased risk for PD (allelic contrast, OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.14–1.75, corrected P = 0.007; additive model, OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.15–1.79, corrected P = 0.002).

Conclusion

Our study indicates that GAPDH variants confer susceptibility to sporadic PD in a Chinese Han population, which is consistent with the role of GAPDH protein in neuronal apoptosis. To our knowledge, this is the first study of genetic association between GAPDH locus and risk for PD in the Chinese population.     

Associations between interleukin-23 receptor polymorphisms and susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis

The aim of this study was to determine whether interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R) polymorphisms confer susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A meta-analysis was conducted on the associations between the IL-23R rs1343151, rs10489629, rs7517847, rs11209026, rs1004819, and rs2201841 polymorphisms and RA using (1) allele contrast, (2) the recessive model, (3) the dominant model, and (4) the additive model. A total of 13 studies from eight articles involving 10,016 RA patients and 11,967 controls were considered in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis identified a significant association between RA and the A allele of the rs1343151 polymorphism in the overall population (OR?=?1.110, 95?% CI?=?1.056–1.168, p?=?4.7?×?10^?6). Stratification by ethnicity identified a significant association between this polymorphism and RA in Europeans (OR?=?1.105, 95?% CI?=?1.049–1.163, p?=?1.4?×?10^?5). An association was also found between RA and the A allele carrier of the rs1343151 polymorphism in Europeans (OR?=?1.135, 95?% CI?=?1.058–1.217, p?=?4.0?×?10^?5). Meta-analysis revealed a significant association between RA and the A allele of the rs10489629 polymorphism in the overall population (OR?=?1.079, 95?% CI?=?1.029–1.131, p?=?0.002) and in Europeans (OR?=?1.092, 95?% CI?=?1.038–1.149, p?=?0.001). Meta-analyses of recessive, dominant, and additive models showed the same pattern as the meta-analysis of the A allele of the rs10489629 polymorphism, that is, a significant association with RA in Europeans. However, no association was found between the IL-23R rs7517847, rs11209026, rs1004819, and rs2201841 polymorphisms and RA susceptibility. This meta-analysis shows that the IL-23R rs1343151 and rs10489629 polymorphisms are associated with the development of RA in Europeans. These findings suggest that the IL-23R genes confer susceptibility to RA in the European population, but further study of this association is required in other ethnic groups.     

NOD1 and NOD2 Genetic Variants in Association with Risk of Gastric Cancer and Its Precursors in a Chinese Population

BackgroundGenetic variants of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein (NOD) may influence the outcome of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and gastric carcinogenesis. To explore genetic variants of NOD1 and NOD2 in association with gastric cancer (GC) and its precursors, a population-based study was conducted in Linqu County, China.MethodsTagSNPs of NOD1 and NOD2 were genotyped by Sequenom MASS array in 132 GCs, and 1,198 subjects with precancerous gastric lesions, and were correlated with evolution of gastric lesions in 766 subjects with follow-up data.ResultsAmong seven tagSNPs, NOD1 rs2709800 and NOD2 rs718226 were associated with gastric lesions. NOD1 rs2709800 TG genotype carriers had a decreased risk of intestinal metaplasia (IM, OR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.31–0.92), while NOD2 rs718226 G allele (AG/GG) showed increased risks of dysplasia (DYS, OR: 2.96; 95% CI: 1.86–4.71) and GC (OR: 2.35; 95% CI: 1.24–4.46). Moreover, an additive interaction between rs718226 and H. pylori was found in DYS or GC with synergy index of 3.08 (95% CI: 1.38–6.87) or 3.99 (95% CI: 1.55–10.22), respectively. The follow-up data indicated that NOD2 rs2111235 C allele (OR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.32–0.83) and rs7205423 G allele (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.35–0.89) were associated with decreased risk of progression in H. pylori-infected subjects.ConclusionsNOD1 rs2709800, NOD2 rs718226, rs2111235, rs7205423 and interaction between rs718226 and H. pylori infection may be related to risk of gastric lesions.     

Polymorphisms in the Promoters of the MMP-2 and TIMP-2 Genes Are Associated with Spontaneous Deep Intracerebral Hemorrhage in the Taiwan Population

Background

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating stroke subtype. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) function in the degradation of extracellular matrix and the activities of MMPs are modulated by their endogenous inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). This study aimed to discuss relationship of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 to spontaneous deep ICH (SDICH) susceptibility and hematoma size.

Methods

Associations were tested by logistic regression and general linear models (GLM) where appropriate, adjusting with covariables of age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Association analyses were performed first by stratification of genders and then by the age of 65 years old (y/o). Elder population was defined as subjects who were older than 65 y/o.

