3855 results for "*geneti*"

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• Genome-wide association study for Bladder Cancer Risk

  This study funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) involves conducting a genome-wide association study of common genetic variants to identify markers of susceptibility to bladder cancer. This bladder GWAS has led to the discovery of three novel regions in the genome associated with bladder cancer risk. Cases were defined as individuals having histologically confirmed primary carcinoma of the urinary bladder, including carcinoma in situ (ICD-0-2 topography codes C67.0-C67.9 or ICD9 codes 188.1-188.9). Scan data were obtained from two case-control studies carried out in Spain and the United States (specifically, those in the Maine and Vermont components of the New England Bladder Cancer Study) and three prospective cohort studies in Finland and the United States (specifically Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study, Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, and The American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort). We used data from 591,637 single nucleotide polymorphisms 3,532 affected individuals (cases) and 5,119 controls of European descent and replication including 8382 cases and 48275 controls from 16 studies. In a combined analysis, we identified three new regions associated with bladder cancer on chromosomes 22q13.1, 19q12 and 2q37.1: rs1014971, (P ≈ 8 x 10-12) maps to a non-genic region of chromosome 22q13.1, rs8102137 (P = 2 x 10-11) on maps to CCNE1 and rs11892031 (P = 1 x 10-7) maps to the UGT1A cluster on 2q37.1. We confirmed four previously identified genome-wide associations on chromosomes 3q28, 4p16.3, 8q24.21 and 8q24.3 (Rothman N et al., Nature Genetics, 2010, PMID: 20972438). Through meta-analysis with the MD Anderson Texas Bladder Cancer Study (TXBCS), we also identified a novel susceptibility locus that mapped to a region of 18q12.3, marked by rs7238033 (P = 8.7 x 10(-9); allelic odds ratio 1.20 with 95% CI: 1.13-1.28) and two highly correlated SNPs, rs10775480/rs10853535 (r(2)= 1.00; P = 8.9 x 10(-9); allelic odds ratio 1.16 with 95% CI: 1.10-1.22) (Garcia-Closas M et al, Human Molecular Genetics, 2011) For NCI-GWAS2, we performed genotyping on cases and controls for the New Hampshire component of the New England Bladder Cancer Study (NEBCS-NH). For the majority of new bladder cancer cases, we genotyped only cases from four case-control studies, the Los Angeles Bladder Cancer Study (LABCS), the French Center for Research on Prostate Diseases (CeRePP), the French Bladder Study (FBCS) and the Brescia Bladder Cancer Study (BBCS). We used existing control data from four cohort studies already genotyped and subjected to rigorous quality control metrics: the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition Study (EPIC), Womens Health Initiative (WHI), Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), Nurses Health Study (NHS), which have been a part of Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility (CGEMS). Meta-analysis of NCI-GWAS1, NCI-GWAS2 and a previously reported GWAS TXBCS-GWAS along with taqman replication, identified two new loci: rs10936599 on 3q26.2 (P = 4.53 x 10(-9)) and rs907611 on 11p15.5 (P = 4.11 x 10(-8)). Two notable loci were also identified that approached genome-wide statistical significance: rs6104690 on 20p12.2 (P = 7.13 x 10(-7)) and rs4510656 on 6p22.3 (P = 6.98 X 10(-7)); these require further studies for confirmation (Figueroa J et al, Human Molecular Genetics, 2013).

  Study phs000346

• Ontario Familial Colon Cancer Registry Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and CpG Methylation (OFCCR SNP-CpG)

  We profiled the methylation landscape of ~2100 DNA samples (~1100 cases of colorectal cancer and ~1000 controls) from the Ontario Familial Colon Cancer Registry (OFCCR) using the HumanMethylation450 array from Illumina. DNA was extracted from lymphocyte pellets, except for 99 samples for which DNA was extracted from lymphoblastoid cell lines. Samples were genotyped on the Affymetrix Human Mapping 100k and 500k arrays. The aim the study was to evaluate the interplay between genetic variation and methylation, including long-range epigenetic regulation.

