Telomeres are shorter in myocardial infarction patients compared to healthy subjects: correlation with environmental risk factors

Shorter telomeres have been reported in premature myocardial infarction (MI) patients. Our work aimed at confirming the association of shorter telomere with MI in two case–control studies and in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). The HIFMECH study compared 598 white male patients (<60 years) who survived a first MI and 653 age-matched controls from North and South Europe. Additionally, from the UK, 413 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients and two groups of 367 and 94 FH patients, of whom 145 and 17 respectively had premature CHD, were recruited. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) was measured using a real-time polymerase chain reaction-based method. In HIFMECH, LTL was significantly shorter in subjects from the North (7.99 kb, SD 4.51) compared to the South (8.27 kb, SD 4.14; p = 0.02) and in cases (7.85 kb, SD 4.01) compared to controls (8.04 kb, SD 4.46; p = 0.04). In the CABG study, LTL was significantly shorter (6.89 kb, SD 4.14) compared to the HIFMECH UK controls (7.53, SD 5.29; p = 0.007). In both samples of FH patients, LTL was shorter in those with CHD (overall 8.68 kb, SD 4.65) compared to the non-CHD subjects (9.23 kb, SD 4.83; p = 0.012). Apart from a consistent negative correlation with age, LTL was not associated across studies with any measured CHD risk factors. The present data confirms that subjects with CHD have shorter telomeres than controls and extends this to those with monogenic and polygenic forms of CHD

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Variants in Casein Kinase II (CSNK2A2) to be Associated With Leukocyte Telomere Length in a Punjabi Sikh Diabetic Cohort

BACKGROUND: Telomere length is a heritable trait and short telomere length has been associated with multiple chronic diseases. We investigated the relationship of relative leukocyte telomere length (RTL) with cardiometabolic risk and performed the first GWAS and meta-analysis to identify variants influencing RTL in a population of Sikhs from South Asia. METHODS AND RESULTS: Our results revealed a significant independent association of shorter RTL with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and heart disease. Our discovery GWAS (n=1,616) was followed by Stage 1 replication of 25 top signals (P<10(−6)) in an additional Sikhs (n=2,397). On combined discovery and Stage 1 meta-analysis (n= 4013), we identified a novel RTL locus at chromosome 16q21 represented by an intronic variant (rs74019828) in the CSNK2A2 gene (β −0.38, P=4.5×10(−8)). We further tested 3 top variants by genotyping in UKCVD (Caucasians n=2,952) for Stage 2. Next we performed in silico replication of 139 top signals (p<10(−5)) in UKTWIN, NHS, PLCO and MDACC (n=10,033) and joint meta-analysis (n=16,998). The observed signal in CSNK2A2 was confined to South Asians and could not be replicated in Caucasians due to significant difference in allele frequencies (P<0.001). CSNK2A2 phosphorylates TRF1 and plays an important role for regulation of telomere length homoeostasis. CONCLUSIONS: By identification of a novel signal in telomere pathway genes, our study provides new molecular insight into the underlying mechanism that may regulate telomere length and its association with human aging and cardiometabolic pathophysiology

Genome-wide analysis of multi-ancestry cohorts identifies new loci influencing intraocular pressure and susceptibility to glaucoma.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the pageElevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is an important risk factor in developing glaucoma, and variability in IOP might herald glaucomatous development or progression. We report the results of a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of 18 population cohorts from the International Glaucoma Genetics Consortium (IGGC), comprising 35,296 multi-ancestry participants for IOP. We confirm genetic association of known loci for IOP and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and identify four new IOP-associated loci located on chromosome 3q25.31 within the FNDC3B gene (P = 4.19 × 10(-8) for rs6445055), two on chromosome 9 (P = 2.80 × 10(-11) for rs2472493 near ABCA1 and P = 6.39 × 10(-11) for rs8176693 within ABO) and one on chromosome 11p11.2 (best P = 1.04 × 10(-11) for rs747782). Separate meta-analyses of 4 independent POAG cohorts, totaling 4,284 cases and 95,560 controls, showed that 3 of these loci for IOP were also associated with POAG.K08 EY022943/EY/NEI NIH HHS/United State

Genome-wide analysis of multi-ancestry cohorts identifies new loci influencing intraocular pressure and susceptibility to glaucoma

Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is an important risk factor in developing glaucoma, and variability in IOP might herald glaucomatous development or progression. We report the results of a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of 18 population cohorts from the International Glaucoma Genetics Consortium (IGGC), comprising 35,296 multi-ancestry participants for IOP. We confirm genetic association of known loci for IOP and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and identify four new IOP-associated loci located on chromosome 3q25.31 within the FNDC3B gene (P = 4.19 × 10 '8 for rs6445055), two on chromosome 9 (P = 2.80 × 10 '11 for rs2472493 near ABCA1 and P = 6.39 × 10 '11 for rs8176693 within ABO) and one on chromosome 11p11.2 (best P = 1.04 × 10 '11 for rs747782). Separate meta-analyses of 4 independent POAG cohorts, totaling 4,284 cases and 95,560 controls, showed that 3 of these loci for IOP were also associated with POAG