Six novel susceptibility Loci for early-onset androgenetic alopecia and their unexpected association with common diseases.

PLoS Genet. 2012 May;8(5):e1002746. Epub 2012 May 31.
Six novel susceptibility Loci for early-onset androgenetic alopecia and their unexpected association with common diseases.
Li R, Brockschmidt FF, Kiefer AK, Stefansson H, Nyholt DR, Song K, Vermeulen SH, Kanoni S, Glass D, Medland SE, Dimitriou M, Waterworth D, Tung JY, Geller F, Heilmann S, Hillmer AM, Bataille V, Eigelshoven S, Hanneken S, Moebus S, Herold C, den Heijer M, Montgomery GW, Deloukas P, Eriksson N, Heath AC, Becker T, Sulem P, Mangino M, Vollenweider P, Spector TD, Dedoussis G, Martin NG, Kiemeney LA, Mooser V, Stefansson K, Hinds DA, Nöthen MM, Richards JB.

Departments of Medicine, Human Genetics, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a highly heritable condition and the most common form of hair loss in humans. Susceptibility loci have been described on the X chromosome and chromosome 20, but these loci explain a minority of its heritable variance. We conducted a large-scale meta-analysis of seven genome-wide association studies for early-onset AGA in 12,806 individuals of European ancestry. While replicating the two AGA loci on the X chromosome and chromosome 20, six novel susceptibility loci reached genome-wide significance (p = 2.62×10(-9)-1.01×10(-12)). Unexpectedly, we identified a risk allele at 17q21.31 that was recently associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) at a genome-wide significant level. We then tested the association between early-onset AGA and the risk of PD in a cross-sectional analysis of 568 PD cases and 7,664 controls. Early-onset AGA cases had significantly increased odds of subsequent PD (OR = 1.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.55, p = 8.9×10(-3)). Further, the AGA susceptibility alleles at the 17q21.31 locus are on the H1 haplotype, which is under negative selection in Europeans and has been linked to decreased fertility. Combining the risk alleles of six novel and two established susceptibility loci, we created a genotype risk score and tested its association with AGA in an additional sample. Individuals in the highest risk quartile of a genotype score had an approximately six-fold increased risk of early-onset AGA [odds ratio (OR) = 5.78, p = 1.4×10(-88)]. Our results highlight unexpected associations between early-onset AGA, Parkinson's disease, and decreased fertility, providing important insights into the pathophysiology of these conditions.

Translated into "English," this genetic susceptibility is likely akin to an iodine shortage and/or an iron-overload problem.

Symptomology in these conditions all seem to stem from cross talk between certain genes that regulate inflammation / immunity and some form of foriegn invader, thanks for the study CS!

Systemic LPS causes chronic neuroinflammation and progressive neurodegeneration.
Qin L, Wu X, Block ML, Liu Y, Breese GR, Hong JS, Knapp DJ, Crews FT.
Source

Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Abstract

Inflammation is implicated in the progressive nature of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. A single systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 mg/kg, i.p.) or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha, 0.25 mg/kg, i.p.) injection was administered in adult wild-type mice and in mice lacking TNFalpha receptors (TNF R1/R2(-/-)) to discern the mechanisms of inflammation transfer from the periphery to the brain and the neurodegenerative consequences. Systemic LPS administration resulted in rapid brain TNFalpha increase that remained elevated for 10 months, while peripheral TNFalpha (serum and liver) had subsided by 9 h (serum) and 1 week (liver). Systemic TNFalpha and LPS administration activated microglia and increased expression of brain pro-inflammatory factors (i.e., TNFalpha, MCP-1, IL-1beta, and NF-kappaB p65) in wild-type mice, but not in TNF R1/R2(-/-) mice. Further, LPS reduced the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) by 23% at 7-months post-treatment, which progressed to 47% at 10 months. Together, these data demonstrate that through TNFalpha, peripheral inflammation in adult animals can: (1) activate brain microglia to produce chronically elevated pro-inflammatory factors; (2) induce delayed and progressive loss of DA neurons in the SN. These findings provide valuable insight into the potential pathogenesis and self-propelling nature of Parkinson's disease.

Also might highlight the role of heavy metals, given that these sometimes play a role in the pathology of PD. But wouldn't ya know it...those heavy metals provide the proper ionic "bedroom closet" for those pathogens to hide, like R Kelly.

CausticSymmetry wrote:PLoS Genet. 2012 May;8(5):e1002746. Epub 2012 May 31.
Six novel susceptibility Loci for early-onset androgenetic alopecia and their unexpected association with common diseases.
Li R, Brockschmidt FF, Kiefer AK, Stefansson H, Nyholt DR, Song K, Vermeulen SH, Kanoni S, Glass D, Medland SE, Dimitriou M, Waterworth D, Tung JY, Geller F, Heilmann S, Hillmer AM, Bataille V, Eigelshoven S, Hanneken S, Moebus S, Herold C, den Heijer M, Montgomery GW, Deloukas P, Eriksson N, Heath AC, Becker T, Sulem P, Mangino M, Vollenweider P, Spector TD, Dedoussis G, Martin NG, Kiemeney LA, Mooser V, Stefansson K, Hinds DA, Nöthen MM, Richards JB.

Departments of Medicine, Human Genetics, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a highly heritable condition and the most common form of hair loss in humans. Susceptibility loci have been described on the X chromosome and chromosome 20, but these loci explain a minority of its heritable variance. We conducted a large-scale meta-analysis of seven genome-wide association studies for early-onset AGA in 12,806 individuals of European ancestry. While replicating the two AGA loci on the X chromosome and chromosome 20, six novel susceptibility loci reached genome-wide significance (p = 2.62×10(-9)-1.01×10(-12)). Unexpectedly, we identified a risk allele at 17q21.31 that was recently associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) at a genome-wide significant level. We then tested the association between early-onset AGA and the risk of PD in a cross-sectional analysis of 568 PD cases and 7,664 controls. Early-onset AGA cases had significantly increased odds of subsequent PD (OR = 1.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.55, p = 8.9×10(-3)). Further, the AGA susceptibility alleles at the 17q21.31 locus are on the H1 haplotype, which is under negative selection in Europeans and has been linked to decreased fertility. Combining the risk alleles of six novel and two established susceptibility loci, we created a genotype risk score and tested its association with AGA in an additional sample. Individuals in the highest risk quartile of a genotype score had an approximately six-fold increased risk of early-onset AGA [odds ratio (OR) = 5.78, p = 1.4×10(-88)]. Our results highlight unexpected associations between early-onset AGA, Parkinson's disease, and decreased fertility, providing important insights into the pathophysiology of these conditions.

Translated into "English," this genetic susceptibility is likely akin to an iodine shortage and/or an iron-overload problem.

Great work CS, truly great stuff.

MPB is Bull.

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Symptomology in these conditions all seem to stem from cross talk between certain genes that regulate inflammation / immunity and some form of foriegn invader, thanks for the study CS!

[quote]

Way to go studly!

Wouldn't you know it - inflammation & immunity - duh!