A genome-wide association study identifies candidate genes for sleep disturbances in depressed individuals.

Objective: This study aimed to identify candidate loci and genes related to sleep disturbances in depressed individuals and clarify the co-occurrence of sleep disturbances and depression from the genetic perspective.

Methods: The study subjects (including 58,256 self-reported depressed individuals and 6,576 participants with PHQ-9 score ≥ 10, respectively) were collected from the UK Biobank, which were determined based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and self-reported depression status, respectively. Sleep related traits included chronotype, insomnia, snoring and daytime dozing.

Identification of novel rare variants for anxiety: an exome-wide association study in the UK Biobank.

Background: Rare variants are believed to play a substantial role in the genetic architecture of mental disorders, particularly in coding regions. However, limited evidence supports the impact of rare variants on anxiety.

Methods: Using whole-exome sequencing data from 200,643 participants in the UK Biobank, we investigated the contribution of rare variants to anxiety.

Insight into the Causal Relationship between Gut Microbiota and Back Pain: A Two Sample Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study.

Observational studies have shown that alterations in gut microbiota composition are associated with low back pain. However, it remains unclear whether the association is causal. To reveal the causal association between gut microbiota and low back pain, a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis is performed.

A multidimensional social risk atlas of depression and anxiety: An observational and genome-wide environmental interaction study.

Background: Mental disorders are largely socially determined, yet the combined impact of multidimensional social factors on the two most common mental disorders, depression and anxiety, remains unclear.

Methods: We constructed a polysocial risk score (PsRS), a multidimensional social risk indicator including components from three domains: socioeconomic status, neighborhood and living environment and psychosocial factors. Supported by the UK Biobank cohort, we randomly divided 110 332 participants into the discovery cohort (60%; n = 66 200) and the replication cohort (40%; n = 44 134).

Causal relationship between gut microbiota and rheumatoid arthritis: a two-sample Mendelian randomisation study.

Objectives: To assess whether there is a bidirectional causal relationship between the composition of gut microbiota and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to identify specific pathogenic bacterial taxa via the Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis.

Methods: We acquired single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the composition of gut microbiota (n=18,340) and with RA (n=331,313) from publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The genome-wide threshold was 1 × 10-5 in the forward MR analysis and was 5 × 10-8 in the reverse MR analysis.

Evaluating the interaction between 3'aQTL and alcohol consumption/smoking on anxiety and depression: 3'aQTL-by-environment interaction study in UK Biobank cohort.

Background: Smoking and alcohol consumption were associated with the development of depression and anxiety. 3'UTR APA quantitative trait loci (3'aQTLs) have been associated with multiple health states and conditions. Our aim is to evaluate the interactive effects of 3'aQTLs-alcohol consumption/tobacco smoking on the risk of anxiety and depression.

A systematical association analysis of 25 common virus infection and genetic susceptibility of COVID-19 infection.

Objectives: Previous studies identified a number of diseases were associated with 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, the associations between these diseases related viral infections and COVID-19 remains unknown now.

Methods: In this study, we utilized single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to COVID-19 from genome-wide association study (GWAS) and individual-level genotype data from the UK biobank to calculate polygenic risk scores (PRS) of 487,409 subjects for eight COVID-19 clinical phenotypes.

Integrative Analysis of Proteome-wide Association Studies and Functional Enrichment Analysis to Identify Genes and Chemicals Associated with Alcohol Dependence.

Objectives: Alcohol dependence accounts for a large proportion of the global burden of disease and disability. This study aims to investigate the candidate genes and chemicals associated with alcohol dependence.

Methods: Using data from published alcohol dependence genome-wide association studies, we first conducted a proteome-wide association study of alcohol dependence by integrating alcohol dependence genome-wide association studies with 2 human brain reference proteomes of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex from the Religious Order Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project and the Banner Sun Health Research Institute.

Combined effects of inflammation and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the risks of anxiety and depression: A cross-sectional study based on UK Biobank.

Infection-induced perturbation of immune homeostasis could promote psychopathology. Psychiatric sequelae have been observed after previous coronavirus outbreaks. However, limited studies were conducted to explore the potential interaction effects of inflammation and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the risks of anxiety and depression.

Exploratory factor analysis of shared and specific genetic associations in depression and anxiety.

Background: Previous genetic studies of anxiety and depression were mostly based on independent phenotypes. This study aims to investigate the shared and specific genetic structure between anxiety and depression.

Method: To identify the underlying factors of Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and their combined scale (joint scale), we employed exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using the eigenvalue of parallel analysis.

Evaluating the role of anxiety on the association between irritable bowel syndrome and brain volumes: a mediation analysis in the UK Biobank cohort.

There is a strong link between irritable bowel syndrome and brain volumes, yet, to date, research examining the mediators of this association has been little. Based on the phenotypic data of 15 248 participants from the UK Biobank, a two-stage mediation analysis was performed to assess the association among brain volumes, anxiety, and irritable bowel syndrome. In the first stage, we identified the candidate mediating role of anxiety for irritable bowel syndrome associated with brain volumes using regression models.

Assessing the effect of interaction between lifestyle and longitudinal changes in brain structure on sleep phenotypes.

Longitudinal changes in brain structure and lifestyle can affect sleep phenotypes. However, the influence of the interaction between longitudinal changes in brain structure and lifestyle on sleep phenotypes remains unclear. Genome-wide association study dataset of longitudinal changes in brain structure was obtained from published study.

