A large body of evidence links a high dietary intake of n-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) with improved cardiometabolic outcomes. Recent studies suggested that the biologic processes underlying the observed associations may involve epigenetic changes, specifically DNA methylation. To evaluate changes in methylation associated with n-3 PUFA intake, we conducted an epigenome-wide methylation association study of long-chain n-3 PUFA intake and tested associations between the diabetes- and cardiovascular disease-related traits. We assessed DNA methylation at ∼470,000 cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites in a cross-sectional study of 185 Yup'ik Alaska Native individuals representing the top and bottom deciles of PUFA intake. Linear regression models were used to test for the associations of interest, adjusting for age, sex, and community group. We identified 27 differentially methylated CpG sites at biologically relevant regions that reached epigenome-wide significance (P < 1 × 10⁻⁷). Specifically, regions on chromosomes 3 (helicase-like transcription factor), 10 (actin α 2 smooth muscle/Fas cell surface death receptor), and 16 (protease serine 36/C16 open reading frame 67) each harbored 2 significant correlates of n-3 PUFA intake. In conclusion, we present promising evidence of association between several biologically relevant epigenetic markers and long-term intake of marine-derived n-3 PUFAs.

Background

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), mainly among individuals of European ancestry. In the present study, we examined the frequency of these SNPs and their association with T2D-related traits in an Alaska Native study population with a historically low prevalence of T2D. We also investigated whether dietary characteristics that may protect against T2D, such as n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake, modify these associations.

Methods

In 1144 Yup'ik people, we examined 17 SNPs repeatedly identified in GWAS for individual and cumulative associations with T2D-related traits. Cumulative associations were evaluated using a genetic risk score (GRS) calculated by summing risk alleles. Associations were tested for interactions with sex, body mass index (BMI), and n-3 PUFA intake.

Results

The rs7754840 SNP in CDKAL1 is significantly associated with HbA1c (P = 0.00091). The rs5015480 SNP near HHEX is significantly associated (in opposite direction to that in Europeans) with a combined fasting glucose (FG) and HbA1c measure (P = 0.00046) and with homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-B; P = 0.0014). The GRS is significantly associated with FG and combined FG and HbA1c only when the HHEX SNP is dropped from the GRS. Associations are not modified by BMI or n-3 PUFA intake.

Conclusion

Our results highlight the potential importance of CDKAL1 and HHEX in glucose homeostasis in this Alaska Native population with a low prevalence of T2D, and suggest that these loci should be examined in greater detail in this population.

Scope

n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) intake is associated with protection from obesity; however, the mechanisms of protection remain poorly characterized. The stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD), insulin-sensitive glucose transporter (SLC2A4), and sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBF1) genes are transcriptionally regulated by n-3 PUFA intake and harbor polymorphisms associated with obesity. The present study investigated how consumption of n-3 PUFA modifies associations between SCD, SLC2A4, and SREBF1 polymorphisms and anthropometric variables and metabolic phenotypes.

Materials and methods

Anthropometric variables and metabolic phenotypes were measured in a cross-sectional sample of Yup'ik individuals (n = 1135) and 33 polymorphisms were tested for main effects and interactions using linear models that account for familial correlations. n-3 PUFA intake was estimated using red blood cell nitrogen stable isotope ratios. SCD polymorphisms were associated with ApoA1 concentration and n-3 PUFA interactions with SCD polymorphisms were associated with reduced fasting cholesterol levels and waist-to-hip ratio. SLC2A4 polymorphisms were associated with hip circumference, high-density lipoprotein and ApoA1 concentrations. SREBF1 polymorphisms were associated with low-density lipoprotein and HOMA-IR and n-3 PUFA interactions were associated with reduced fasting insulin and HOMA-IR levels.

Conclusion

The results suggest that an individual's genotype may interact with dietary n-3 PUFAs in ways that are associated with protection from obesity-related diseases in Yup'ik people.

Background

Vitamin D deficiency is a well-documented public health issue with both genetic and environmental determinants. Populations living at far northern latitudes are vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency and its health sequelae, although consumption of traditional native dietary pattern rich in fish and marine mammals may buffer the effects of reduced sunlight exposure. To date, few studies have investigated the genetics of vitamin D metabolism in circumpolar populations or considered genediet interactions with fish and n-3 fatty acid intake.

Methods

We searched for genomic regions exhibiting linkage and association with circulating levels of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in 982 Yup'ik individuals from the Center for Alaska Native Health Research Study. We also investigated potential interactions between genetic variants and a biomarker of traditional dietary intake, the δ15N value.

Results

We identified several novel regions linked with circulating vitamin D and PTH as well as replicated a previous linkage finding on 2p16.2 for vitamin D. Bioinformatic analysis revealed multiple candidate genes for both PTH and vitamin D, including CUBN, MGAT3, and NFKBIA. Targeted association analysis identified NEBL as a candidate gene for vitamin D and FNDC3B for PTH. We observed significant associations between a variant in MXD1 and vitamin D only when an interaction with the δ15N value was included. Finally, we integrated pathway level information to illustrate the biological validity of the proposed candidate genes.

Conclusion

We provide evidence of linkage between several biologically plausible genomic regions and vitamin D metabolism in a circumpolar population. Additionally, these findings suggest that a traditional dietary pattern may modulate genetic effects on circulating vitamin D.

Background

The lipoprotein insulin resistance (LPIR) score was shown to predict insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in healthy adults. However, the molecular basis underlying the LPIR utility for classification remains unclear.

Objective

To identify small molecule lipids associated with variation in the LPIR score, a weighted index of lipoproteins measured by nuclear magnetic resonance, in the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN) study (n = 980).

Methods

Linear mixed effects models were used to test the association between the LPIR score and 413 lipid species and their principal component analysis-derived groups. Significant associations were tested for replication with homeostatic model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR), a phenotype correlated with the LPIR score (r = 0.48, p <  0.001), in the Heredity and Phenotype Intervention (HAPI) Heart Study (n = 590).

Results

In GOLDN, 319 lipids were associated with the LPIR score (false discovery rate-adjusted p-values ranging from 4.59 × 10^- 161 to 49.50 × 10^- 3). Factors 1 (triglycerides and diglycerides/storage lipids) and 3 (mixed lipids) were positively (β = 0.025, p = 4.52 × 10^- 71 and β = 0.021, p = 5.84 × 10^- 41, respectively) and factor 2 (phospholipids/non-storage lipids) was inversely (β = - 0.013, p = 2.28 × 10^- 18) associated with the LPIR score. These findings were replicated for HOMA-IR in the HAPI Heart Study (β = 0.10, p = 1.21 × 10^- 02 for storage, β = - 0.13, p = 3.14 × 10^- 04 for non-storage, and β = 0.19, p = 8.40 × 10^- 07 for mixed lipids).

Conclusions

Non-storage lipidomics species show a significant inverse association with the LPIR metabolic dysfunction score and present a promising focus for future therapeutic and prevention studies.

Objective

To identify novel genetic markers of obesity-related traits and to identify gene-diet interactions with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) intake in Yup'ik people.

Material and methods

We measured body composition, plasma adipokines and ghrelin in 982 participants enrolled in the Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR) Study. We conducted a genome-wide SNP linkage scan and targeted association analysis, fitting additional models to investigate putative gene-diet interactions. Finally, we performed bioinformatic analysis to uncover likely candidate genes within the identified linkage peaks.

Results

We observed evidence of linkage for all obesity-related traits, replicating previous results and identifying novel regions of interest for adiponectin (10q26.13-2) and thigh circumference (8q21.11-13). Bioinformatic analysis revealed DOCK1, PTPRE (10q26.13-2) and FABP4 (8q21.11-13) as putative candidate genes in the newly identified regions. Targeted SNP analysis under the linkage peaks identified associations between three SNPs and obesity-related traits: rs1007750 on chromosome 8 and thigh circumference (P=0.0005), rs878953 on chromosome 5 and thigh skinfold (P=0.0004), and rs1596854 on chromosome 11 for waist circumference (P=0.0003). Finally, we showed that n-3 PUFA modified the association between obesity related traits and two additional variants (rs2048417 on chromosome 3 for adiponectin, P for interaction=0.0006 and rs730414 on chromosome 11 for percentage body fat, P for interaction=0.0004).

Conclusions

This study presents evidence of novel genomic regions and gene-diet interactions that may contribute to the pathophysiology of obesity-related traits among Yup'ik people.

Objectives

To identify genomic regions associated with fasting plasma lipid profiles, insulin, glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin in a Yup'ik study population, and to evaluate whether the observed associations between genetic factors and metabolic traits were modified by dietary intake of marine derived omega-3 polyunsaturated acids (n-3 PUFA).

Methods

A genome-wide linkage scan was conducted among 982 participants of the Center for Alaska Native Health Research study. n-3 PUFA intake was estimated using the nitrogen stable isotope ratio (δ(15) N) of erythrocytes. All genotyped SNPs located within genomic regions with LOD scores > 2 were subsequently tested for individual SNP associations with metabolic traits using linear models that account for familial correlation as well as age, sex, community group, and n-3 PUFA intake. Separate linear models were fit to evaluate interactions between the genotype of interest and n-3 PUFA intake.

Results

We identified several chromosomal regions linked to serum apolipoprotein A2, high density lipoprotein-, low density lipoprotein-, and total cholesterol, insulin, and glycosylated hemoglobin. Genetic variants found to be associated with total cholesterol mapped to a region containing previously validated lipid loci on chromosome 19, and additional novel peaks of biological interest were identified at 11q12.2-11q13.2. We did not observe any significant interactions between n-3 PUFA intake, genotypes, and metabolic traits.

Conclusions

We have completed a whole genome linkage scan for metabolic traits in Native Alaskans, confirming previously identified loci, and offering preliminary evidence of novel loci implicated in chronic disease pathogenesis in this population.

Variants of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A), a key hepatic lipid oxidation enzyme, may influence how fatty acid oxidation contributes to obesity and metabolic outcomes. CPT1A is regulated by diet, suggesting interactions between gene variants and diet may influence outcomes. The objective of this study was to test the association of CPT1A variants with body composition and lipids, mediated by consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Obesity phenotypes and fasting lipids were measured in a cross-sectional sample of Yup'ik Eskimo individuals (n = 1141) from the Center of Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR) study. Twenty-eight tagging CPT1A SNPs were evaluated with outcomes of interest in regression models accounting for family structure. Several CPT1A polymorphisms were associated with HDL-cholesterol and obesity phenotypes. The P479L (rs80356779) variant was associated with all obesity-related traits and fasting HDL-cholesterol. Interestingly, the association of P479L with HDL-cholesterol was still significant after correcting for body mass index (BMI), percentage body fat (PBF), or waist circumference (WC). Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the L479 allele of the CPT1A P479L variant confers a selective advantage that is both cardioprotective (through increased HDL-cholesterol) and associated with reduced adiposity.

Introduction

Cachexia contributes to increased mortality and reduced quality of life in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and may be associated with underlying gene expression changes. Our goal was to identify differential gene expression signatures associated with COPD cachexia in current and former smokers.

Methods

We analyzed whole-blood gene expression data from participants with COPD in a discovery cohort (COPDGene, N = 400) and assessed replication (ECLIPSE, N = 114). To approximate the consensus definition using available criteria, cachexia was defined as weight-loss > 5% in the past 12 months or low body mass index (BMI) (< 20 kg/m²) and 1/3 criteria: decreased muscle strength (six-minute walk distance < 350 m), anemia (hemoglobin < 12 g/dl), and low fat-free mass index (FFMI) (< 15 kg/m² among women and < 17 kg/m² among men) in COPDGene. In ECLIPSE, cachexia was defined as weight-loss > 5% in the past 12 months or low BMI and 3/5 criteria: decreased muscle strength, anorexia, abnormal biochemistry (anemia or high c-reactive protein (> 5 mg/l)), fatigue, and low FFMI. Differential gene expression was assessed between cachectic and non-cachectic subjects, adjusting for age, sex, white blood cell counts, and technical covariates. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed using MSigDB.

Results

The prevalence of COPD cachexia was 13.7% in COPDGene and 7.9% in ECLIPSE. Fourteen genes were differentially downregulated in cachectic versus non-cachectic COPD patients in COPDGene (FDR < 0.05) and ECLIPSE (FDR < 0.05).

Discussion

Several replicated genes regulating heme metabolism were downregulated among participants with COPD cachexia. Impaired heme biosynthesis may contribute to cachexia development through free-iron buildup and oxidative tissue damage.

A recent large-scale meta-analysis of genome-wide studies has identified 95 loci, 59 of them novel, as statistically significant predictors of blood lipid traits; we tested whether the same loci explain the observed heterogeneity in response to lipid-lowering therapy with fenofibrate. Using data from the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN, n = 861) we fit linear mixed models with the genetic markers as predictors and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations as outcomes. For all four traits, we analyzed both baseline levels and changes in response to treatment with fenofibrate. For the markers that were significantly associated with fenofibrate response, we fit additional models evaluating potential epistatic interactions. All models were adjusted for age, sex, and study center as fixed effects, and pedigree as a random effect. Statistically significant associations were observed between the rs964184 polymorphism near APOA1 (P-value≤0.0001) and fenofibrate response for HDL and triglycerides. The association was replicated in the Pharmacogenetics of Hypertriglyceridemia in Hispanics study (HyperTG, n = 267). Suggestive associations with fenofibrate response were observed for markers in or near PDE3A, MOSC1, FLJ36070, CETP, the APOE-APOC1-APOC4-APOC2, and CILP2. Finally, we present strong evidence for epistasis (P-value for interaction =  0.0006 in GOLDN, 0.05 in HyperTG) between rs10401969 near CILP2 and rs4420638 in the APOE-APOC1-APOC4-APOC2 cluster with total cholesterol response to fenofibrate. In conclusion, we present evidence linking several novel and biologically relevant genetic polymorphisms to lipid lowering drug response, as well as suggesting novel gene-gene interactions in fenofibrate pharmacogenetics.