218 results for ""option,com_discussions"+since"

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• NHLBI TOPMed: Genomic Activities such as Whole Genome Sequencing and Related Phenotypes in the Framingham Heart Study

  The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) is a prospective cohort study of 3 generations of subjects who have been followed up to 65 years to evaluate risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Its large sample of ~15,000 men and women who have been extensively phenotyped with repeated examinations make it ideal for the study of genetic associations with cardiovascular disease risk factors and outcomes. DNA samples have been collected and immortalized since the mid-1990s and are available on ~8000 study participants in 1037 families. These samples have been used for collection of GWAS array data and exome chip data in nearly all with DNA samples, and for targeted sequencing, deep exome sequencing and light coverage whole genome sequencing in limited numbers. Additionally, mRNA and miRNA expression data, DNA methylation data, metabolomics and other 'omics data are available on a sizable portion of study participants. This project will focus on deep whole genome sequencing (mean 30X coverage) in ~4100 participants and imputed to all with GWAS array data to more fully understand the genetic contributions to cardiovascular, lung, blood and sleep disorders. Also available are aptamer proteomic profiling, RNAseq and 850K array DNA methylation data that predominantly overlap with participants with WGS data. Comprehensive phenotypic and pedigree data for study participants are available through dbGaP phs000007.

  Study phs000974

• A comprehensive DNA methylation landscape of human and mouse cell lines derived from hematological malignancies

  Human cancer cell lines constitute useful models to study the primary disease and many relevant findings in tumor biology have been originated from them since the first immortalized cell line (HeLa) was obtained. The easy experimental intervention, the purity of the transformed cells and their versatility to undergo high-throughput screenings represent advantageous features of the established cancer cell lines. In recent years, major efforts have characterized in detail the multiomics make-up of hundreds of cancer cell lines and studied their association with sensitivity to anticancer drugs. Most of these studies have been genetic-centric and have not characterized in detail the epigenetic profiles underlying the characteristics of these cells or their impact on the efficacy of antitumoral compounds. In this regard, a past version of a DNA methylation microarray or a less accessible and more time-consuming such as reduced representation bisulfite sequencing have been used in those attempts to interrogate the epigenetic setting. Herein, we have obtained the DNA methylation profiles of 210 cell lines derived from hematological malignancies utilizing comprehensive DNA methylation microarrays that interrogates more than 850,000 and 285,000 CpG sites from human and mouse genomes, respectively. Importantly, we also provide a pharmacoepigenetic example of the potential use of this resource by showing how DNA methylation can predict response to nucleoside analogues.

  Study EGAS50000000627

• Finnish_population_cohort_genotyping_B

  The FINRISK cohorts comprise the respondents of representative, cross-sectional populationsurveys that are carried out every 5 years since 1972, to assess the risk factors of chronicdiseases (e.g. CVD, diabetes, obesity, cancer) and health behavior in the working agepopulation, in 3-5 large study areas of Finland. DNA samples were collected in the followingsurvey years: 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2012. The MONICA and EHES (EU)procedures were applied in phenotype collection (cf. MORGAM) and a wide spectrum oflaboratory tests was carried out from serum and plasma samples. Background information onsocioeconomic status, medical history, diet, exercise, measured anthropometric measures,etc. was collected by questionnaires and during a clinical visit. Plasma/serum samples arestill available for the 2002-2012 cohorts. The cohort sizes are 6000-8800 per survey. Thecohorts have been followed up by linking them to the national hospital discharge register,causes-of-death register and cancer register.This project is an extension to previous efforts to build a catalogue of Finnish genome widedata on population-based Finsrisk samples with rich phenotypic characterisations and healthregistry link-up. These samples will extend the current Sequencing Initiative Suomi (SISu)samples with a combination of genotyping using Illumina HumanCoreExome array and SISu-based imputation. This will lead to high confidence common and low frequency variantcatalogue. The project will be funded by Aarno Palotie’s remaining faculty fundscomplemented by Finnish funding from FIMM.

  Study EGAS00001001047

• Double mutant DNMT3A AML: a unique subtype

  Mutation of DNMT3A, encoding a de novo methyltransferase essential for cytosine methylation, is a common early event in clonal hematopoiesis (CH) and adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Spontaneous deamination of methylated cytosines damages DNA, which is repaired by the base excision repair (BER) enzymes MBD4 and TDG. Congenital MBD4-deficiency has been linked to early-onset CH and AML, and is marked by exceedingly high levels of DNA damage and mutation of DNMT3A. Strikingly, wildtype (WT) DNMT3A binds TDG, thereby potentiating its repair activity. Since TDG is the only remaining BER enzyme in MBD4-deficient AML patients capable of repairing methylation damage, we investigated whether mutant DNMT3A negatively affects the repair function of TDG. We found that, whereas WT DNMT3A stimulates TDG function, mutant DNMT3A impairs TDG-mediated repair of DNA damage in vitro. In light of this finding and to extrapolate our observations to the broader AML patient population, we investigate here the genetic profiles and survival outcomes of AML patients with single (SM) versus double mutant (DM) DNMT3A. DM DNMT3A AML patients show a characteristic driver mutation landscape and reduced overall survival when compared to SM DNMT3A AML patients. Importantly, whole-genome sequencing showed a trend for increased DNA damage in primary DM DNMT3A AML samples, especially when DNMT3A mutations are located at the DNMT3A-TDG interaction interface.

  Study EGAS00001007966

• scRNA-seq data of human nuclei collected from the temporal cortex of 17 individuals.

  Transcriptome analysis of single cells has tremendously increased our understanding of cellular heterogeneity in complex tissues. However, whole-cell transcriptomics cannot be applied to frozen tissue due to poor cell recovery after freezing. Human tissue is usually limited to tissue banks containing frozen material, and since single nuclei can be readily isolated from frozen tissues, human cell nuclei can substitute whole-cell analysis to extract single cell transcriptomes from human cells. Despite the importance of human tissue analysis, single-nucleus RNA-sequencing protocols are less developed than those for whole cells. SMARTSeq, either in form of custom-made SMARTSeq2 or as part of the Fluidigm C1 platform, provides a high resolution view of the transcriptome, has proven effective for whole-cell analysis and has recently been adapted to nuclei. Here, we show that the standard SMARTSeq2 protocol applied to single nuclei biases the amplification of single-nucleus transcriptomes due to unspecific capturing of transcripts, which can comprise the majority of reads in single-nucleus RNA-sequencing libraries. We demonstrate that modification of the SMARTSeq2 protocol with respect to template switching and cDNA amplification conditions generates sequencing libraries of higher complexity, allows for detection of more genes and reduces biases of the amplified transcriptome. In addition, modification of SMARTSeq2 chemistry allows for gene detection at shallower sequencing depth, thus increasing efficiency and decreasing cost.

  Study EGAS00001002882

• Transcriptomic analysis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia stem cells

  Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is characterized by the accumulation of clonal myeloid blast cells unable to differentiate into mature leukocytes. Chemotherapy induces remission in the majority of patients, but relapse rates are high and lead to poor clinical outcomes. Since this is primarily caused by chemotherapy-resistant leukemic stem cells (LSCs), it is essential to eradicate LSCs to improve patient survival. LSCs have predominantly been studied at the transcript level, thus lacking information about post-transcriptionally regulated genes and associated networks. Here we extend our previous report on LSC proteomes to healthy age-matched hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and correlate the proteomes to the corresponding transcriptomes. By comparing LSCs to leukemic blasts and healthy HSPCs, we validate candidate LSC markers and highlight novel and potentially targetable proteins that are absent or only lowly expressed in HSPCs. In addition, our data provides strong evidence that LSCs harbor a characteristic energy metabolism, adhesion molecule composition, as well as RNA processing properties. Furthermore, correlating proteome and transcript data of the same individual samples highlights the strength of proteome analyses, which are particularly potent in detecting alterations in metabolic pathways. In summary, our study provides a comprehensive proteomic and transcriptomic characterization of functionally validated LSCs, blasts and healthy HSPCs, representing a valuable resource helping to design LSC-directed therapies.

  Study EGAS00001004402

• Whole genome sequencing in 1038 index cases reveals novel causative genes in pulmonary arterial hypertension

  Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disorder with a poor prognosis. Deleterious variation within genes encoding components of the transforming growth factor-ß pathway underlie the majority of heritable forms of PAH. Identifying the missing genetic contribution is challenging, even with genes of large effect size, since it likely involves mutations in genes confined to small numbers of PAH cases. In this study, we performed whole genome sequencing, comparing 1038 PAH index cases to 6385 subjects with other rare diseases. Rare variant analysis identified mutations in novel causal genes, namely ATP13A3, AQP1 and SOX17, and provided independent validation of a critical role for GDF2 in PAH. We detected mutations predicted to be disruptive of function in most, but not all, previously reported PAH genes. Taken together these findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of PAH, and support a central role for endothelial dysregulation in disease pathogenesis.

  Dataset EGAD00001003423

• TSCA-LI amplicon sequencing of called variants in WXS data of DSALL.

  Targeted resequencing of samples was done with TruSeq custom amplicon low input kit (TSCA-LI, Illumina). The oligo capture probes were designed to include a prefix of 8 random nucleotides at the 5 end of each probe. The assay is designed such that each targeted locus is annealed with two probes, resulting in amplicons tagged with unique molecular identifiers (UMI) (22) of 16 bases. Raw FASTQ sequencing files were processed as following: (a) The first 8 bases were trimmed from each read and recorded with the corresponding base quality scores (BQ) in the attribute field. (b) Reads were aligned with BWA. (c) First round of PCR duplicate cleaning was performed with picard tools markDuplicates using the parameters BARCODE_TAG=BC TAGGING_POLICY=All REMOVE_DUPLICATES=true (d) Since in the previous step only duplicate reads with identical UMIs were removed, a second pass of filtering was done. Reads with identical mapping were considered unique only if their corresponding UMIs were different in at least 3 positions (i.e., UMI edit distance > 2). (e) Paired-end read pairs overlapping genomic positions were clipped to avoid overestimation of the sequencing coverage using bamUtils clipOverlap.

  Dataset EGAD00001003275

• NINDS Family-Based Whole-Genome Sequencing to Find Modifiers of Age of Onset in Huntington's Disease

  The goal of our studies is to identify genetic modifiers of neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD). HD is caused by expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin (Htt) gene, with longer stretches often leading to more rapid disease onset and progression. Yet, for a given number of repeats, the age of symptom onset can be variable, differing by up to decades. Thus, the age of onset of motor symptoms in HD is only partly explained by the length of the CAG expansion. Available evidence suggests that genetic modifiers contribute to the variation in HD onset. Identifying genetic modifiers is important because they may provide critical insights into HD pathogenesis and reveal key pathways that could be targeted by novel HD therapeutics. This is important since there are no disease-modifying therapies for HD, and mHtt is an unattractive small-molecule drug target. We recruited 21 HD families with varying characteristics of disease progression and age of onset and obtained medical histories, clinical records and DNA samples that were subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS). These WGS data describe families of 104 subjects, including HD patients and their unaffected family members. These individuals were selected based on individual clinical histories and family structures that best fit our criteria for expressing potential genetic modifiers. We are testing the hypothesis that novel, rare genetic variants contribute to HD and those genetic modifiers can be identified by WGS.

  Study phs001071

• Michigan Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB) Exposure Registry

  Humans are exposed to chemicals such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs) at unprecedented levels, and a wide variety of health effects are attributed to such exposures. However, the biological mechanisms that link exposures to its consequences remain unknown. An industrial accident in the 1970's exposed over 4000 individuals in rural Michigan to polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), a BFR that was present in the food supply for years prior to detection and management. Health effects are still evident in these individuals and their children. Because this population has been assessed regularly since the exposure, it is an ideal group in which to examine the molecular mechanisms that contribute to susceptibility, vulnerability and health effects. The goal of this project is to identify the genetic variants that associate with the rate of PBB elimination over time and integrate genetic and epigenetic datasets and identify complex gene-environment relationships in PBB exposed individuals. We will leverage data generated as part of past and ongoing studies in the Michigan Polybrominated Biphenyl Registry. We anticipate that this study will provide insight into how genetic variants and the environment interact in relation to PBB exposure and its health effects. We also anticipate the results of this study will be informative for studies of BFRs and other endocrine disrupting compounds with similar chemical properties. Note that methylation array data is available from NCBI GEO under GSE116339: Exposure to Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB) Associates with DNA Methylation Differences Across the Genome

