Seventy-five genetic loci influencing the human red blood cell.
Nature 2012 ; 492: 369-75.
van der Harst P, Zhang W, Mateo Leach I, Rendon A, Verweij N, Sehmi J, Paul DS, Elling U, Allayee H, Li X, Radhakrishnan A, Tan ST, Voss K, Weichenberger CX, Albers CA, Al-Hussani A, Asselbergs FW, Ciullo M, Danjou F, Dina C, Esko T, Evans DM, Franke L, Gögele M, Hartiala J, Hersch M, Holm H, Hottenga JJ, Kanoni S, Kleber ME, Lagou V, Langenberg C, Lopez LM, Lyytikäinen LP, Melander O, Murgia F, Nolte IM, O'Reilly PF, Padmanabhan S, Parsa A, Pirastu N, Porcu E, Portas L, Prokopenko I, Ried JS, Shin SY, Tang CS, Teumer A, Traglia M, Ulivi S, Westra HJ, Yang J, Zhao JH, Anni F, Abdellaoui A, Attwood A, Balkau B, Bandinelli S, Bastardot F, Benyamin B, Boehm BO, Cookson WO, Das D, de Bakker PI, de Boer RA, de Geus EJ, de Moor MH, Dimitriou M, Domingues FS, Döring A, Engström G, Eyjolfsson GI, Ferrucci L, Fischer K, Galanello R, Garner SF, Genser B, Gibson QD, Girotto G, Gudbjartsson DF, Harris SE, Hartikainen AL, Hastie CE, Hedblad B, Illig T, Jolley J, Kähönen M, Kema IP, Kemp JP, Liang L, Lloyd-Jones H, Loos RJ, Meacham S, Medland SE, Meisinger C, Memari Y, Mihailov E, Miller K, Moffatt MF, Nauck M, Novatchkova M, Nutile T, Olafsson I, Onundarson PT, Parracciani D, Penninx BW, Perseu L, Piga A, Pistis G, Pouta A, Puc U, Raitakari O, Ring SM, Robino A, Ruggiero D, Ruokonen A, Saint-Pierre A, Sala C, Salumets A, Sambrook J, Schepers H, Schmidt CO, Silljé HH, Sladek R, Smit JH, Starr JM, Stephens J, Sulem P, Tanaka T, Thorsteinsdottir U, Tragante V, van Gilst WH, van Pelt LJ, van Veldhuisen DJ, Völker U, Whitfield JB, Willemsen G, Winkelmann BR, Wirnsberger G, Algra A, Cucca F, d'Adamo AP, Danesh J, Deary IJ, Dominiczak AF, Elliott P, Fortina P, Froguel P, Gasparini P, Greinacher A, Hazen SL, Järvelin MR, Khaw KT, Lehtimäki T, Maerz W, Martin NG, Metspalu A, Mitchell BD, Montgomery GW, Moore C, Navis G, Pirastu M, Pramstaller PP, Ramirez-Solis R, Schadt E, Scott J, Shuldiner AR, Smith GD, Smith JG, Snieder H, Sorice R, Spector TD, Stefansson K, Stumvoll M, Tang WH, Toniolo D, Tönjes A, Visscher PM, Vollenweider P, Wareham NJ, Wolffenbuttel BH, Boomsma DI, Beckmann JS, Dedoussis GV, Deloukas P, Ferreira MA, Sanna S, Uda M, Hicks AA, Penninger JM, Gieger C, Kooner JS, Ouwehand WH, Soranzo N, Chambers JC
DOI : 10.1038/nature11677
PubMed ID : 23222517
PMCID : PMC3623669
Abstract
Anaemia is a chief determinant of global ill health, contributing to cognitive impairment, growth retardation and impaired physical capacity. To understand further the genetic factors influencing red blood cells, we carried out a genome-wide association study of haemoglobin concentration and related parameters in up to 135,367 individuals. Here we identify 75 independent genetic loci associated with one or more red blood cell phenotypes at P < 10(-8), which together explain 4-9% of the phenotypic variance per trait. Using expression quantitative trait loci and bioinformatic strategies, we identify 121 candidate genes enriched in functions relevant to red blood cell biology. The candidate genes are expressed preferentially in red blood cell precursors, and 43 have haematopoietic phenotypes in Mus musculus or Drosophila melanogaster. Through open-chromatin and coding-variant analyses we identify potential causal genetic variants at 41 loci. Our findings provide extensive new insights into genetic mechanisms and biological pathways controlling red blood cell formation and function.