Integrated GWAS and Gene Expression Suggest ORM1 as a Potential Regulator of Plasma Levels of Cell-Free DNA and Thrombosis Risk

Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a surrogate marker of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that contribute to immunothrombosis. There is growing interest about the mechanisms underlying NET formation and elevated cfDNA, but little is known about the factors involved.We aimed to identify genes invol...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: López, Sonia|||0000-0002-5023-5153, Martinez-Perez, Angel|||0000-0002-5934-1454, Rodriguez-Rius, Alba, Viñuela, Ana|||0000-0003-3771-8537, Brown, Andrew A., Martin-Fernandez, Laura|||0000-0002-8909-508X, Vilalta, Noelia|||0000-0002-3961-3563, Arús, Marc, Panousis, Nikolaos I., Buil, Alfonso|||0000-0002-3097-1014, Sabater-Lleal, Maria|||0000-0002-0128-379X, Souto, Juan Carlos|||0000-0003-2092-5142, Dermitzakis, Emmanouil T.|||0000-0002-9302-6490, Soria Fernández, José Manuel|||0000-0002-6226-4293
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:283195
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/283195
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1055/s-0041-1742169
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Immunothrombosis
Neutrophil extracellular traps
α-1-acid glycoprotein 1
Expression quantitative trait loci
Descripción
Sumario:Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a surrogate marker of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that contribute to immunothrombosis. There is growing interest about the mechanisms underlying NET formation and elevated cfDNA, but little is known about the factors involved.We aimed to identify genes involved in the regulation of cfDNA levels using data from the Genetic Analysis of Idiopathic Thrombophilia (GAIT-2) Project. Imputed genotypes, whole blood RNA-Seq data, and plasma cfDNA quantification were available for 935 of the GAIT-2 participants from 35 families with idiopathic thrombophilia. We performed heritability and GWAS analysis for cfDNA. The heritability of cfDNA was 0.26 (p 3.7106), while the GWAS identified a significant association (rs1687391, p 3.551010) near the ORM1 gene, on chromosome 9. An eQTL (expression quantitative trait loci) analysis revealed a significant association between the lead GWAS variant and the expression of ORM1 in whole blood (p 6.14109). Additionally, ORM1 expression correlated with levels of cfDNA (p 4.38104). Finally, genetic correlation analysis between cfDNA and thrombosis identified a suggestive association (?g 0.43, p 0.089). All in all, we show evidence of the role of ORM1 in regulating cfDNA levels in plasma, which might contribute to the susceptibility to thrombosis through mechanisms of immunothrombosis.