Results

There were 396 SDICH patients and 376 control subjects in this study. In the elder group, rs7503607 C>A variant in TIMP-2 was associated with SDICH in male and overall patients (OR = 3.49, 95% CI 1.45 to 8.40, P = 0.005 and OR = 2.45, 95% CI 1.37 to 4.38, P = 0.003, respectively) in additive genetic model. In recessive genetic model, rs2285053 TT genotype in MMP-2 was correlated to SDICH in male patients and overall elder group (OR = 7.30, 95% CI 1.3 to 40, P = 0.02 and OR = 2.91, 95% CI 1.02 to 8.31, P = 0.046, respectively), and rs7503726 AA genotype in TIMP-2 was associated with SDICH in female patients (OR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.84, P = 0.02). In younger male and overall younger patients, SDICH patients who had supratentorial hemorrhage had significantly lower frequency of AA genotypes in rs7503726 than those with infratentorial hemorrhage (OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.75, P = 0.006 and OR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.84, P = 0.014, respectively). Hemorrhage size increased by 9.7 (95% CI 2.1 to 43, P = 0.004) cm³ per minor allele (A) of the rs7503607 variant in the elder female patients and increased by 4.3 (95% CI 1.4 to 12.9, P = 0.009) cm³ per minor allele (A) in all elder patients. In younger patients, the hemorrhage size decreased by 3.3 (95% CI 1.2 to 9.5, P = 0.03) cm³ per minor allele of the s7503726 variant in the female patients.

Conclusions

This study showed a significant association between the variants of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 promoters and SDICH susceptibility with significant age and gender differences. Hemorrhage location and size might be affected by TIMP-2 promoter variants in the SDICH patients.     

The 12p13.33/RAD52 Locus and Genetic Susceptibility to Squamous Cell Cancers of Upper Aerodigestive Tract

Genetic variants located within the 12p13.33/RAD52 locus have been associated with lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). Here, within 5,947 UADT cancers and 7,789 controls from 9 different studies, we found rs10849605, a common intronic variant in RAD52, to be also associated with upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) squamous cell carcinoma cases (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04–1.15, p = 6x10⁻⁴). We additionally identified rs10849605 as a RAD52 cis-eQTL inUADT(p = 1x10⁻³) and LUSC (p = 9x10⁻⁴) tumours, with the UADT/LUSC risk allele correlated with increased RAD52 expression levels. The 12p13.33 locus, encompassing rs10849605/RAD52, was identified as a significant somatic focal copy number amplification in UADT(n = 374, q-value = 0.075) and LUSC (n = 464, q-value = 0.007) tumors and correlated with higher RAD52 tumor expression levels (p = 6x10⁻⁴⁸ and p = 3x10⁻²⁹ in UADT and LUSC, respectively). In combination, these results implicate increased RAD52 expression in both genetic susceptibility and tumorigenesis of UADT and LUSC tumors.     

Polymorphisms in <Emphasis Type="Italic">VEGF-A</Emphasis> are associated with COPD risk in the Chinese population from Hainan province

In this study, we examined and validated how common variants contribute to susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the Han Chinese population. Here, we genotyped 18 nucleotide polymorphisms and evaluated their association with COPD using chi-square test and genetic model analysis (246 COPD patients and 350 controls), and found three SNPs that might cause a predisposition to COPD. Both rs3025030 and rs3025033 are located on chromosome 6 in VEGF-A. We found one risk allele ‘C’ from rs3025030 and another ‘G’ from rs3025033 using the log-additive model (OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.05–5.96; P = 0.022), (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.03–1.84; P = 0.03). We also found another risk allele ‘A’ of rs9296092 in gene region ZBTB9-BAK1 by the allele model (OR 2.63; 95% CI 1.27–5.45; P = 0.0078), (adjusted OR 3.53; 95% CI 1.12–11.11; P = 0.031). We found a risk haplotype ‘CG’ associated with the risk of COPD (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.04–1.86; P=0.028). Our results when compared with previous studies showed significant association between VEGF-A polymorphism and COPD. We also identified rs9296092 as a risk factor for COPD.     

Two Variants of the C-Reactive Protein Gene Are Associated with Risk of Pre-Eclampsia in an American Indian Population

Background

The etiology of pre-eclampsia (PE) is unknown; but it is accepted that normal pregnancy represents a distinctive challenge to the maternal immune system. C-reactive protein is a prominent component of the innate immune system; and we previously reported an association between PE and the CRP polymorphism, rs1205. Our aim was to explore the effects of additional CRP variants. The IBC (Cardiochip) genotyping microarray focuses on candidate genes and pathways related to the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease.

Methods

This study recruited 140 cases of PE and 270 matched controls, of which 95 cases met criteria as severe PE, from an American Indian community. IBC array genotypes from 10 suitable CRP SNPs were analyzed. A replication sample of 178 cases and 427 controls of European ancestry was also genotyped.

