Sleep time and sleep-related symptoms across two generations – results of the community-based RHINE and RHINESSA studies

Study objectivesTo analyze the association between sleep-related symptoms and sleep length in parents and their children in relation to other risk factors in both generations.MethodThe participants were parents (n = 5,855, age 54.3 ± 6.5 years, 45.2% men) who participated in the community-based Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study and one random member of their adult offspring (n = 5,855, age 30.2 ± 7.7 years, 41.5% men) who participated in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) study. Both generations responded to identical questionnaires on sleep symptoms, including difficulty initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS), early morning awakening (EMA), snoring, nocturnal sweating, nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux (nGER), sleep time and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Insomnia was defined as either, or both, DIS and DMS in combination with EDS.ResultsAll sleep variables except nocturnal sweating were more common in offspring whose parents had reported the same symptom. After adjusting for age, gender, BMI, smoking, physical activity, education, center and parents' total number of children, there were independent associations between sleep symptoms in parents and offspring for DIS (adj. OR, 95% CI: 1.52, 1.20–1.93), DMS (1.34, 1.15–1.56), snoring (1.45, 1.15,1.83), nGER (1.65, 1.15–2.37), insomnia (1.39, 1.13–1.73), short sleep time (<6 h/night) (2.51, 1.72–3.68) and EDS (1.48, 1.26,1.72). There were no independent relationships between symptoms in parents and offspring for EMA, nocturnal sweating or long sleep time (>9 h/night).ConclusionThe familiar aggregation of many sleep disturbances was not explained by investigated lifestyle and environmental factors. This supports a heritable factor in sleep problems.     

血压家庭相似性研究

本文报道了北京市房山区１１４７人血压家庭相似性研究结果。亲子代回归法得出的血压遗传度估计值为０．４２（收缩压）和０．４８（舒张压），全同胞相关法得出的血压遗传度估计值为０．３７（收缩压）和０．５３（舒张压）。两种方法得出的遗传度估计值相差不大，这一结果提示血压的遗传符合加性多基因模型。本文报道的血压遗传度没有区分遗传效应和共同生活环境效应。此外，本文强调了将血压作为数量性状采用数量遗传学方法进行遗传度估计的合理性和有效性。     

原发全身性癫痫遗传流行病学研究

本文报道１００例原发全身性癫痫家系的遗传流行病学研究结果。先证者一级亲属患病率为６．８６％，二级亲属为１．０３％；分别是对照组一级亲属的１３．８３倍和２．０８倍。原发全身性癫痫的遗传度为：一级亲属０．７５２１±０．０６７８，二级亲属０．３５９２±０．０７４６；加权平均０．５７４３±０．０５０２。说明遗传因素起重要作用。发病年龄影响因素分析表明：原发全身性癫痫有一定年龄依从性。ＥＥＧ家系分析显示，该型癫痫一级亲属癫痫样放电明显高于对照组一级亲属，提示癫痫样放电的遗传倾向。     

Neurophysiological and psychological predictors of genetic risk for schizophrenia

Mathematical genetic analyses were performed on a sample of schizophrenic families (25 probands and 58 first-degree relatives). Heritability coefficients were estimated for EEG power spectrum parameters and their topography, and also for psychological test data on thought and speech process disorder, designed to assess altered selectivity in cognitive activity. Multiple regression equations for genetic counseling regarding the prognosis of mental illness were derived from the neurophysiological and psychological measures.     

Large,Consistent Estimates of the Heritability of Cognitive Ability in Two Entire Populations of 11-Year-Old Twins from Scottish Mental Surveys of 1932 and 1947

Twin studies provide estimates of genetic and environmental contributions to cognitive ability differences, but could be based on biased samples. Here we report whole-population estimates using twins from unique mental surveys in Scotland. The Scottish Mental Surveys of 1st June 1932 (SMS1932) and 4th June 1947 (SMS1947), respectively, administered the same validated verbal reasoning test to almost everyone born in 1921 or 1936 and attending school in Scotland. There were 572 twin pairs from the SMS1932, and 517 pairs from the SMS1947. Information on zygosity was unavailable. A novel application of a mixture distribution was used to estimate genetic and environmental components of verbal reasoning variation by maximum likelihood. We found consistent heritability (~0.70) and shared environment (~0.21) estimates. The estimates did not change substantially when additional quantitative traits (height and weight) were added in a multivariate analysis. More generally for studies in genetics, the methodological innovation developed here implies that large (national) data collections can provide sufficient information on twin pairs to estimate genetic parameters, even without zygosity.     

The Heritability of Depression Symptoms in Elderly Danish Twins: Occasion-Specific Versus General Effects

Depression symptomatology was assessed up to four times at 2-year intervals on a sample of 2100 Danish twins initially aged 70 years and older. Data were analyzed using the biometric growth model approach proposed by Neale and McArdle (2000). Results show that occasion-specific depression is moderately and equally heritable in men and women (occasion-specific estimates of heritability ranged from 22% to 37%). Estimates of phenotypic variance, genetic variance, and heritability did not vary systematically across waves. In the best-fitting growth model, depression symptomatology was accounted for by two factors: (1) a level (i.e., average) effect that was highly heritable (estimate of 69% in women and 64% in men) and reflected overall vulnerability, and (2) a residual effect that was nonheritable and reflected occasion-specific circumstances that could either exacerbate or moderate inherited vulnerability. Attempts to identify specific genetic contributions to depression might profitably focus on average levels across multiple assessments, while attempts to identify specific environmental effects might profitably focus on deviations about this average.     

