Evaluating a Causal Relationship between Complement Factor I Protein Level and Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Mendelian Randomization

Purpose: Risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AAMD) is associated with rare genetic variants in the gene encoding complement factor I (CFI), which is associated with lower circulating CFI protein levels, but the nature of the relationship is unclear. Can genetic factors be used to infe...

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Main Authors: Amy V. Jones, PhD, Stuart MacGregor, PhD, Xikun Han, PhD, James Francis, PhD, Claire Harris, PhD, David Kavanagh, MD, PhD, Andrew Lotery, MD, FRCOphth, Nadia Waheed, MD, MPH
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-06-01
Series:Ophthalmology Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666914522000355
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author Amy V. Jones, PhD
Stuart MacGregor, PhD
Xikun Han, PhD
James Francis, PhD
Claire Harris, PhD
David Kavanagh, MD, PhD
Andrew Lotery, MD, FRCOphth
Nadia Waheed, MD, MPH
author_facet Amy V. Jones, PhD
Stuart MacGregor, PhD
Xikun Han, PhD
James Francis, PhD
Claire Harris, PhD
David Kavanagh, MD, PhD
Andrew Lotery, MD, FRCOphth
Nadia Waheed, MD, MPH
author_sort Amy V. Jones, PhD
collection DOAJ
description Purpose: Risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AAMD) is associated with rare genetic variants in the gene encoding complement factor I (CFI), which is associated with lower circulating CFI protein levels, but the nature of the relationship is unclear. Can genetic factors be used to infer whether low circulating CFI is associated with AAMD risk? Design: Two-sample inverse variance-weighted Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to evaluate evidence for a relationship between CFI levels and AAMD risk, comparing CFI levels from genetically predefined subsets in AAMD and control cohorts. Participants: We derived genetic instruments for systemic CFI level in 3301 healthy INTERVAL study participants. To evaluate a genetic causal odds ratio (OR) for the effect of CFI levels on AAMD risk, results from an AAMD genome-wide association study from the International AMD Genomics Consortium, were combined with CFI levels from SCOPE and SIGHT AAMD patients. Methods: Published genetic and proteomic data was combined with data from cohorts of patients with geographic atrophy (GA) in a series of MR analyses. Main Outcome Measures: Establishing a causal relationship for CFI on AAMD. Results: One common CFI variant, rs7439493, was associated strongly with low CFI level, explaining 4.8% of phenotypic variance. Using rs7439493, MR estimates for AAMD odds increased per standard deviation (SD) CFI decrease in were 1.47 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30–1.65; P = 2.1 × 10–10). MR using rare variant (rs141853578 encoding p.Gly119Arg) indicated 1-SD decrease in CFI led to increased AAMD OR of 1.79 (95% CI, 1.46–2.19; P = 1.9 × 10–8). The rare variant rs141853578 explained a further 1.7% of phenotypic variance. To benchmark the effect of low CFI levels on AAMD ORs using a CFI-specific proteomic assay, we estimated the effect using CFI levels from 24 rs141853578 positive GA patients; each 1-SD reduction (3.5 μg/mL) in CFI associated with a 1.67-fold increased odds of AAMD (95% CI, 1.40–2.00; P = 1.85 × 10–8). Conclusions: Concordance in MR calculations provide good genetic evidence for a potentially causal role of lower CFI level increasing AAMD risk.
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spelling doaj.art-6f0924b96d7b479a9ab9ee7cd4da9c622022-12-22T02:39:10ZengElsevierOphthalmology Science2666-91452022-06-0122100146Evaluating a Causal Relationship between Complement Factor I Protein Level and Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Mendelian RandomizationAmy V. Jones, PhD0Stuart MacGregor, PhD1Xikun Han, PhD2James Francis, PhD3Claire Harris, PhD4David Kavanagh, MD, PhD5Andrew Lotery, MD, FRCOphth6Nadia Waheed, MD, MPH7Gyroscope Therapeutics Ltd., London, United KingdomStatistical Genetics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, AustraliaStatistical Genetics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, AustraliaGyroscope Therapeutics Ltd., London, United KingdomGyroscope Therapeutics Ltd., London, United Kingdom; Clinical & Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomClinical & Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom; National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomClinical Neurosciences, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; Southampton Eye Unit, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United KingdomGyroscope Therapeutics Ltd., London, United Kingdom; Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; Correspondence: Nadia Waheed, MD, MPH, New England Eye Center, 260 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116.Purpose: Risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AAMD) is associated with rare genetic variants in the gene encoding complement factor I (CFI), which is associated with lower circulating CFI protein levels, but the nature of the relationship is unclear. Can genetic factors be used to infer whether low circulating CFI is associated with AAMD risk? Design: Two-sample inverse variance-weighted Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to evaluate evidence for a relationship between CFI levels and AAMD risk, comparing CFI levels from genetically predefined subsets in AAMD and control cohorts. Participants: We derived genetic instruments for systemic CFI level in 3301 healthy INTERVAL study participants. To evaluate a genetic causal odds ratio (OR) for the effect of CFI levels on AAMD risk, results from an AAMD genome-wide association study from the International AMD Genomics Consortium, were combined with CFI levels from SCOPE and SIGHT AAMD patients. Methods: Published genetic and proteomic data was combined with data from cohorts of patients with geographic atrophy (GA) in a series of MR analyses. Main Outcome Measures: Establishing a causal relationship for CFI on AAMD. Results: One common CFI variant, rs7439493, was associated strongly with low CFI level, explaining 4.8% of phenotypic variance. Using rs7439493, MR estimates for AAMD odds increased per standard deviation (SD) CFI decrease in were 1.47 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30–1.65; P = 2.1 × 10–10). MR using rare variant (rs141853578 encoding p.Gly119Arg) indicated 1-SD decrease in CFI led to increased AAMD OR of 1.79 (95% CI, 1.46–2.19; P = 1.9 × 10–8). The rare variant rs141853578 explained a further 1.7% of phenotypic variance. To benchmark the effect of low CFI levels on AAMD ORs using a CFI-specific proteomic assay, we estimated the effect using CFI levels from 24 rs141853578 positive GA patients; each 1-SD reduction (3.5 μg/mL) in CFI associated with a 1.67-fold increased odds of AAMD (95% CI, 1.40–2.00; P = 1.85 × 10–8). Conclusions: Concordance in MR calculations provide good genetic evidence for a potentially causal role of lower CFI level increasing AAMD risk.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666914522000355Advanced age-related macular degenerationBiomarkersCFIFactor IGenetics
spellingShingle Amy V. Jones, PhD
Stuart MacGregor, PhD
Xikun Han, PhD
James Francis, PhD
Claire Harris, PhD
David Kavanagh, MD, PhD
Andrew Lotery, MD, FRCOphth
Nadia Waheed, MD, MPH
Evaluating a Causal Relationship between Complement Factor I Protein Level and Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Mendelian Randomization
Ophthalmology Science
Advanced age-related macular degeneration
Biomarkers
CFI
Factor I
Genetics
title Evaluating a Causal Relationship between Complement Factor I Protein Level and Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Mendelian Randomization
title_full Evaluating a Causal Relationship between Complement Factor I Protein Level and Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Mendelian Randomization
title_fullStr Evaluating a Causal Relationship between Complement Factor I Protein Level and Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Mendelian Randomization
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating a Causal Relationship between Complement Factor I Protein Level and Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Mendelian Randomization
title_short Evaluating a Causal Relationship between Complement Factor I Protein Level and Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Mendelian Randomization
title_sort evaluating a causal relationship between complement factor i protein level and advanced age related macular degeneration using mendelian randomization
topic Advanced age-related macular degeneration
Biomarkers
CFI
Factor I
Genetics
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666914522000355
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