Publications by authors named "Frances Mk Williams"

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and low bone mineral density (BMD), an indicator of osteoporosis (OP), appear epidemiologically associated. Shared genetic factors may explain this association. This study aimed to investigate the presence of pleiotropy to clarify the potential genetic association between RA and OP.

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Article Synopsis
  • Chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain (CWP) is closely related to fibromyalgia and has a heritable component of 48%-54%, but its genetic factors are still unclear, prompting a genome-wide association study for insight.
  • The study involved 6,914 cases of CWP from the UK Biobank and aimed to validate findings in multiple European cohorts, focusing on genetic correlations and tissue specificity.
  • Results identified three significant genetic loci associated with CWP, with one locus showing strong replication, while another displayed a suggestive link; findings also highlighted the relevance of skeletal muscle in the condition's genetic background.
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We aimed to report the first genomewide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived hip shape, which is thought to be related to the risk of both hip osteoarthritis and hip fracture. Ten hip shape modes (HSMs) were derived by statistical shape modeling using SHAPE software, from hip DXA scans in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; adult females), TwinsUK (mixed sex), Framingham Osteoporosis Study (FOS; mixed), Osteoporotic Fractures in Men study (MrOS), and Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF; females) (total N = 15,934). Associations were adjusted for age, sex, and ancestry.

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Introduction: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) produces considerable direct costs as well as indirect burdens for society, industry and health systems. CLBP is characterised by heterogeneity, inclusion of several pain syndromes, different underlying molecular pathologies and interaction with psychosocial factors that leads to a range of clinical manifestations. There is still much to understand in the underlying pathological processes and the non-psychosocial factors which account for differences in outcomes.

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