MHC-Linked Complement Components

Research into the effects of host genetics on HIV disease susceptibility and progression, and on the efficacy and toxicity of drug treatment, occupies a particular position in the landscape of HIV research...

Although genome-wide association studies have identified a number of susceptibility loci for adult glioma, little is still known regarding whether polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region contribute risk. HLA associations have previously been reported for a number of malignancies, with selected HLA polymorphisms investigated in a subset of glioma studies. However, no systematic analysis has been conducted to date, and no investigation into potential non-additive effects of such associations has been described. In this study, we conducted comprehensive genetic analyses of HLA variants in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region among 1,746 adult glioma patients and 2,312 controls from the GliomaScan Consortium. Genotype data were generated with the Illumina 660-Quad array, containing 1,822 SNP probes across the MHC region. We imputed HLA alleles using a reference panel of 5,225 individuals in the Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium who underwent high-resolution HLA typing via next-generation sequencing. Subjects were of European-ancestry, and case-control comparisons were adjusted for population stratification using ancestry-informative principal components. Because alleles in different loci across the MHC region are linked, we created multi-locus haplotypes consisting of genes DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1. Although none of the haplotypes were associated with glioma in additive models, DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 showed an improvement in model fit after the inclusion of a non-additive term, which was significant after Bonferroni correction (P = 2.5x10-3). Furthermore, the interaction of DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 with haplotype DRB1*04:01-DQA1*03:01- DQB1*03:01 resulted in a 3.80-fold increase in the odds of glioma (P = 8.8x10-3). Our results indicate that the DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 haplotype contributes to the risk of glioma via a dominant effect, with heterozygosity conferring greater risk of glioma than expected from homozygote disease risk in an additive model. Citation Format: Chenan Zhang, Kyle Walsh. Non-additive and interaction effects of HLA class 2 polymorphism contributing to risk of glioma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1320. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1320

Family and Linkage Study of Selective IgA Deficiency and Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Introduction: Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that impairs normal breathing. The etiology of asthma is complex and involves multiple factors, including the environment and genetics, especially the distinct genetic architecture associated with ancestry. Compared to early-onset asthma, little is known about genetic predisposition to late-onset asthma. We investigated the race/ethnicity-specific relationship among genetic variants within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region and late-onset asthma in a North Carolina-based multiracial cohort of adults. Methods: We stratified all analyses by self-reported race (i.e., White and Black) and adjusted all regression models for age, sex, and ancestry. We conducted association tests within the MHC region and performed fine-mapping analyses conditioned on the race/ethnicity-specific lead variant using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data. We applied computational methods to infer human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and residues at amino acid positions. We replicated findings in the UK Biobank. Results: The lead signals, rs9265901 on the 5' end of HLA-B, rs55888430 on HLA-DOB, and rs117953947 on HCG17, were significantly associated with late-onset asthma in all, White, and Black participants, respectively (OR = 1.73, 95%CI: 1.31 to 2.14, p = 3.62 × 10-5; OR = 3.05, 95%CI: 1.86 to 4.98, p = 8.85 × 10-6; OR = 19.5, 95%CI: 4.37 to 87.2, p = 9.97 × 10-5, respectively). For the HLA analysis, HLA-B*40:02 and HLA-DRB1*04:05, HLA-B*40:02, HLA-C*04:01, and HLA-DRB1*04:05, and HLA-DRB1*03:01 and HLA-DQB1 were significantly associated with late-onset asthma in all, White, and Black participants. Conclusion: Multiple genetic variants within the MHC region were significantly associated with late-onset asthma, and the associations were significantly different by race/ethnicity group.

ObjectiveThe strong genetic contribution of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been generally attributed to human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1. However, due to the high polymorphisms...

Homozygosity indicators in canine MHC region of the Standard Poodle and Leonberger populations

Association of tumor necrosis factor alpha gene -G308A polymorphism with schizophrenia

A genome-wide association study of HCV-induced liver cirrhosis in the Japanese population identifies novel susceptibility loci at the MHC region

ObjectivesSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic multisystem genetically complex autoimmune disease characterised by the production of autoantibodies to nuclear and cellular antigens, tissue inflammation and organ damage. Genome-wide association...

