A Genome-Wide Association Analysis Identified a Novel Susceptible Locus for Pathological Myopia at 11q24.1

Myopia is one of the most common ocular disorders worldwide. Pathological myopia, also called high myopia, comprises 1% to 5% of the general population and is one of the leading causes of legal blindness in developed countries. To identify genetic determinants associated with pathological myopia in Japanese, we conducted a genome-wide association study, analyzing 411,777 SNPs with 830 cases and 1,911 general population controls in a two-stage design (297 cases and 934 controls in the first stage and 533 cases and 977 controls in the second stage). We selected 22 SNPs that showed P-values smaller than 10−4 in the first stage and tested them for association in the second stage. The meta-analysis combining the first and second stages identified an SNP, rs577948, at chromosome 11q24.1, which was associated with the disease (P = 2.22×10−7 and OR of 1.37 with 95% confidence interval: 1.21–1.54). Two genes, BLID and LOC399959, were identified within a 200-kb DNA encompassing rs577948. RT–PCR analysis demonstrated that both genes were expressed in human retinal tissue. Our results strongly suggest that the region at 11q24.1 is a novel susceptibility locus for pathological myopia in Japanese

Genetic Variants on Chromosome 1q41 Influence Ocular Axial Length and High Myopia

As one of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness, myopia poses a significant public health burden in Asia. The primary determinant of myopia is an elongated ocular axial length (AL). Here we report a meta-analysis of three genome-wide association studies on AL conducted in 1,860 Chinese adults, 929 Chinese children, and 2,155 Malay adults. We identified a genetic locus on chromosome 1q41 harboring the zinc-finger 11B pseudogene ZC3H11B showing genome-wide significant association with AL variation (rs4373767, β = −0.16 mm per minor allele, Pmeta = 2.69×10−10). The minor C allele of rs4373767 was also observed to significantly associate with decreased susceptibility to high myopia (per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.68–0.84, Pmeta = 4.38×10−7) in 1,118 highly myopic cases and 5,433 controls. ZC3H11B and two neighboring genes SLC30A10 and LYPLAL1 were expressed in the human neural retina, retinal pigment epithelium, and sclera. In an experimental myopia mouse model, we observed significant alterations to gene and protein expression in the retina and sclera of the unilateral induced myopic eyes for the murine genes ZC3H11A, SLC30A10, and LYPLAL1. This supports the likely role of genetic variants at chromosome 1q41 in influencing AL variation and high myopia

Large scale international replication and meta-analysis study confirms association of the 15q14 locus with myopia. The CREAM consortium

Myopia is a complex genetic disorder and a common cause of visual impairment among working age adults. Genome-wide association studies have identified susceptibility loci on chromosomes 15q14 and 15q25 in Caucasian populations of European ancestry. Here, we present a confirmation and meta-analysis study in which we assessed whether these two loci are also associated with myopia in other populations. The study population comprised 31 cohorts from the Consortium of Refractive Error and Myopia (CREAM) representing 4 different continents with 55,177 individuals; 42,845 Caucasians and 12,332 Asians. We performed a meta-analysis of 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on 15q14 and 5 SNPs on 15q25 using linear regression analysis with spherical equivalent as a quantitative outcome, adjusted for age and sex. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) of myopia versus hyperopia for carriers of the top-SNP alleles using a fixed effects meta-analysis. At locus 15q14, all SNPs were significantly replicated, with the lowest P value 3.87 × 10 -12 for SNP rs634990 in Caucasians, and 9.65 × 10 -4 for rs8032019 in Asians. The overall meta-analysis provided P value 9.20 × 10 -23 for the top SNP rs634990. The risk of myopia versus hyperopia was OR 1.88 (95 % CI 1.64, 2.16, P < 0.001) for homozygous carriers of the risk allele at the top SNP rs634990, and OR 1.33 (95 % CI 1.19, 1.49, P < 0.001) for heterozygous carriers. SNPs at locus 15q25 did not replicate significantly (P value 5.81 × 10 -2 for top SNP rs939661). We conclude that common variants at chromosome 15q14 influence susceptibility for myopia in Caucasian and Asian populations world-wide. © The Author(s) 2012

Genetic variants linked to myopic macular degeneration in persons with high myopia: CREAM Consortium

