Author
VAN MEURS, JOYCE BJ - Erasmus Medical Center | |
PARE, GUILLAUME - McMaster University | |
SCHWARTZ, STEPHEN - University Of Washington | |
HAZRA, ADITI - Harvard University | |
TANAKA, TOSHIKO - National Institute On Aging (NIA, NIH) | |
VERMUELEN, SITA - Radboud University | |
COTLARCIUC, IOANA - King'S College | |
YUAN, XIN - Glaxosmithkline | |
MALARSTIG, ANDERS - Karolinska Institute | |
BANDINELLI, STEFANIA - Tuscany Regional Health Agency | |
BIS, JOSHUA - University Of Washington | |
BLOM, HENK - University Of Cambridge | |
BROWN, MORRIS - University Of Cambridge | |
CHEN, CONSTANCE - Harvard University | |
CHEN, YII-DER - Harbor-Ucla Medical Center | |
CLARKE, ROBERT - University Of Medicine And Dentistry Of New Jersey | |
DEGHAN, ABBAS - Erasmus Medical Center | |
ERDMAN, JEANETTE - Technical University Of Munich | |
FERRUCCI, LUIGI - University Of Chicago | |
HAMSTEN, ANDERS - Karolinska Institute | |
HOFMAN, ALBERT - Erasmus Medical Center | |
HUNTER, DAVID - Boston University | |
GOEL, ANUJ - University Of Oxford | |
JOHNSON, ANDREW - University Of Massachusetts | |
KATHIRESAN, SEKAR - Massachusetts General Hospital | |
KAMPMAN, ELLEN - Radboud University | |
KIEL, DOUGLAS - Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital | |
KIEMENEY, LAMBERTUS ALM - Radboud University | |
CHAMBERS, JOHN - Imperial College | |
KRAFT, PETER - University Of Wurzburg | |
LINDEMANS, JAN - Erasmus Medical Center | |
MCKNIGH, BARBARA - University Of Washington | |
NELSON, CHRISTOPHER - University Of Leicester | |
O'DONNELL, CHRISTOPHER - University Of Massachusetts | |
PSATY, BRUCE - University Of California | |
RIDKER, PAUL - Brigham & Women'S Hospital | |
RIVADENEIRA, FERNANDO - Erasmus Medical Center | |
ROSE, LYNDA - Brigham & Women'S Hospital | |
SEEDORF, UDO - University Of Oxford | |
SISCOVICK, DAVID - University Of Washington | |
SCHUNKERT, HERIBERT - Munich Heart Alliance | |
SELHUB, JACOB - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University | |
UELAND, PER - University Of Bergen | |
VOLLENWEIDER, PETER - Lausanne University Hospital | |
WAEVER, GERARD - Lausanne University Hospital | |
WATERWORTH, DAWN - University Of Cambridge | |
WATKINS, HUGH - University Of Oxford | |
WITTEMAN, JACQUELINE CM - Erasmus Medical Center | |
DEN HEIJER, MARTIN - Leiden University Medical Center | |
JACQUES, PAUL - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University | |
UITTERLINDEN, ANDRE - Erasmus Medical Center | |
KOONER, JASPAL - Imperial College | |
RADER, DAN - University Of Pennsylvania | |
REILLY, MUREDACH - University Of Pennsylvania | |
MOOSER, VINCENT - Glaxosmithkline | |
CHASMAN, DANIEL - Brigham & Women'S Hospital | |
SAMANI, NILESH - University Of Leicester | |
AHMANDI, KOUROSH - University Of Surrey |
Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 5/14/2013 Publication Date: 9/1/2013 Citation: Van Meurs, J., Pare, G., Schwartz, S.M., Hazra, A., Tanaka, T., Vermuelen, S.H., Cotlarciuc, I., Yuan, X., Malarstig, A., Bandinelli, S., Bis, J.C., Blom, H., Brown, M.J., Chen, C., Chen, Y., Clarke, R.J., Deghan, A., Erdman, J., Ferrucci, L., Hamsten, A., Hofman, A., Hunter, D.J., Goel, A., Johnson, A.D., Kathiresan, S., Kampman, E., Kiel, D.P., Kiemeney, L., Chambers, J.C., Kraft, P., Lindemans, J., Mcknigh, B., Nelson, C.P., O'Donnell, C.J., Psaty, B.M., Ridker, P.M., Rivadeneira, F., Rose, L.M., Seedorf, U., Siscovick, D.S., Schunkert, H., Selhub, J., Ueland, P.M., Vollenweider, P., Waever, G., Waterworth, D., Watkins, H., Witteman, J., Den Heijer, M., Jacques, P., Uitterlinden, A.G., Kooner, J.S., Rader, D.J., Reilly, M.P., Mooser, V., Chasman, D.I., Samani, N.J., Ahmandi, K. 2013. Common genetic loci influencing plasma homocysteine concentrations and their effect on risk of coronary artery disease. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 98(3):668-676. Interpretive Summary: Homocysteine (Hcy) is an amino acid that is found in the body. It is not obtained directly from foods; rather, it is an intermediate product formed in the conversion of the amino acid methionine to the amino acid cysteine. Hcy can accumulate in tissues and blood if three vitamins necessary for its metabolism, folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, are not consumed at adequate levels. Some studies have observed that higher blood concentrations of Hcy are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, and blot clots. However, studies that have lowered Hcy through supplementation with folate, vitamin B12 and/or vitamin B6, have not demonstrated that the lower Hcy results in lower disease risk. We wanted to examine the potential role of genetics in this complex relationship between Hcy and disease. Some genetic variations that are associated with variations in Hcy levels have previously been identified. The aim of this study was to (1) identify additional genetic variations that may be linked to Hcy and (2) to examine whether such genetic variations affecting Hcy may be associated with risk of CAD. We examined a large sample of 44,147 individuals of European descent from 10 different cohort studies. We identified 6 new points of possible genetic variation linked to Hcy concentrations, in addition to 7 previously identified points of genetic variation. Our results indicated that individuals with the highest genetic risk (top 10%) for elevated Hcy did, in fact, have significantly higher levels of Hcy in their blood. However, these individuals were not at higher risk of CAD. Thus, our results would not support a link between higher Hcy concentrations and CAD among individuals of European descent. Technical Abstract: The strong observational association between total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations and risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the null associations in the homocysteine-lowering trials have prompted the need to identify genetic variants associated with homocysteine concentrations and risk of CAD. We tested whether common genetic polymorphisms associated with variation in tHcy are also associated with CAD. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on tHcy concentrations in 44,147 individuals of European descent. Polymorphisms associated with tHcy (P < 10(**-8) were tested for association with CAD in 31,400 cases and 92,927 controls. Common variants at 13 loci, explaining 5.9% of the variation in tHcy, were associated with tHcy concentrations, including 6 novel loci in or near MMACHC (2.1 × 10**-9), SLC17A3 (1.0 × 10**-8), GTPB10 (1.7 × 10**-8), CUBN (7.5 × 10**-10), HNF1A (1.2 × 10**-12)), and FUT2 (6.6 × 10**-9), and variants previously reported at or near the MTHFR, MTR, CPS1, MUT, NOX4, DPEP1, and CBS genes. Individuals within the highest 10% of the genotype risk score (GRS) had 3-micromole/L higher mean tHcy concentrations than did those within the lowest 10% of the GRS (P = 1 × 10**-36). The GRS was not associated with risk of CAD (OR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.04; P = 0.49). We identified several novel loci that influence plasma tHcy concentrations. Overall, common genetic variants that influence plasma tHcy concentrations are not associated with risk of CAD in white populations, which further refutes the causal relevance of moderately elevated tHcy concentrations and tHcy-related pathways for CAD. |