  Study phs000779

• Whole exome sequencing to discover genetic variation associated with aortopathy in Turner Syndrome

  Turner syndrome is a disorder affecting only girls and women, which is caused by a complete or partial loss of the second sex chromosome. Girls and women with Turner syndrome have a variety of phenotypes. Of interest to this study is aortopathy, including bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and thoracic aortic dilation (TAD) in which we know that 25 - 50% of girls with Turner syndrome are born with. The aorta is the main artery that conducts the blood out of the heart. The aortic valve guards the entrance to the aorta. When the aortic valve has two leaflets instead of the usual three it is called a BAV. BAV is more common than all other congenital heart defects combined. BAV commonly causes obstructions to blood flow out of the heart or become leaky over time. BAV often occurs in combination with TAD. In Turner syndrome, TADs are increased 50-100 fold compared to the general population. Currently, there are no effective approaches or pre-surgical treatments for aortic disease. Therefore, progression of aortic disease in individuals with BAV/TAD can result in catastrophic aortic dissection, rupture, and death. Our goal is to leverage DNA sequencing and carefully curated patient samples to gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that cause these inter-related aortic diseases.

  Study phs001531

• Natural Genetic Variation in the Human Genome

  In this study, we used existing whole genome sequencing data from the TOPMed Amish and Jackson Heart Study, as well as the GTEx study, to identify mobile element insertions in the genomes of these individuals.  A total of 1112 TOPMed Amish, 3331 TOPMed Jackson Heart Study, and 698 GTEx individuals were examined.  We used the Mobile Element Locator Tool (MELT) developed previously by our lab, along with a Cloud-based version of MELT (CloudMELT), to discover non-reference mobile element insertions (MEIs) in these genomes.  We discovered Alu, L1, SVA, and HERV-K MEIs and produced genotypes in individual genomes.  Build hg19 bams were used for the TOPMed samples, and build GRCh37 bams were used for the GTEx samples in this study.

  Study phs002463

• Genome-Wide Analysis of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (De Novo and Derived from the High Grade Transformation of Follicular Lymphoma)

  Version 1. Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) represents the most common form of B-cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL), accounting for ~30% of the de novo diagnoses and also arising as a frequent clinical evolution of Follicular Lymphoma (FL). The molecular pathogenesis of DLBCL is associated with multiple genetic lesions that in part distinctly segregate with individual phenotypic subtypes, suggesting the involvement of distinct oncogenic pathways. However, the lesions identified so far likely represent only a fraction of those necessary for malignant transformation. In order to characterize the entire set of structural alterations present in the DLBCL genome, we have integrated next generation whole exome sequencing analysis of 6 DLBCL cases and genome-wide high-density SNP array analysis of 72 DLBCL cases. We report here that FL and DLBCL harbor frequent structural alterations inactivating CREBBP and, more rarely, EP300, two highly related histone and non-histone acetyltransferases (HATs) that act as transcriptional co-activators in multiple signaling pathways. Overall, ~37% of DLBCL and 36% of FL cases display genomic deletions and/or somatic point mutations that remove or inactivate the HAT coding domain of these two genes. These lesions commonly affect a single allele, suggesting that reduction in HAT dosage is important for lymphomagenesis. We demonstrate specific defects in the acetylation-mediated inactivation of the BCL6 oncoprotein and activation of the p53 tumor suppressor. These results identify CREBBP/EP300 mutations as a major pathogenic mechanism shared by common forms of B-NHL, and have direct implications for the use of drugs targeting acetylation/deacetylation mechanisms. Version 2. Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an indolent, but incurable disease that, in 30-40% of cases, undergoes transformation to an aggressive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The history of clonal evolution and the mechanisms that underlie transformation to DLBCL (tFL) remain largely unknown. Using whole exome sequencing and copy number analysis of 39 tFL patients, including 12 with paired sequential FL/tFL biopsies, we show that, in most cases, FL and tFL arise by divergent evolution from a common mutated precursor cell through the acquisition of distinct genetic lesions. Mutations in epigenetic modifiers (e.g., MLL2, CREBBP, EZH2, ARID1A) and anti-apoptotic genes (BCL2, FAS) were observed in 93% (36/39) and 78% (30/39) of cases, respectively, and were invariably shared between the two disease phases, suggesting an early acquisition in the common mutated precursor. Conversely, the development of tFL is associated with deregulation of genes involved in the control of cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and DNA damage responses (CDKN2A/2B, MYC, TP53), as well as with an aberrant activity of the somatic hypermutation mechanism. Finally, we show that the genomic profile of tFL shares significant similarities with that of germinal center B-cell type de novo DLBCL, but also displays unique combinations of altered genes that may explain the dismal clinical course of tFL.Version 3. This version includes thirty-five additional de novo DLBCL samples, newly diagnosed, and their paired normal DNA from previously untreated patients, which were analyzed by whole exome sequencing (n=27T and 25N), whole genome sequencing (8T and 10N), and/or targeted HLA-next generation sequencing (n=26T/N pairs) in order to identify genetic alterations associated with loss of surface MHC-II expression.

  Study phs000328

• Genetic Analysis of Desmoplastic Melanoma

  Desmoplastic melanoma is an infrequent variant of melanoma with sarcomatous histology, distinct clinical behavior, and unknown pathogenesis. We performed low-coverage genome and high-coverage exome sequencing of 20 desmoplastic melanomas, followed by targeted sequencing of 293 genes to validate candidate genes. A high mutation burden (median 62 mutations/Mb) ranked desmoplastic melanoma among the most highly mutated cancers. Mutation patterns strongly implicate UV-radiation as the dominant mutagen, indicating a superficially located cell of origin. Novel alterations included recurrent promoter mutations of NF-kappa B inhibitor epsilon, NFKBIE (IkBε) in 14.5% of samples. Commonly mutated oncogenes in melanomas, in particular BRAF(V600E) and NRAS(Q61K/R), were absent. Instead, other genetic alterations known to activate the MAPK and PI3K signaling cascades were identified in 73% of samples, affecting NF1, CBL, ERBB2, MAP2K1, MAP3K1, BRAF, EGFR, PTPN11, MET, RAC1, SOS2, NRAS, and PIK3CA, some of which being candidates for targeted therapies. Reprinted from: Shain, A. H. et al. Exome sequencing of desmoplastic melanoma identifies recurrent NFKBIE promoter mutations and diverse activating mutations in the MAPK pathway. Nat. Genet. With permission from Nature Genetics

  Study phs000977

• NHLBI TOPMed: Outcome Modifying Genes in Sickle Cell Disease (OMG)

  Sickle cell disease (SCD) is caused by homozygosity for a single mutation of the beta hemoglobin gene. Despite the constancy of this genetic abnormality, the clinical course of patients with SCD is remarkably variable. SCD can affect the function and cause the failure of multiple organ systems through the pathophysiologic processes of vaso-occlusion and hemolysis. These pathophysiological processes are complex and expected to impact multiple organ systems in a variety of ways. This study, therefore, was designed to identify genetic factors that predispose SCD patients to develop specific end-organ complications and to experience more or less severe clinical courses. We enrolled > 700 patients with Hb SS, Hb S-beta0 thalassemia and HbSC being followed primarily at three southeastern U.S. regional institutions (Duke University Medical Center, University of North Carolina Medical Center, and Emory University Medical Center). Medical information obtained included the presence or absence of specific targeted outcomes (overall disease severity as well as specific types of end organ damage). Clinical data include medical status (history, physical, examination, and laboratory results) and information regarding potentially confounding environmental factors. Limited plasma samples are available for correlative studies (e.g. of cytokine levels, coagulation activation). Targeted SNP for candidate gene analysis as well as GWAS has been performed on most samples. Whole genome sequencing has been conducted through the TOPMed Consortium. The subjects in this analysis were collected as part of a larger study, "Outcome Modifying Genes in Sickle Cell Disease" (OMG-SCD) aimed at identifying genetic modifiers for sickle cell disease. More information about the study can be found in Elmariah et al. (2014), PMID: 24478166. Clinical and genetic data have been used to identify genetic characteristics predisposing patients with SCD to a more or less severe overall clinical course as well as to individual organ-specific complications. It is anticipated that identification of such genetic factors will reveal new therapeutic targets individualized to specific complications of SCD, leading to improved outcomes and increased life expectancy for patients with SCD.

  Study phs001608

• Next Generation Mendelian Genetics: Atypical Werner Syndrome

  Werner syndrome (WS) is an adult-onset progeroid syndrome characterized by accelerated aging. The International Registry of Werner Syndrome in the Department of Pathology, University of Washington, collects WS cases from all over the world. Classical WS is caused by WRN mutations. Those who do not carry WRN are categorized as "atypical Werner syndrome." A small subset of atypical WS is caused by LMNA mutations. There also are many cases whose causes are still unknown. The purpose of this study is to identify other causative gene(s) of atypical WS.

  Study phs000434

• Myocardial Infarction Genetics Exome Sequencing Consortium: U. of Leicester

  MI cases were ascertained from two studies: (i) the British Heart Foundation Family Heart Study and (ii) the BRICCS Study. Control subjects were ascertained from the control subjects being recruited as part of the UK Aneurysm Growth Study (UKAGS). All exome sequencing was performed at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT; samples sequence capture was performed using Illumina's ICE Capture reagent and sequencing was performed on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 or 2500.

  Study phs001000

• Genome Wide Association for Asthma and Lung Function

  The SNP Typing for Association with Multiple Phenotypes from Existing Epidemiologic (STAMPEED) asthma project includes subjects with asthma and controls from the Chicago Asthma Genetics Study (CAG), NHLBI multicenter Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP) and NHLBI Collaborative Studies on the Genetics of Asthma CSGA (Wake Forest). All studies included European American and African American children and adults with asthma ranging from mild to severe and adult controls. CAG participants were collected at the University of Chicago. SARP participants were recruited at the NHLBI SARP sites with an emphasis on recruiting severe asthmatics (Moore et al, Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2010, PMID: 19892860). CSGA cases and controls collected by the Wake Forest investigators were also included. Asthma status was based on both a physician's diagnosis and either bronchodilator reversibility or hyper-responsiveness to methacholine as well as less than 5 pack years of smoking. Genotyping was performed on the Illumina 1Mv1 platform, with individual genotypes called using clustering algorithms as implemented in the BeadStudio software by Illumina. The total number of markers following standard QC was 1,025,129. Imputation was performed using the HapMap phase 2, release 21 SNPs using MACH with the phased HapMap CEU and YRI haplotypes as a reference. Case/control association tests for asthma status were performed using logistic regression in R (http://CRAN.R-project.org/) on genotype dosages, and adjusting for the first principal component from EIGENSTRAT.

  Study phs000355

• Human CD4 Memory T Cell Activation Time Course

  We performed a high-resolution time course RNA-seq experiment on CD4+ memory T cells during activation with anti-CD3/CD28 beads. We performed this in 24 adult individuals of European ancestry with no autoimmune diseases. We used 1 million cells as starting material, per time point (up to 8 time points per individual from 0 to 72 hours). We identified widespread dynamic allele-specific expression (dynASE) across the genome, i.e. ASE that changes with time after activation, which reflects cell state-dependent genetic regulatory effects. DynASE events were enriched in risk loci for multiple autoimmune diseases. This highlights the importance of studying multiple cellular states in order to elucidate the mechanisms of autoimmune disease. It also provides a successful framework to do it in other cellular systems relevant for other traits. We also showed an unprecedented amount of regulatory variation for HLA genes. HLA-DQB1 has 3 distinct regulatory haplotypes with expression profiles that could come from 3 different genes. We performed ATAC-seq in replicate for CD4+ memory T cells stimulated for 72 hours from another healthy individual. These data, together with genetic fine-mapping, CRISPR editing, EMSA and luciferase assays, helped us find a SNP in the promoter of HLA-DQB1 that causes at least part of the large cell state-dependent change in expression, at the RNA and protein levels.

  Study phs002259

• Mapping the Human Connectome - Structure, Function, and Heritability: Healthy Young Adults (Age 22-35 Years) Including Twins and their Non-Twin Siblings

  The Human Connectome Project (HCP) has acquired vast amounts of data about the pattern of long-distance connections (wiring) in the brains of large numbers of healthy participants aged 22-35 using cutting-edge MRI and MEG neuroimaging, and extensive behavioral testing. Types of MR data collected included diffusion MRI (dMRI), resting-state functional MRI (r-fMRI), and structural MRI at both 3T and 7T, and task-evoked functional MRI (t-fMRI) at 3T. Following an extensive period of development and optimization of data acquisition and analysis methods, at Washington University in St. Louis we studied 1,206 participants comprising twins and their non-twin siblings. A subset of 184 twins was scanned again at the University of Minnesota using a 7T scanner. A different subset of 95 twins was studied at St. Louis University using combined resting state and/or task-activated MEG. We were able to collect genetic data on 1142 of our 1206 participants, including 149 pairs of genetically-confirmed monozygotic twins (298 participants) and 94 pairs of genetically-confirmed dizygotic twins (188 participants). Overall, there are 457 different families in the study, as determined by genetic analysis. Our rich set of imaging, behavioral and genetic data - available through the Human Connectome database - will enable many types of analysis of brain circuitry, its relationship to behavior, and the contributions of genetic and environmental factors to brain circuits.

  Study phs001364

• Mucociliary Clearance Consortium (MCC) Rare Genetic Disorders of the Airways: Cross-section Comparison of Clinical Features, and Development of Novel Screening and Genetic Test

  We have established a consortium of 7 geographically-dispersed clinical research sites that are designed to study rare diseases of the airways, which involve defects in clearance of mucus secretions from the airways (defective "mucociliary clearance"). These sites will collaborate in diagnostic, genetic, and other studies in patients with impairments of mucociliary clearance, including primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), variant cystic fibrosis (CF), and pseudohypoaldosteronism (PHA). These disorders reflect genetic defects in airway host-defense, and typically result in chronic infection of the airways. Patients with these disorders of the conducting airways and sinuses have delayed (or incorrect) diagnoses, because diagnostic tests are not readily available. These patients may also have sub-optimal management of their clinical disease, because the cause of these disorders is not well-defined, and treatment regimens are usually not driven by evidence-based medicine. This current protocol is designed to employ a systematic approach to the diagnostic evaluation of these patients with chronic airways disease, which will yield precise diagnoses in individual patients, and will be associated with development of better diagnostic techniques, including genetic testing. In addition, we will compare/contrast clinical features (phenotype) across these disorders. A rigorous cross-sectional comparison of the clinical features will provide better understanding of the clinical disease of these disorders; in turn, this will lead not only to a better standard of clinical care, but will also assist in the identification of novel therapeutic approaches. The patient population for these studies includes individuals carrying a tentative diagnosis of the three disorders (PCD, variant CF or PHA), plus individuals suspected to have one of these disorders, but with inadequate or inconclusive diagnostic tests. Individuals in this latter category must have a preliminary clinical evaluation to evaluate for other more common disorders that may have similar manifestations including classical CF, immunodeficiency, asthma, and severe gastroesophageal reflux. We have an informal agreement with a network of pulmonologists across the United States to perform clinically-indicated (not research) preliminary clinical testing, if not directly available to patients who inquire about these studies. Blood will be collected for DNA to test for genetic mutations. The blood samples will be processed to establish a cell line (lymphocyte transformation) for a source of DNA for future genetic studies, in participants with disease. For participants unable to provide a blood sample, a buccal sample will be obtained for DNA.

  Study phs000595

• Genomic Profiling of Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma

  Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are malignant and highly aggressive hematologic tumors arising from mature post-thymic T cells. The diagnosis of PTCL includes diverse lymphoma subgroups, altogether accounting for about 15% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Despite recent advances in uncovering the mutational landscape of PTCLs, the prognoses of most PTCLs remain poor. To overcome the limits of exome sequencing and identify new genomic abnormalities in PTCL, we performed RNAseq and whole genome sequencing. From our analyses, we identified a recurrent in-frame deletion (VAV1 Δ778-786) generated by a focal deletion-driven alternative splicing mechanism as well as novel VAV1 gene fusions (VAV1-THAP4, VAV1-MYO1F, and VAV1-S100A7). These genetic lesions result in increased activation of VAV1 catalytic-dependent (MAPK, JNK) and non-catalytic-dependent (nuclear factor of activated T cells, NFAT) VAV1 effector pathways. These results support an oncogenic role for VAV1 signaling in the pathogenesis of PTCL (Abate et al., 2017). Recently, we have also identified a novel chimeric oncogene, FYN-TRAF3IP2, in the RNA-seq and whole genome sequencing analyses. FYN-TRAF3IP2 leads to aberrant NF-κβ activity downstream of T-cell receptor signaling and induces NF-κβ-driven T-cell transformation when expressed in hematopoietic progenitors in mice. This novel gene fusion supports the oncogenic driver role of NF-κβ signaling in the pathogenesis of PTCL (Kim et al., in review).

  Study phs001962

• Genetic Etiology of Heterotaxy

  To understand the genetic etiology of heterotaxy, patients with heterotaxy were consented and recruited, with blood drawn for DNA extraction and exome sequencing. Using the exome sequencing dataset obtained, rare coding sequence variants were identified.

  Study phs001691

• Functional Analysis of Genetic Variants in African Americans with Breast Cancer

  The goal of this study is to identify and characterize novel genetic variants associated with a predisposition to breast cancer (BCa) in African Americans (AAs) using a family case-family control study design. Variants of unknown clinical significance (VUS) were characterized using bioinformatics tools. Future studies will further characterize select VUSs using in vitro genomic editing methods and functional assays to determine the functional consequences. The targeted sequencing data is made available for 85 actionable cancer genes. These genes have been previously classified with deleterious mutation(s) and whose phenotype results in a specific, defined medical recommendation(s).

  Study phs002977

• Trisomy21: Risk Factors for Chromosome Nondisjunction (T21NDJ)

  The overall goal of the project is to identify genetic risk factors associated with chromosome 21 nondisjunction in the oocyte. The dataset derives from multi-site collection of live birth probands with Down syndrome due to standard trisomy 21 (T21) and their biological parents. The type of nondisjunction error (NDJ)(maternal or paternal) in all cases has been determined to be maternal in origin based on the chromosome 21 variants contributed from parent to proband. The Center of Inherited Disease with support from NICHD has conducted genome-wide genotyping using the Illuminia Human OmniExpress Plus Exome array on approximately 800 women who have been identified through their offspring with DS and have been characterized as having a maternal meiois I (MI) or meiosis II (MII) nondisjunction error. Genotypes from biological fathers of the offspring with DS can be used with the data on mothers to better define the type of nondisjunction error (MI or MII) and to refine the chromosome 21 recombination profile. We provide the type of nondisjunction error, knowing that this will be updated based on the new panel. We do not provide the recombination profile, as this can be best defined using the new comprehensive set of SNPs in the OmniExpress panel.

  Study phs000718

• Center for Common Disease Genomics (CCDG) Neuropsychiatric: Study of Autism Genetics Exploration (SAGE)

  In this study, we address the enormous challenges common complex diseases pose for genomic analysis and the enormous opportunities surmounting them offers for advancing healthcare. The common genetic disorders proposed for study here are believed to have extreme locus heterogeneity, requiring the analysis of large numbers of samples to comprehensively identify the genomic variants underlying them. We propose that a combination of deep population studies and joint analysis of SNPs, indels, and structural variants both in coding and noncoding regions will provide the next level of understanding of common genetic disorders. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) will be critical to this next-generation approach to the genomics of complex disease. WGS will need to be accompanied by the technical ability to generate and handle very large data sets, a particular focus and strength of NYGC. WGS will also need to be accompanied by new statistical tools and algorithms, which will be developed by the strong core group committed to this proposal. An overarching goal of this proposal, one that capitalizes on the power of WGS, is to identify disease-associated variants at the individual nucleotide level. In many cases pathogenic mutations fall in noncoding regions of the genome, which can only be fruitfully explored with WGS. A major effort was put into building new computational strategies to functionally annotate noncoding transcribed sequences, and to build new datasets to enable such strategies, opening new frontiers of understanding of disease-related regulatory variants.

  Study phs001740

• International Age-Related Macular Degeneration Genomics Consortium - Exome Chip Experiment

  Advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, with limited therapeutic options. To further our understanding of AMD genetics, we examined the contribution of common and rare genetic variation in the International AMD Genomics Consortium that included ~50,000 samples of 26 AMD case - control cohorts that were jointly genotyped. Analyzing 16,144 patients with late stage AMD and 17,832 controls, we identified 52 independently associated common and rare variants distributed across 34 loci. Besides these single variant signals, we also observed gene-based enrichment of very rare coding variants (frequency < 0.1%) in cases that implicated causal roles for CFH, CFI and TIMP3 in three of the known AMD risk loci. Our results support the hypothesis that rare coding variants can pinpoint causal genes within known genetic loci and illustrate that applying the approach systematically to detect new loci requires extremely large sample sizes.

  Study phs001039

• DNA Methylation Analysis of Peripheral Blood Cells from Siblings Discordant for ASD

  Autism is a common disorder whose causes are poorly understood. Both genetic and environmental influences are thought to act together causing autism. Epigenetics is an area that bridges genetic and environmental influencing and commonly is studied by examining dynamic methylation changes to the DNA. We have screened a total of 78 autistic boys and their fathers by this method in 807 genes and find 116 methylation changes that together can correctly identify nearly 80% of the affected boys from their fathers. We propose to confirm these exciting data in a much larger set of genes in 1,200 autistic boys and their families, including unaffected brothers. These data not only could provide new insight into the causes of autism but could also result in a screening test for autism.

  Study phs000619

• Center for Common Disease Genomics (CCDG) - Cardiovascular: BioImage Cohort

  The genetic basis of cardiovascular disease in individuals of non-European ancestry remains largely unknown. Availability of ethnically diverse study populations is essential to fully investigate the underlying causes of disease. The BioImage Study enrolled adults aged 55-80 in a prospective observational study. Subjects had no prior history of cardiovascular disease, but were identified to be at intermediate to high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular events (PMID: 25790876). The recruiting target was a cohort with similar demographics to the US population in terms of race and ethnicity. Produced as part of the NHGRI Centers for Common Disease Genomics, this study contains whole genome sequence data and variant calls from 922 African American participants of the BioImage Study.

  Study phs002325

• Genomic Architecture of Progression and Treatment Response in AMD

  Numerous studies have identified common and rare genetic variation associated with risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, risk is just one facet of AMD disease architecture. Both disease progression and response to treatment are two critical elements that may also be influenced by genetic variation. The primary aim of this study was to identify genetic variation influencing progression and response to treatment for AMD, with a secondary aim of further elucidating the genetic etiology of AMD risk. We ascertained AMD cases and controls of European ancestry from Vanderbilt Eye Institute (VEI) and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (BPEI) and obtained blood samples from all participants. Eyes were examined using standard ophthalmological methods, and graded according the modified Age-Related Eye Disease Study scale (AREDS grades 1-5) using fundus photography. Individuals were re-examined in follow-up exams at regular intervals to assess any change in AMD grade. Eyes with advanced neovascular AMD that were examined using ocular coherence tomography imaging (OCT), treated with anti-angiogenesis therapy and monitored for response to treatment. All individuals ascertained for the study were exome-chipped for genome-wide single nucleotide variation coverage. To target rare genetic variation, whole exome sequencing was performed on individuals at the phenotypic extremes based on 1) AMD grade, 2) rate of progression from intermediate to advanced AMD and 3) response to anti-VEGF treatment for eyes with advanced neovascular AMD.

  Study phs001046

• Interpreting molecular role of DNA variants associated with Crohn's Disease through integrative analysis of open chromatin, epigenome and transcriptome data in diverse and relevant tissues and cells

  Crohn's disease (CD), one of the two major inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), results from an inappropriately directed inflammatory response to the enteric microbiota in a genetically susceptible host. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have linked >200 specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to CD disease pathogenesis. Within these regions, there are over 5600 additional SNPs that are in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the tag SNPs, and it is not known which of these contribute to CD. Most of these SNPs map to non-coding regions of the genome, suggesting that causal variants contribute to CD by modifying gene regulatory element activity. In ths study, we have generated genotype, open chromatin (FAIRE-seq), and transcriptome (RNA-seq) data from macroscopically uninflamed regions of colon tissue for 21 CD patients and 11 non-IBD controls. All patients are adults (>18 years old).

  Study phs001418

• NCI-Maryland Prostate Cancer Case-Control Study

  The study seeks to examine the genetic and ancestral basis of prostate cancer-associated inflammation using a genome-wide association approach. The study population are the participants of the NCI Maryland Prostate Cancer Case-Control study. This study recruited both African American and European American men, and investigated the causes for the excessive burden of prostate cancer among African American men in more general terms. We measured 82 blood-based immune-oncology markers, and genotyped the participants using the HumanOmni5-Quad BeadChip, which provides a significant genome coverage for genetically-admixed and diverse populations, to evaluate the genetic basis and evidence for causality of any immune-inflammation marker that is associated with prostate cancer risk. We want to assess how germline genetics influence the abundance levels of these 82 markers in African American and European American men, which may contribute to differences between them.

  Study phs002939

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Family Study of Essential Tremor (FASET), Identification of Susceptibility Genes for Essential Tremor

  The Familial Study of Essential Tremor (FASET) was designed to identify susceptibility genes for Essential Tremor. ET is among the most common neurological diseases with a prevalence (age > 40 years) estimated to be 4.0% and prevalence in advanced age (> 90 years) exceeding 20%. ET, often referred to as "familial tremor", is generally regarded as a highly genetic disorder with families, with affected members over multiple generations, and twin studies show high concordance among monozygotic twins. Probands (affected with ET) and relatives were enrolled in a family study of ET at Columbia University, New York between 2011 - 2014. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Columbia University and written informed consent was obtained from all enrollees. The criteria for enrollment were: 1) the proband had early-onset ET with age at onset < 50 years, 2) the proband had a diagnosis of definite or probable ET, 3) in addition to the proband, there were at least two affected relatives in the family, 4) additional affected and unaffected family members were willing to participate in the study, and 5) the families contained more than two affected individuals in different generations. Blood samples were also collected for genetic research. For the genetic analyses, we excluded enrollees that we or others had diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) or dystonia. The final sample includes 52 families (52 probands [affected with ET]) and 155 relatives). The number of affected individuals enrolled per family ranged from 3 - 7 (mean = 4.1). Genetic samples from FASET were analyzed with whole genome SNP genotyping (for linkage analyses) and whole exome sequencing. It is hoped that this resource will better help researchers to understand the genetic causes of ET and underlying disease pathogenesis.

  Study phs000966