Purpose To evaluate the roles of known myopia-associated genetic variants for development of myopic macular degeneration (MMD) in individuals with high myopia (HM), using case-control studies from the Consortium of Refractive Error and Myopia (CREAM). Methods A candidate gene approach tested 50 myopia-associated loci for association with HM and MMD, using meta-analyses of case-control studies comprising subjects of European and Asian ancestry aged 30 to 80 years from 10 studies. Fifty loci with the strongest associations with myopia were chosen from a previous published GWAS study. Highly myopic (spherical equivalent [SE] -5.0 diopters [D]) cases with MMD (N = 348), and two sets of controls were enrolled: (1) the first set included 16,275 emmetropes (SE -0.5 D); and (2) second set included 898 highly myopic subjects (SE -5.0 D) without MMD. MMD was classified based on the International photographic classification for pathologic myopia (META-PM). Results In the first analysis, comprising highly myopic cases with MMD (N = 348) versus emmetropic controls without MMD (N = 16,275), two SNPs were significantly associated with high myopia in adults with HM and MMD: (1) rs10824518 (P = 6.20E-07) in KCNMA1, which is highly expressed in human retinal and scleral tissues; and (2) rs524952 (P = 2.32E-16) near GJD2. In the second analysis, comprising highly myopic cases with MMD (N = 348) versus highly myopic controls without MMD (N = 898), none of the SNPs studied reached Bonferroni-corrected significance. Conclusions Of the 50 myopia-associated loci, we did not find any variant specifically associated with MMD, but the KCNMA1 and GJD2 loci were significantly associated with HM in highly myopic subjects with MMD, compared to emmetropes

A new polygenic score for refractive error improves detection of children at risk of high myopia but not the prediction of those at risk of myopic macular degeneration

Background High myopia (HM), defined as a spherical equivalent refractive error (SER) ≤ −6.00 diopters (D), is a leading cause of sight impairment, through myopic macular degeneration (MMD). We aimed to derive an improved polygenic score (PGS) for predicting children at risk of HM and to test if a PGS is predictive of MMD after accounting for SER. Methods The PGS was derived from genome-wide association studies in participants of UK Biobank, CREAM Consortium, and Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging. MMD severity was quantified by a deep learning algorithm. Prediction of HM was quantified as the area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC). Prediction of severe MMD was assessed by logistic regression. Findings In independent samples of European, African, South Asian and East Asian ancestry, the PGS explained 19% (95% confidence interval 17–21%), 2% (1–3%), 8% (7–10%) and 6% (3–9%) of the variation in SER, respectively. The AUROC for HM in these samples was 0.78 (0.75–0.81), 0.58 (0.53–0.64), 0.71 (0.69–0.74) and 0.67 (0.62–0.72), respectively. The PGS was not associated with the risk of MMD after accounting for SER: OR = 1.07 (0.92–1.24). Interpretation Performance of the PGS approached the level required for clinical utility in Europeans but not in other ancestries. A PGS for refractive error was not predictive of MMD risk once SER was accounted fo

Dissemination of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci among Healthy Japanese Children

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), regarded as a tenacious pathogen in the hospital, has recently become increasingly prevalent as a community pathogen. We evaluated the prevalence and characteristics of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in the Japanese community by testing nasal samples of 818 children of five day care centers and two kindergartens in three districts. We found that methicillin-resistant staphylococci are already prevalent among healthy children. Among 818 children, 35 children (4.3%) carried MRSA and 231 children (28.2%) carried methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRC-NS). The types of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) found among 44 MRSA isolates were as follows: type IIa, 11 isolates; type IIb, 19 isolates; and type IV, 14 isolates. The type IIb SCCmec element was a new SCCmec element found in this study. Eleven (25%) strains which belonged to clonal complex 5 (CC5) carried type IIa SCCmec, and they produced type 2 coagulase and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1. They were indistinguishable from health care-associated MRSA (H-MRSA) strains in Japan, represented by strain N315. On the other hand, 33 (75%) strains, most of which belonged to CC78 or CC91, carried small SCCmec elements, such as type IIb or type IV, and they produced type 1 or type 3 coagulase and exfoliative toxin. The data indicated that MRSA clones distinct from H-MRSA have disseminated in healthy children. The fact that MRC-NS strains were prevalent in the community suggested that they might serve as a reservoir for the SCCmec element carried by MRSA strains disseminated in the community