Complete sequence of the human and chicken MHC

Background and ObjectivesIntrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulin G (IgG) is a key feature of multiple sclerosis (MS) and a prognostic marker for the disease course. Although previous studies identified 2 genetic regions—the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region on chromosome 6 and the immunoglobulin heavy chain constant (IGHC) locus on chromosome 14—associated with intrathecal IgG synthesis in MS, the genetic underpinnings remain insufficiently understood.MethodsWe conducted a genome-wide association study on intrathecal IgG synthesis using the IgG index to identify individuals with (≥0.7) or without (<0.7) quantitative intrathecal synthesis. We used logistic regression models adjusting for sex, age, and population structure. We performed secondary analyses to examine associations between identified loci and the extent of intrathecal IgG synthesis and the presence and extent of intrathecal immunoglobulin A and M synthesis. We further conducted association analyses for imputed human leukocyte antigen alleles and analyzed whether a higher genetic burden for MS risk—quantified through polygenic risk scores—is associated with intrathecal IgG synthesis.ResultsIn the discovery cohort (n = 3,934), we identified a novel genome-wide significant association of the intronic variant rs844586 (p = 1.48 × 10−8) in the sterile alpha motif domain containing 5 (SAMD5) gene on chromosome 6, with intrathecal IgG synthesis. We could confirm this association in a replication cohort (n = 1,094) and demonstrated that it is independent of a previously described association signal at the MHC region. In a subset (n = 1,413), we further identified rs1407 as a potential causal variant (p = 3.80 × 10−11, posterior inclusion probability = 0.92) for the previously reported association signal at the IGHC locus with the extent of intrathecal IgG synthesis. In addition, we demonstrated that a higher genetic burden for MS susceptibility, both within and outside of the MHC region, is associated with a higher likelihood of and a more pronounced intrathecal IgG synthesis.DiscussionOur study revealed a previously unknown association between an intronic variant in SAMD5 with intrathecal IgG synthesis and identified a potential causal variant within the IGHC locus. It further provides evidence for possible effects of known MS risk variants on disease severity through their effect on the intrathecal humoral immune response, a prognostic marker for the disease course.

The role of genetic background in the development of Behçet's disease (BD) is best reflected by the strong association between HLA-B*51 and BD that has been demonstrated across various ethnic groups. The contributions made by other HLA or non-HLA genes to disease susceptibility have been suggested by the results of a number of gene association studies, although the true associations between the genes located within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region and BD have often been doubted due to the possibility of linkage disequilibrium of those genes with HLA-B*51. The presence of a true susceptibility gene in the vicinity of HLA-B*51 has also been extensively investigated because of the limited evidence that directly relates HLA-B*51 to the pathogenesis of BD. However, recent genome-wide association studies have confirmed that HLA-B*51 is primarily associated with BD and that there are multiple susceptibility loci other than HLA-B*51. In this review, we discuss BD-associated genes within the MHC region and their biological roles in the pathogenesis of BD.

ABSTRACTBackgroundDespite evidence for the role of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) in the genetic predisposition to Parkinson's disease (PD), the complex haplotype structure and highly polymorphic feature of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region has hampered a unified insight on the genetic risk of PD. In addition, a majority of the reports focused on Europeans, lacking evidence on other populations.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to elucidate the genetic features of the MHC region associated with PD risk in trans‐ethnic cohorts.MethodsWe conducted trans‐ethnic fine‐mapping of the MHC region for European populations (14,650 cases and 1,288,625 controls) and East Asian populations (7712 cases and 27,372 controls). We adopted a hybrid fine‐mapping approach including both HLA genotype imputation of genome‐wide association study (GWAS) data and direct imputation of HLA variant risk from the GWAS summary statistics.ResultsThrough trans‐ethnic MHC fine‐mapping, we identified the strongest associations at amino acid position 13 of HLA‐DRβ1 (P = 6.0 × 10−15), which explains the majority of the risk in HLA‐DRB1. In silico prediction revealed that HLA‐DRB1 alleles with histidine at amino acid position 13 (His13) had significantly weaker binding affinity to an α‐synuclein epitope than other alleles (P = 9.6 × 10−4). Stepwise conditional analysis suggested additional independent associations at Ala69 in HLA‐B (P = 1.0 × 10−7). A subanalysis in Europeans suggested additional independent associations at non‐HLA genes in the class III MHC region (EHMT2; P = 2.5 × 10−7).ConclusionsOur study highlights the shared and distinct genetic features of the MHC region in patients with PD across ethnicities. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society

OBJECTIVE The authors investigated the effects of recently identified genome-wide significant schizophrenia genetic risk variants on cognition and brain structure. METHOD A panel of six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was selected to represent genome-wide significant loci from three recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for schizophrenia and was tested for association with cognitive measures in 346 patients with schizophrenia and 2,342 healthy comparison subjects. Nominally significant results were evaluated for replication in an independent case-control sample. For SNPs showing evidence of association with cognition, associations with brain structural volumes were investigated in a large independent healthy comparison sample. RESULTS Five of the six SNPs showed no significant association with any cognitive measure. One marker in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region, rs6904071, showed independent, replicated evidence of association with delayed episodic memory and was significant when both samples were combined. In the combined sample of up to 3,100 individuals, this SNP was associated with widespread effects across cognitive domains, although these additional associations were no longer significant after adjusting for delayed episodic memory. In the large independent structural imaging sample, the same SNP was also associated with decreased hippocampal volume. CONCLUSIONS The authors identified a SNP in the MHC region that was associated with cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia and healthy comparison subjects. This SNP, rs6904071, showed a replicated association with episodic memory and hippocampal volume. These findings implicate the MHC region in hippocampal structure and functioning, consistent with the role of MHC proteins in synaptic development and function. Follow-up of these results has the potential to provide insights into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and cognition.

Backround: Leprosy is very prevalent in many populations around the world, which is well known that both alleles for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) as well as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the HLA region are common in leprosy patients. Previous studies have identified leprosy-associated susceptibility genes that explain only part of disease risk and heritability. In view of the complicated characteristics of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region, this study aimed to explore the development and variation of HLA in leprosy and its possible mechanism. Methods: Previous genome-wide association data were extracted from Han and minority populations in southern China for HLA fine-mapping studies. Insertion and deletion (INDEL), SNP, and copy number variation (CNV) imputation were determined by using the Thousand People Database (1KGP Phase 3 Dataset) as a reference panel. The HAN-MHC database was used to input the HLA classical alleles and amino acids in the MHC region, and further step-regression analysis was performed to analyze independent variation signals associated with leprosy. Results: The most significant locus rs75324027 (the same locus as rs602875 in the HLA-DR region) [p = 7.49E-09, OR= 0.62, 95%,CI: 0.52–0.73] in the intergene region between HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DRB1 was related with leprosy in M-S(Han leprosy patients in south China)disease. In M-SM (Leprosy patients of ethnic minorities in south China)disease, one of the most significant loci of the HLA-DQB1 gene was 6-32626438-A-T (p = 4.49E-08, OR = 0.36, 95%,CI: 0.25–0.52). Therefore, rs75324027 is a locus in M-S disease, and 6-32626438-a-T may be a new locus in M-SM disease. The interaction between 6 and 32626438-A-T and RS75324027 was analyzed, and A significant interaction relationship was found. In the optimal model, the accuracy of prediction was 0.5974, cross-validation Consistency:10, p = 0.0107. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study is the first to assess the association between HLA and leprosy susceptibility in Han and other minority populations in southern China using the Thousand Population database and the Han MHC database. In addition, our analysis validated the previously reported locus rs602875 in the HLA-DR region and for the first time identified an unreported independent locus in leprosy among ethnic minorities in southern China.