  Study phs001862

• Transdisciplinary Studies of Genetic Variation in Colorectal Cancer(CORECT): Meta-analysis

  This study is part 2 of 2 for Schumacher et al, Nat Communication. 2015 Jul 7;6:7138. Part 2 is the pooled meta-analysis of 29 different studies of 37,955 European (18,299 Cases/19,656 Controls) participants using eight different genotyping platforms/variations. table, th, td { border: 1px solid black; border-collapse: collapse; } Study Name Participants Platform CFR-1 2976 Illumina 1M, 1M Duo, Omni1 CFR-2 3053 Affymetrix Axiom MECC 1 982 Illumina Omni 2.5 MECC2 1940 Affymetrix Axiom Kentucky 2172 Affymetrix Axiom ACS/CAPII 1086 Affymetrix Axiom Melbourne 1008 Affymetrix Axiom Newfoundland 672 Affymetrix Axiom ASTERKSI 1895 Illumina 300K COLO23 212 Illumina 300K DACHS1 3417 Illumina 300K DACHS2 1173 Illumina OmniExpress DALS1 1416 Illumina 550k/610K DALS2 874 Illumina 300K HPFS1 457 Illumina OmniExpress HPFS2 348 Illumina OmniExpress HPFS AA 658 Illumina OmniExpress MEC 674 Illumina 300K NHS1 1168 Illumina OmniExpress NHS2 340 Illumina OmniExpress NHSAA 1091 Illumina OmniExpress OFCCR 1172 Affymetrix 100k/500K PHS 771 Illumina OmniExpress PMH 402 Illumina 300K PLCO1 2509 Illumina 550k/610K PLCO2 901 Illumina 300K VITAL 573 Illumina 300K WHI1 1999 Illumina 550k/610K WHI2 573 Illumina 300K Since this study is a meta-analysis no corresponding phenotype, pedigree, sample, subjects, or primary molecular data are available. Each contributing study/platform will have fulfilled its own DBGAP submission commitment. This DBGAP entry is for European participants in the the pooled meta-analysis exclusively.

  Study phs001499

• Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Precursor Study

  Esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer death in the world. High-risk areas occur across central Asia and from eastern to southern Africa, and in these populations, nearly all of the cases are esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). ESCC has a dismal prognosis, largely because symptoms usually appear late in the course of the disease, when the tumors are incurable. Early detection and treatment of curable precursor lesions and early invasive ESCC in asymptomatic high-risk adults offers the potential for long-term survival and reduced mortality from this disease. Previous studies have shown that routine cytology of non-endoscopically collected esophageal cell samples is not sensitive and specific enough to be clinically useful, so we are now looking for molecular markers of high-grade esophageal squamous dysplasia (HGD), the proven clinically important precursor lesion of ESCC, that can be used to increase the accuracy and utility of this initial screening exam. National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) began collaborative studies of ESCC since the mid-1980s in China. The present proposal is designed to characterize the type and prevalence of DNA mutations in tissue samples of HGD and to establish biologic and questionnaire resources for further study. The proposed study has two components, a field study to obtain questionnaire data and biological samples, and a genomic analysis to perform sequencing of the biological samples and bioinformatics analysis of the sequencing. 

  Study phs002814

• Whole genome sequencing with linked reads of pediatric glioblastoma samples

  Pediatric glioblastoma (pGBM) is a lethal cancer with no effective therapies. To understand mechanisms of tumor evolution in this cancer, we performed whole genome sequencing with linked reads on longitudinally resected pGBM samples. Our analyses showed that all diagnostic and recurrent samples were collections of genetically diverse subclones. Clonal composition rapidly evolved at recurrence, with less than 8% of non-synonymous single nucleotide variants being shared in diagnostic-recurrent pairs. In order to track the origins of the mutational events we observed in pGBM, we generated whole genome datasets for two patients and their parents. These trios showed that genetic variants could be (i) somatic, (ii) inherited from a healthy parent, or (iii) arose de novo in the germlines of pGBM patients. Analysis of variant allele frequencies supported a model of tumor growth involving slow-cycling cancer stem cells that give rise to fast-proliferating progenitor-like cells and to non-dividing cells. Interestingly, radiation and anti-mitotic chemotherapeutics did not increase overall tumor burden upon recurrence. These findings support an important role for slow-cycling stem cell populations in contributing to recurrences, since slow-cycling cell populations are expected to be less prone to genotoxic stress induced by these treatments and to accumulate few mutations. Our results highlight the need for new targeted treatments that account for the complex functional hierarchies and genomic heterogeneity of pGBM.

  Study EGAS00001003432

• The Southern African Human Genome Programme

  The Southern African Human Genome Programme (SAHGP) is a national and regional initiative that aims to unlock the unique genetic character of southern African populations. Its vision is to improve quality of life through understanding human genetic diversity. It is timely to advance the SAHGP initiative since global genomic initiatives are increasingly pointing to populations in Africa, more specifically the San and Khoe from southern Africa, as harbouring the most ancient genetic signatures among the living populations of the world. Studies on African populations have already generated a wealth of information upon which the SAHGP can build. This information will be used to promote and support genomic research programmes both nationally and regionally to address critical questions that would benefit the people of our region. The SAHGP aims to make a significant contribution to the understanding of DNA variation among southern Africans and how this impacts on the health of the people of this region. Aims of the SAHGP: To develop capacity for genomic research in southern Africa; To establish sustainable resources for genomic research in the region; and To translate knowledge and information into improvements in human health in the region. The objective is to derive the maximum benefit from the SAHGP, and that the data should be widely shared with the scientific community for the benefit of the people of the sub-continent and beyond.

  Study EGAS00001002639

• Mutational Signature and Transcriptomic Classification Analyses as the Decisive Diagnostic Tools for a Cancer of Unknown Primary with Neuroendocrine Differentiation

  PURPOSE: Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a group of metastatic tumors in which the standard diagnostic work-up fails to identify the site of origin of the tumor. The potential impact of precision oncology on this group of patients is large since their tumors might have actionable driver mutations that can provide treatment options otherwise not available for patients with these fatal cancers. This study investigated if comprehensive genomics analyses could inform on the origin of the tumor. PATIENT AND METHODS: Here we describe a patient whose tumor was misdiagnosed at least three times. Next-generation sequencing, a PDX mouse model and bioinformatics was used to identify an actionable mutation, predict resistance development to the targeted therapy, and to correctly diagnose the origin of the tumor. The Cancer Genome Atlas was used to benchmark the bioinformatics workflow. RESULTS: Despite the lack of a known primary tumor site and the absence of diagnostic immunohistochemical markers, the origin of the patient's tumor was established using the novel bioinformatics workflow. This included a mutational signature analysis of the sequenced metastases and comparison of their transcriptomic profiles to a pan-cancer panel of tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We further discuss the strengths and limitations of the latter approaches in the context of three potentially incorrectly diagnosed TCGA lung tumors. CONCLUSION: Comprehensive genomics analyses could inform on the origin of tumors in patients suffering from CUP.

  Study EGAS00001003026

• Differentially methylated CpGs in response to growth hormone administration in children with idiopathic short stature

  Background: Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) has shown a great growth-promoting potential in children with idiopathic short stature (ISS). However, the response to rhGH differs across individuals, largely due to genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity. Since epigenetic marks on the methylome can be dynamically influenced by GH, we performed a comprehensive pharmaco-epigenomics analysis of DNA methylation changes associated with long-term rhGH administration in children with ISS. Results: We measured DNA methylation profiles before and after GH treatment (with a duration of ~18 months in average) on 47 healthy children using customized methylC-seq capture sequencing. Their changes were compared and associated with changes in plasma IGF1 by adjusting sex, age, treatment duration, and estimated blood proportions. We observed a considerable inter-individual heterogeneity of DNA methylation changes responding to GH treatment. We identified 267 response-associated differentially methylated cytosines (DMC) that were enriched in promoter regions, CpG islands and blood cell-type specific regulatory elements. Furthermore, the genes associated with these DMCs were enriched in the biology process of "cell development", "neuron differentiation" and "developmental growth", and in the TGF-beta signaling pathway, PPAR Alpha pathway, endoderm differentiation pathway, adipocytokine signaling pathway as well as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and cAMP signaling pathway. Conclusion: Our study provides a first insight in DNA methylation changes associated with rhGH administration, which may help understand mechanisms of epigenetic regulation on GH-responsive genes.

  Study EGAS00001006115

• Whole-genome sequencing of rare disease patients in a national healthcare system

  Most patients with rare diseases do not receive a molecular diagnosis and the aetiological variants and mediating genes for more than half such disorders remain to be discovered. We implemented whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in a national healthcare system to streamline diagnosis and to discover unknown aetiological variants, in the coding and non-coding regions of the genome. In a pilot study for the 100,000 Genomes Project, we generated WGS data for 13,037 participants, of whom 9,802 had a rare disease, and provided a genetic diagnosis to 1,138 of the 7,065 patients with detailed phenotypic data. We identified 95 Mendelian associations between genes and rare diseases, of which 11 have been discovered since 2015 and at least 79 are confirmed aetiological. Using WGS of UK Biobank1, we showed that rare alleles can explain the presence of some individuals in the tails of a quantitative red blood cell (RBC) trait. Finally, we reported 4 novel non-coding variants which cause disease through the disruption of transcription of ARPC1B, GATA1, LRBA and MPL. Our study demonstrates a synergy by using WGS for diagnosis and aetiological discovery in routine healthcare.

  Dataset EGAD00001006065

• Investigation of the Causal Etiology in a Patient with T-B+NK+ Immunodeficiency

  We describe a male proband with normal B lymphocyte and natural killer (NK) cell numbers, but who had T lymphopenia beginning at 1 week of age. His peripheral blood contained very few T cell receptor excision circles (TREC), suggesting impaired thymic T cell development. He received an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell marrow transplant, but despite engraftment, it did not fully correct the T lymphopenia. Sequencing excluded known immunodeficiency genes; however, whole exome sequencing revealed X-linked inheritance by the male proband of a missense mutation in MED14 (MED14V763A), a component of the mediator complex. Functional screening of the MED14V763A variant in zebrafish suggested that MED14 is essential for normal development, since morpholino (MO)-mediated loss of MED14 function attenuated T cell development, but it was rescued by ectopic expression of the wild type human MED14 but not by the MED14V763A variant. This defect in T cell repopulation is consistent with the incomplete T cell reconstitution observed upon transplantation of the proband with bone marrow from his healthy male sibling, who was found to have the same MED14V763A variant. However, the brother was normal, indicating that the altered MED14 could not by itself explain the disease. WES also revealed a mutation in the L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAMQ498H); however, introducing that mutation in vivo in mice did not disrupt T cell development. Consequently, the immunodeficiency in the patient is not fully elucidated. It is possible that MED14 contributes, but it is also possible that another gene is fully responsible for the disease.

  Study phs002990

• Dilgom_Exome

  The Finrisk sample sets are part of the National FINRISK Study. It is a large population survey on risk factors of chronic, noncommunicable diseases. The survey is carried out since 1972 every five years using independent, random and representative population samples from different parts of Finland. The main results from the previous FINRISK 2007 survey are published.The National FINRISK Study Survey was carried out in 5 areas in Finland and 2000 inhabitants aged 25-75 years were invited to participate in each year. Among findings were that Finns continue to gain weight.Data from FINRISK surveys are used for many different research projects and for national health monitoring needs. The recent research activities deal, in addition to cardiovascular diseases and the classical risk factors, also with e.g. asthma and allergy, alcohol, socioeconomic factors and genetic epidemiology.The FINRISK study is part of the MORGAM Project (MONICA Risk, Genetics, Archiving and Monigraph), sponsored by the EU and MDECODE (Molecular Diversity and Epidemiology of Common Disease) program coordinated by the University of Michigan.The exome sequencing study will be part of the Dilgom study, which is a part of the larger Finrisk population based health study performed in Finland. It consists of 5000 individuals with a prospective aspect of metabolic traits. The cohort has been extensively phenotyped for their cardiovascular and metabolic status. So far, we have performed a 660K Illumina GWAS and a full genome wide expression study from peripheral blood cells of 500 individuals. The cohort has also been in total genotyped by the cardiometabochip