Association of 15q14 and 15q25 with High Myopia in Japanese

PURPOSE. To investigate whether there are associations of genetic variations in chromosome 15q14 and 15q25, recently shown to confer risk of refractive error and myopia in Caucasians, with high myopia in Japanese. METHODS. A total of 1125 unrelated Japanese patients with high myopia and two independent control groups were evaluated (366 cataract patients without high myopia and 929 healthy Japanese patients). The four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs634990 and rs524952 at 15q14 and rs8027411 and rs17175798 at 15q25 were genotyped. RESULTS. A significant association with high myopia was observed in 15q14 (P ϭ 0.0035 for rs634990 and P ϭ 0.0017 for rs524952 when evaluated with cataract controls and P ϭ 1.91 ϫ 10 -6 for rs634990 and P ϭ 8.78 ϫ 10 -7 for rs524952 with healthy Japanese controls). When evaluated with cataract controls, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 1.30 (1.10 -1.53) for rs634990 C allele and 1.32 (1.11-1.56) for rs524952 A allele. The population attributable risks were 0.29 and 0.30, respectively. The SNPs in 15q25 did not show a significant association with high myopia when evaluated with cataract control (P Ͼ 0.42), while it showed a weak association when evaluated with healthy Japanese controls (P ϭ 0.031 for rs8027411 and P ϭ 0.047 for rs17175798) with odds ratios of 1.17 (1.03-1.33) for rs8027411 T allele and 1.15 (1.02-1.31) for rs17175798 C allele. CONCLUSIONS. These findings suggest that a region in 15q14 is susceptibility loci for high myopia. This locus harbor susceptibility genes for not only common myopia but also for high myopia. The 15q25 locus might also have association to myopia. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52:4853-4858

Absence of Association between COL1A1 Polymorphisms and High Myopia in the Japanese Population

PURPOSE. The collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1) gene was recently reported to be associated with high myopia in the Japanese population. To validate this positive association, the tag single-nucleotide polymorphism (tSNP) approach was used. METHODS. Eight tSNPs, including rs2075555 and rs2269336 (previously reported to be high myopia-susceptible SNPs in the Japanese), were selected to tag the linkage disequilibrium blocks harboring the COL1A1. These tSNPs were genotyped by using an SNP assay. A total of 427 unrelated Japanese cases with high myopia (axial length, Ն26.50 mm in both eyes; the refraction of the 644 phakic eyes ranged from Ϫ5.0 to Ϫ36.0 D, with a mean Ϯ SD of Ϫ13.61 Ϯ 4.20 D) and 420 Japanese control subjects were recruited. Genotype and allele distributions were compared between the cases and controls by using the 2 test, with multiple testing corrections performed by the permutation test. RESULTS. There was no association noted between high myopia and rs2075555 (P ϭ 0.47, P c Ͼ 0.99) and rs2269336 (P ϭ 0.40, P c Ͼ 0.99). Meta-analysis of a previous Japanese study and new data obtained in a fixed-effect model indicated a mild significant association of high myopia with rs2075555 (odds ratio [OR], 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.38, P ϭ 0.022) and rs2269336 (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.02-1.36, P ϭ 0.026). No significant associations were seen with further tSNPs tests. CONCLUSIONS. This study did not replicate the previously reported positive association between COL1A1 and high myopia in the Japanese population, and thus the genetic risk associated with this gene, if any, is weaker than originally reported. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009;50:544 -550) DOI:10.1167/ iovs.08-2425 M yopia is a common ocular disorder that is found worldwide. The most important contributor to myopic refraction is the axial length of the eyeball (i.e., longer eyes are more myopic), 5-10 Thus, the economic and social burden of high myopia is an important public health problem. Recent population-based studies have estimated the prevalence of high myopia in the elderly population to be approximately 1% to 5%, 2,11-16 and this prevalence has been increasing worldwide, especially in the younger East Asian population. 31-39 However, there are other studies in which the original findings for these genes were not replicated. 25,38,40 -48 Many animal studies on myopia have indicated that there is a local control mechanism of eye growth; hyperopic defocus produces signals from the retina through the retinal pigment epithelium and choroid to cause remodeling of the scleral tissue, and the secondary scleral remodeling results in axial elongation (for detailed review, see Refs. 21

Craniofacial and dental characteristics of three Japanese individuals with genetically diagnosed SATB2-associated syndrome

Craniofacial defects are one of the most frequent phenotypes in syndromic diseases. More than 30% of syndromic diseases are associated with craniofacial defects, which are important for the precise diagnosis of systemic diseases. Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2 (SATB2)-associated syndrome (SAS) is a rare syndromic disease associated with a wide variety of phenotypes, including intellectual disability and craniofacial defects. Among them, dental anomalies are the most frequently observed phenotype and thus becomes an important diagnostic criterion for SAS. In this report, we demonstrate three Japanese cases of genetically diagnosed SAS with detailed craniofacial phenotypes. The cases showed multiple dental problems, which have been previously reported to be linked to SAS, including abnormal crown morphologies and pulp stones. One case showed a characteristic enamel pearl at the root furcation. These phenotypes add new insights for differentiating SAS from other disorders.This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Hiroshi Kurosaka, Sayuri Yamamoto, Kyoko Hirasawa et al., "Craniofacial and dental characteristics of three Japanese individuals with genetically diagnosed SATB2-associated syndrome", American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part A, May 2023, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.a.63225. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited