Novel SUZ12 mutations in Weaver‐like syndrome

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146320/1/cge13415_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146320/2/cge13415-sup-0001-AppendixS1.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146320/3/cge13415.pd

コレステロール添加食投与ラットの肝脂肪蓄積に及ぼす焙煎度の異なるコーヒー豆抽出物の影響

We examined the effects of the extracts of coffee beans roasted at different degrees on the lipid metabolism of rats fed cholesterol（Cho）-added diets. Fatty livers along with a significant increase in triacylglycerol（TG）and Cho levels were observed in rats belonging to the C（Cho-added diet）group. Although the Cho level was slightly decreased in the S group, with the addition of shallow-roasted coffee bean extract to Cho-added diet, carnitine palmitoyltransferase activity showed a significantly high value, and the amount of TG was significantly reduced. In contrast, with the addition of deep-roasted coffee bean extract to Cho-added diet in the D group, fatty acid synthase activity showed a significantly lower value, TG and Cho levels were significantly reduced, and a reduction in fatty liver was observed. Moreover, since the levels of lipid peroxide in plasma and liver decreased in both S and D groups, compared to the Cgroup, there is a possibility that roasted coffee bean extracts may suppress the progression to nonalcoholicsteatohepatitis.原著論

The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Valine, a Branched-Chain Amino Acid, Reduced HCV Viral Load and Led to Eradication of HCV by Interferon Therapy in a Decompensated Cirrhotic Patient

A decreased serum level of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) is a distinctive metabolic disorder in patients with liver cirrhosis. Recently, BCAA has been reported to exert various pharmacological activities, and valine, which is a BCAA, has been shown to affect lipid metabolism and the immune system in in vivo experiments. However, the clinical impact of valine supplementation on viral hepatitis C virus (HCV) load has never been reported. Here, we first describe a case of HCV-related advanced liver cirrhosis that was treated by an oral valine agent. The administration of valine resulted in an improvement of fatigue and a reduction in hepatic fibrosis indexes as well as serum α-fetoprotein level. Furthermore, a marked reduction in HCV RNA levels was seen after valine treatment. The patient was then treated by interferon β, resulting in the successful eradication of chronic HCV infection. Thus, valine may be involved in the reduction of HCV viral load and could support a sustained virologic response to interferon therapy

Nutritional Status and Sleep Quality Are Associated with Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Results from Tokyo Sleep Heart Study

The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has been observed to be much higher than in control participants without AF. Limited data exist regarding the prevalence of AF in patients with OSA. The clinical characteristics, nutritional status, and sleep parameters associated with AF in patients with OSA remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with AF in patients with OSA from a large Japanese sleep cohort (Tokyo Sleep Heart Study). This was a single-center explorative cross-sectional study. Between November 2004 and June 2018, we consecutively recruited 2569 patients with OSA who underwent an overnight full polysomnography at our hospital. They were assessed using a 12-lead ECG and echocardiography. The clinical characteristics, sleep parameters, and medical history were also determined. Of the OSA patients, 169 (6.6%) had AF. Compared with the non-AF patients, OSA patients with AF were older and male, and they had higher prevalence of a history of alcohol consumption, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and undernutrition, as well as a reduced ejection fraction. With regard to the sleep study parameters, OSA patients with AF had reduced slow-wave sleep and sleep efficiency, as well as higher periodic limb movements. There were no significant differences in the apnea–hypopnea index or hypoxia index between the two groups. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age (OR = 4.020; 95% CI: 1.895–8.527; p p = 0.002), a high CONUT score (OR = 2.129; 95% CI: 1.077–4.209; p = 0.030), and reduced slow-wave sleep (OR = 5.361; 95% CI: 1.505–19.104; p = 0.010) were factors significantly related to AF. The prevalence of AF in patients with OSA was 6.6%. Age, a history of alcohol consumption, undernutrition, and reduced sleep quality were independent risk factors for the presence of AF in patients with OSA, regardless of the severity of OSA

Iron distributions in the water column of the Japan Basin and Yamato Basin (Japan Sea)

In the Japan and Yamato basins (Japan Sea), dissolved Fe ([D-Fe], <0.22 μm fraction) was characterized by surface depletion, mid-depth maxima, then a slight decrease with depth in deep water and uniform concentration in bottom waters because of biological uptake in the surface water and release by microbial decomposition of sinking organic matter in mid-depth waters. Total Fe concentrations ([T-Fe]) in the surface water of the Japan Sea were 1-4 nM, a little higher than those in the surface waters of the nutrient-deficient subtropical western North Pacific and extremely higher than the nutrient-rich subarctic western North Pacific and the nutrient-deficient subtropical central North Pacific, resulting from high atmospheric Fe input to nutrient-depleted surface water of the Japan Sea. In the Japan Basin, the [T-Fe] in bottom water were lower than those in deep water, resulting from (1) the injection of new bottom water with the lower [T-Fe] into the Japan Basin bottom water, (2) the particulate Fe removal by particle scavenging during the bottom water circulation of the Japan Basin, or (3) the injection of deep water with the higher [T-Fe] into the Japan Basin deep water. On the other hand, the [T-Fe] in deep water of the Yamato Basin and the slope regions were variable with different [T-Fe] levels among stations and depths. We found a significant relationship between [T-Fe] and water transmittance in deep water, probably resulting from the iron supply into the deep water because of the lateral transport of resuspended sediment from the slope

Association of Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake with Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Middle-Aged to Elderly Japanese Men and Women: The Toon Health Study

Fish and omega-3 fatty acid consumption is known to be beneficial for cardiometabolic health. However, the related evidence for individuals with a relatively higher intake of fish or omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, e.g., Japanese individuals, is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association of fish and omega-3 fatty acid intakes with the carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) in the Japanese population. In total, 1803 Japanese men and women aged 30&ndash;84 years without a history of myocardial infarction or angina pectoris were included in the study. The fish and omega-3 fatty acid intakes were estimated using food frequency questionnaires. The C-IMT was measured using ultrasound imaging, and the participants were classified into three groups: normal, moderate (1.1 to 1.4 mm of maximum C-IMT), and severely increased C-IMT (&ge;1.5 mm). Multinomial logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of the presence of moderately and severely increased C-IMT. The omega-3 fatty acid intake was shown to be associated with lower odds of severely increased C-IMT. The multivariable-adjusted OR (95%CI) was 0.55 (0.31&ndash;0.97; p for trend = 0.04). We also found a borderline significant negative association between fish intake and the presence of severely increased C-IMT. In conclusion, omega-3 fatty acid intake might protect against the development of atherosclerosis in the Japanese population