  Study EGAS00001000086

• Study of the rare and low frequency variants in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean population

  The Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean (SLSJ) region is located in northeastern Quebec and is known for its unique demographic history and founder effect. Since founder populations are enriched with population-specific variants, we characterized the variants distribution in SLSJ and compared it with four European populations (Finnish, Sweden, United Kingdom and France), of which the Finnish population is another founder population. Targeted sequencing of the coding and non-coding immune regulatory regions of the SLSJ asthma familial cohort and the four European populations were performed. Rare and low-frequency coding and noncoding regulatory variants identified in the SLSJ population were then investigated for variant- and gene-level associations with asthma and allergy related-traits (eosinophil percentage, immunoglobulin (Ig)E levels and lung function). Our data showed that (1) rare or deleterious variants were not enriched in the two founder populations as compared to the three non-founder European populations; (2) a larger proportion of founder population-specific variants occurred with higher frequencies; and (3) low-frequency variants appeared to be more deleterious. Furthermore, a rare variant, rs1386931, located in the 3’UTR of CXCR6 and intron of FYCO1 was found to be associated with eosinophil percentage. Gene-based analyses identified NRP2, MRPL44 and SERPINE2 to be associated with various asthma and allergy related traits. Our study demonstrated the usefulness of using a founder population to identify new genes associated with asthma and allergy-related traits; thus better understand the genes and pathways implicated in pathophysiology.

  Study EGAS00001003103

• C3 SNPs and outcome after lung transplantation

  Background: Development of chronic rejection is still a severe problem and causes high mortality rates after lung transplantation (LTx). Complement activation is important in the development of acute rejection (AR) and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, with C3 as a key complement factor. Methods: Since a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the C3 gene (rs2230199) is associated with long-term outcome after solid organ transplantation, we investigated this SNP in relation to LTx. In addition, we looked at local production of C3 by analyzing bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of LTx patients using isoelectric focusing (IEF). Results: We demonstrated the presence of C3 in BALF and showed that this is produced by the donor lung based on the genotype of SNP rs2230199. We also analyzed donor and patient SNP configurations and observed a significant association between the SNP configuration in patients and episodes of AR during 4-years follow-up. Survival analysis showed a lower AR-free survival in homozygous C3 slow patients (p=0.005). Furthermore, we found a significant association between the SNP configuration in donors and BOS development. Patients receiving a graft from a donor with at least one C3 fast variant for rs2230199 had an inferior BOS-free survival (p=0.044). Conclusions: In conclusion, our data indicate local C3 production by donor lung cells. In addition, a single C3 SNP present in recipients affects short-term outcome after LTx, while this SNP in donors has an opposite effect on long-term outcome after LTx. These results could contribute to an improved risk stratification after transplantation.

  Study EGAS00001003843

• Colorectal adenomas, carcinomas and adjacent normal NKI-AvL TGO series NGS-ProToCol

  Cancer is caused by changes in the genome of cells, resulting in aberrant transcripts and proteins. In order to understand why normal cells become cancer cells and how we can identify and destroy them, the CTMM-NGS-ProToCol project aimed to understand prostate and colorectal cancer through DNA and RNA molecular profiling, to further improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.The state-of-the-art within the field of genome sequencing makes it possible to identify all the modifications in our genome that encode for RNA and of the transcripts themselves. The latest development in RNA sequencing is that if one does not select for polyA RNA, but first removes rRNA from the total RNA and then performs ‘random’ RNA sequencing, 30-60% of the reads are intronic. Since about 40% of the genome consists of genes (and only 1.6% is exonic), deep RNA sequencing will cover not only the exons, but also a large portion of the introns and therefore much of the genome. The power of the combined sequencing of genome and transcriptome is the full view of copy number aberrations (CNA), exon mutations and the consequence and relevance of the mutations at the RNA level in the form of differential gene expression, alternative splicing, alternative promoter usage, novel transcripts, fusion transcripts, read-through transcripts and mutations. For the colorectal (tumor) tissue dataset, we applied molecular profiling to 30 colorectal adenomas, 30 colorectal carcinomas and 18 normal adjacent colon tissues.

  Study EGAS00001002854

• EGA FUSE Client

  EGA FUSE Client What is EGA FUSE Client? The EGA FUSE Client is a Java Native Runtime (JNR) based Filesystem in Userspace (FUSE) client that allows users to access authorised EGA files by presenting them in a virtual directory. This means that users can use authorised EGA files like regular files without having to download them first. The EGA FUSE Client is a useful tool for researchers who need to access and work with large amounts of EGA data. Why use EGA FUSE Client? The EGA FUSE Client provides several benefits for researchers working with EGA data: Efficient use of storage space: With the EGA FUSE Client, users can access authorised EGA files without having to download them first. This means that users can save storage space on their local machines. Faster access to data: Since users can access authorised EGA files directly through the EGA FUSE Client, they can work with the data more quickly than if they had to download the files first. Simplified workflow: The EGA FUSE Client presents authorised EGA files in a virtual directory, allowing users to work with the files like regular files. This simplifies the workflow for researchers who need to access and work with large amounts of EGA data. Get started with EGA FUSE Client To get started with EGA FUSE Client visit the EGA FUSE Client GitHub repository for more information and installation instructions.

  Documentation access/download/visualisation/fuse-client

• Genomic Origins and Admixture in Latinos (GOAL)

  The GOAL Study was designed to comprehensively evaluate the genomic architecture of diverse Hispanic/Latino individuals with origins from the Caribbean, Central and South America, and to understand the impact of this diversity on genetic disease studies. Population structure and admixture are key confounders in genome-wide association and medical resequencing studies. In particular, accounting for difference in ancestry among cases and controls, both in terms of genomic and geographic location, is critical for proper analysis and interpretation of studies with multi- and trans-ethnic samples. Genomic studies of Hispanics/Latinos, the largest and fastest growing minority group in the US, reveal that they are a highly genetically heterogeneous admixed group with immense variation among individuals and populations in the proportions of African, European, and Native American ancestry. Knowledge of the underlying complex genetic structure of US Hispanic/Latino and Caribbean populations is, therefore, essential to ensuring robustness of genotype-phenotype associations and understanding the medical relevance of associated variants across diverse populations in the US and throughout the Americas. Furthermore, since much is known about the African and European migrations into the Americas over the past 500 years, population genetic studies of Hispanics/Latinos serve as an excellent model for developing novel algorithms and approaches for characterizing fine-scale genetic structure of admixed populations, in general. This project extends current studies of population genetic structure in US Hispanics/Latinos by densely genotyping parent-offspring triads from individuals (sampled in the US) of Caribbean-descent from six Latin American countries: Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras and Colombia. This study will provide immediate insights and new statistical methods to improve study design and genetic analysis for medical genomic studies in Hispanics/Latinos, other complex admixed groups, and multi- and trans-ethnic studies.

  Study phs000750

• NHLBI TOPMed: Genetics of Cardiometabolic Health in the Amish

  The Amish Complex Disease Research Program includes a set of large community-based studies focused largely on cardiometabolic health carried out in the Old Order Amish (OOA) community of Lancaster, Pennsylvania (http://medschool.umaryland.edu/endocrinology/amish/research-program.asp). The OOA population of Lancaster County, PA immigrated to the Colonies from Western Europe in the early 1700's. There are now over 30,000 OOA individuals in the Lancaster area, nearly all of whom can trace their ancestry back 12-14 generations to approximately 700 founders. Investigators at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have been studying the genetic determinants of cardiometabolic health in this population since 1993. To date, over 7,000 Amish adults have participated in one or more of our studies. Due to their ancestral history, the OOA may be enriched for rare variants that arose in the population from a single founder (or small number of founders) and propagated through genetic drift. Many of these variants have large effect sizes and identifying them can lead to new biological insights about health and disease. The parent study for this WGS project provides one (of multiple) examples. In our parent study, we identified through a genome-wide association analysis a haplotype that was highly enriched in the OOA that is associated with very high LDL-cholesterol levels. At the present time, the identity of the causative SNP - and even the implicated gene - is not known because the associated haplotype contains numerous genes, none of which are obvious lipid candidate genes. A major goal of the WGS that will be obtained through the NHLBI TOPMed Consortium will be to identify functional variants that underlie some of the large effect associations observed in this unique population.

  Study phs000956