基于大家系设计的静息心率与常见慢性病双表型遗传度估计

目的 基于福建省南靖县土楼地区大家系,探索静息心率和常见慢性病(高血压、糖尿病、血脂异常)的单表型遗传度和双表型遗传度。方法 研究对象来源于2015年8月至2017年12月福建省漳州市南靖县土楼地区塔下村、曲江村、南欧村募集的张姓居民及其亲属,以及草坂村、图美村、背岭村募集的陈姓居民及其亲属。研究共纳入了来自452个大家系的1 563名研究对象。家系关系确定依据为家系信息登记及家谱。采用方差组分模型估计连续性变量的单表型、双表型遗传度,采用易患性-阈值模型估计二分类变量的单表型、双表型遗传度。结果 家系重建纳入了1个七代家系,2个五代家系,23个四代家系,186个三代家系和240个二代家系。研究对象的平均年龄为57.2岁,男性占39.4%。研究对象的高血压、糖尿病、血脂异常患病率分别为49.2%、10.0%、45.2%。单表型遗传度估计显示,静息心率遗传度为0.263(95%CI: 0.120~0.407),高血压遗传度为0.404(95%CI: 0.135~0.673), 血脂异常遗传度为0.799(95%CI: 0.590~1)。收缩压、舒张压、血糖、总胆固醇、甘油三酯、高密度脂蛋白、低密度脂蛋白的遗传度分别为0.379、0.306、0.393、0.452、0.568、0.852、0.387。双表型遗传度分析显示,静息心率与高血压、糖尿病、舒张压、血糖、甘油三酯存在表型相关性。双表型遗传度显示,静息心率与血糖(遗传相关性0.485,95%CI: 0.120~1,P<0.05)和糖尿病(遗传相关性0.795,95%CI: 0.181~0.788,P<0.05)具有较强的遗传相关性。结论 静息心率是一个可遗传性状,其与常见慢性病及其相关指标存在相关性。静息心率与糖尿病和血糖值具有较强的遗传相关性,提示静息心率与糖尿病和血糖之间可能存在共同的遗传基础。     

双生子骨龄遗传度的性别差异分析

[目的 ]探讨双生子骨龄遗传度的性别差异。 [方法 ] 2 0 0 2～ 2 0 0 3年在青岛市进行双生子募集工作 ,经知情同意 ,调查 190对双生子。应用微卫星DNA基因扫描和分型技术 ,进行卵型鉴定 ,通过拍摄手腕骨X片 ,按照《中国人手腕骨发育标准CHN法》评价骨龄 ,采用经典的Holzinger公式估算遗传度。[结果 ]骨龄遗传度男性双生子为 0 813 ,女性双生子为 0 682 ;幼年期男性双生子 0 83 6,明显高于同期女性双生子 ( 0 3 2 2 ) ;童年期男、女性双生子分别为 0 65 8、0 760 ;青春期达到最高 ,男、女性双生子分别为 0 941、0 817。 [结论 ]遗传因素对男性骨发育的影响高于女性。遗传因素对男、女性骨发育的影响随年龄的增长而逐步体现 ,青春期达到最高 ,青春期神经内分泌变化在该过程发挥重要作用。     

Using GWAS to identify genetic predisposition in hepatic autoimmunity

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) represent the three major hepatic autoimmune conditions. Patient morbidity and mortality remain high across these three diseases, and an unmet need for rational therapy exists. Disease understanding has focused on combining clinical and laboratory based science to provide better insights into the joint host and environmental factors necessary for the initiation, and perpetuation, of hepato-biliary inflammation. Twin studies, family studies, population studies and an inter-relationship with other autoimmune phenomena suggest a genetic component to risk for each disease. Until recently, understanding of this genetic risk has been limited to HLA haplotypes. Associations with risk-conferring and protective HLA haplotypes are present in all three diseases. Over the last few years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and related genetic association studies, have greatly increased understanding of the genetic risk signature of these three diseases and autoimmunity in general. Here we consider the rationale for GWAS in general and with specific reference to hepatic autoimmunity. We consider the process of GWAS, and highlight major findings to date. Potential functional implications of key findings are discussed including the IL-12/STAT4 pathway in PBC and the CD28/IL-2 pathway in PSC. We describe the marked pleiotropy demonstrated by PBC and PSC, which is consistent with other autoimmune diseases. Further, we focus on specific gene associations including SH2B3, which is common to all three diseases, and FUT2 in PSC, which represents a link between environment and genetics. We review attempts to translate GWAS findings into basic laboratory models including in vivo systems and highlight where clinical observations relate to genetics. Finally we describe deficiencies in GWAS to date and consider future study of genetics in hepatic autoimmunity.