Results

A nominally significant difference (p value <0.05) was seen in the distribution of discordant matched pairs for rs3093068; and Bonferroni corrected differences (P<0.005) were seen for rs876538, rs2794521, and rs3091244. Univariate conditional logistic regression odds ratios (OR) were nominally significant for rs3093068 and rs876538 models only. Multivariate logistic models with adjustment for mother''s age, nulliparity and BMI attenuated the effect (OR 1.58, P = 0.066, 95% CI 0.97–2.58) for rs876538 and (OR 2.59, P = 0.050, 95% CI 1.00–6.68) for rs3093068. An additive risk score of the above two risk genotypes shows a multivariate adjusted OR of 2.04 (P = 0.013, 95% CI 1.16–3.56). The replication sample also demonstrated significant association between PE and the rs876538 allele (OR = 1.55, P = 0.01, 95% CI 2.16–1.10). We also show putative functionality for the rs876538 and rs3093068 CRP variants.

Conclusion

The CRP variants, rs876538 and rs3093068, previously associated with other cardiovascular disease phenotypes, show suggestive association with PE in this American Indian population, further supporting a possible role for CRP in PE.     

Association of UGT1A1 Variants and Hyperbilirubinemia in Breast-Fed Full-Term Chinese Infants

A retrospective case control study of breast-fed full-term infants was carried out to determine whether variants in Uridine Diphosphate Glucuronosyl Transferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) and Heme Oxygenase-1 (HMOX1) were associated with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Eight genetic variants of UGT1A1 and 3 genetic variants of HMOX1 were genotyped in 170 hyperbilirubinemic newborns and 779 controls. Five significant associations with breast-fed hyperbilirubinemia were detected after adjusting for gender, birth season, birth weight, delivery mode, gestational age and False Discovery Rate (FDR) correction: the dominant effect of rs887829 (c-364t) (Odds Ratio (OR): 0.55; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.34–0.89; p = 0.014), the additive effect of (TA)_n repeat (OR: 0.59; 95%CI: 0.38–0.91; p = 0.017), the dominant effect of rs4148323 (Gly71Arg, G211A) (OR: 2.02; 95%CI: 1.44–2.85; p = 5.0×10⁻⁵), the recessive effect of rs6717546 (g+914a) (OR: 0.30; 95%CI: 0.11–0.83; p = 0.021) and rs6719561 (t+2558c) (OR: 0.38; 95%CI: 0.20–0.75; p = 0.005). Neonates carrying the minor allele of rs887829 (TA)_n repeat had significantly lower peak bilirubin than wild types, while the minor allele carriers of rs4148323 had significantly higher peak bilirubin than wild types. No association was found in HMOX1. Our findings added to the understanding of the significance of UGT1A1 in association with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in East Asian population. Additional studies were required to investigate the mechanisms of the protective effects.     

The NOD2 single nucleotide polymorphisms rs2066843 and rs2076756 are novel and common Crohn's disease susceptibility gene variants

Background

The aims were to analyze two novel NOD2 variants (rs2066843 and rs2076756) in a large cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease and to elucidate phenotypic consequences.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Genomic DNA from 2700 Caucasians including 812 patients with Crohn''s disease (CD), 442 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 1446 healthy controls was analyzed for the NOD2 SNPs rs2066843 and rs2076756 and the three main CD-associated NOD2 variants p.Arg702Trp (rs2066844), p.Gly908Arg (rs2066847), and p.Leu1007fsX1008 (rs2066847). Haplotype and genotype-phenotype analyses were performed. The SNPs rs2066843 (p = 3.01×10⁻⁵, OR 1.48, [95% CI 1.23-1.78]) and rs2076756 (p = 4.01×10⁻⁶; OR 1.54, [95% CI 1.28-1.86]) were significantly associated with CD but not with UC susceptibility. Haplotype analysis revealed a number of significant associations with CD susceptibility with omnibus p values <10⁻¹⁰. The SNPs rs2066843 and rs2076756 were in linkage disequilibrium with each other and with the three main CD-associated NOD2 mutations (D''>0.9). However, in CD, SNPs rs2066843 and rs2076756 were more frequently observed than the other three common NOD2 mutations (minor allele frequencies for rs2066843 and rs2076756: 0.390 and 0.380, respectively). In CD patients homozygous for these novel NOD2 variants, genotype-phenotype analysis revealed higher rates of a penetrating phenotype (rs2076756: p = 0.015) and fistulas (rs2076756: p = 0.015) and significant associations with CD-related surgery (rs2076756: p = 0.003; rs2066843: p = 0.015). However, in multivariate analysis only disease localization (p<2×10⁻¹⁶) and behaviour (p = 0.02) were significantly associated with the need for surgery.

Conclusion/Significance

The NOD2 variants rs2066843 and rs2076756 are novel and common CD susceptibility gene variants.