Assessing the association of coffee consumption on the relationship of chronic pain with depression and anxiety.

Background: A bidirectional relationship between chronic pain (CP) and mental disorders has been reported, and coffee was believed to be associated with both. However, the association of coffee in this bidirectional relationship remains unclear. We aim to analyze the association of coffee consumption on the relationship of CP with depression and anxiety.

Treatment Resistance in Schizophrenia Is Associated with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Gut Microbiota: A Genetic Correlation and Mendelian Randomization Study.

Introduction: Observational studies highlight associations of common diseases with individual schizophrenia symptoms. However, it is unclear whether these diseases are associated with individual treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). We aimed to explore the genetic associations between common immune diseases, metabolic diseases, psychiatric disorders, gut microbiota and TRS.

Association between gut microbiota and longevity: a genetic correlation and mendelian randomization study.

Background: Longevity is one of the most complex phenotypes, and its genetic basis remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the genetic correlation and potential causal association between gut microbiota and longevity.

Results: Linkage disequilibrium score (LDSC) regression analysis and a bi-directional two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis were performed to analyze gut microbiota and longevity-related traits.

A genetic association study reveals the relationship between the oral microbiome and anxiety and depression symptoms.

Background: Growing evidence supports that alterations in the gut microbiota play an essential role in the etiology of anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric disorders. However, the potential effect of oral microbiota on mental health has received little attention.

Methods: Using the latest genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data of the oral microbiome, polygenic risk scores (PRSs) of 285 salivary microbiomes and 309 tongue dorsum microbiomes were conducted.

Assessing the interaction effects of brain structure longitudinal changes and life environmental factors on depression and anxiety.

Disrupted brain structures and several life environmental factors have been shown to influence depression and anxiety, but their interactions with anxiety and depression remain elusive. Genome-wide association study datasets of 15 brain structure longitudinal changes (N = 15,640) were obtained from the published study. Genotype and phenotype-related data of depression, anxiety, and life environmental factors (including smoking, alcohol drinking, coffee intake, maternal smoking, physical activity, vitamin D, insomnia, sleep duration, and family satisfaction) were collected from UK Biobank.

The genetic structure of pain in depression patients: A genome-wide association study and proteome-wide association study.

Background: Comparing with the general population, the pain in depression patients has more complex biological mechanism. We aim to explore the etiological mechanism of pain in depression patients from the perspective of genetics.

Methods: Utilizing the UK Biobank samples with self-reported depression status or PHQ score ≥10, we conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of seven pain traits (N = 1,133-58,349).

Assessing the joint effects of mitochondrial function and human behavior on the risks of anxiety and depression.

Background: Psychiatric disorders have great health hazards and the exact pathogeny remains elusive now. We aim to explore the potential interaction effects of mitochondrial function and human behavior on the risks of anxiety and depression.

Methods: The genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of mitochondrial function (N = 383,476-982,072) were obtained from published studies.

Association between telomere length and insomnia: A mendelian randomization and colocalization study.

Background: Previous studies have suggested a potential association between sleep and telomere length (TL), but its genetic basis remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the genetic correlation and potential causal association between TL and insomnia.

Methods: The genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets of TL and insomnia-related traits were used, including insomnia, snoring, daytime dozing and napping.

Evaluating the role of rare genetic variation in sleep duration.

Objectives: To explore the roles of rare and high-impact variants in sleep duration.

Design: Based on the recently released UK Biobank 200k exome dataset, an exome-wide association study was conducted to detect rare variants (minor allele frequency <0.01) contributing to sleep duration.

Brain Proteome-Wide Association Study Identifies Candidate Genes that Regulate Protein Abundance Associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Although previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have identified multiple risk loci, how these loci confer risk of PTSD remains unclear. Through the FUSION pipeline, we integrated two human brain proteome reference datasets (ROS/MAP and Banner) with the PTSD GWAS dataset, respectively, to conduct a proteome-wide association study (PWAS) analysis. Then two transcriptome reference weights (Rnaseq and Splicing) were applied to a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) analysis.

The interaction of early life factors and depression-associated loci affecting the age at onset of the depression.

Multiple previous studies explored the associations between early life factors and the age at onset of the depression. However, they only focused on the influence of environmental or genetic factors, without considering the interactions between them. Based on previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, we first calculated polygenic risk score (PRS) for depression.

A large-scale polygenic risk score analysis identified candidate proteins associated with anxiety, depression and neuroticism.

Psychiatric disorders and neuroticism are closely associated with central nervous system, whose proper functioning depends on efficient protein renewal. This study aims to systematically analyze the association between anxiety / depression / neuroticism and each of the 439 proteins. 47,536 pQTLs of 439 proteins in brain, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were collected from recent genome-wide association study.

The Causal Relationships Between Sleep-related Phenotypes and Body Composition: A Mendelian Randomized Study.

Background: Despite cumulative evidence showing obesity is associated with changes in sleep quality and quantity, the study about the relationships between sleep and body composition is scarce, and whether the relationship is causal remains unknown. In this study, we examined whether there are causal associations between sleep and body composition.

Methods: First, we estimated genetic correlations between sleep-related phenotypes and body composition using the linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC).