The OVERALL GOAL of this project is to identify genes that influence susceptibility to systemic sclerosis (SSc). Our HYPOTHESES are that there are susceptibility genes that predispose to autoimmunity in general and to SSc in particular;and that each of the unique autoantibody subtypes of SSc has its own set of distinct or incompletely overlapping susceptibility genes. In order to obtain an adequate sample size, we propose to use a 10 scleroderma centers to enroll SSc cases to supplement the 998 current cases in the Scleroderma Family Registry and DNA Repository.
The SPECIFIC AIMS are: 1) To establish a case-control sample of 3,000 systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and 6,000 controls, frequency matched on age, gender, and ethnicity;2) To identify candidate gene regions by performing a genome wide association analysis using a two-phase design;3) To estimate disease risk associated with identified significant SNPs;4) To analyze the data by autoantibody subsets which define the phenotypes of SSc;5) (exploratory)To perform fine mapping studies of the most strongly associated genes;and 6) To make the data and specimens available for the scientific community. Our preliminary data and that of others indicate that particular gene polymorphisms and HLA class II alleles are more strongly associated with SSc subtypes based on autoantibody expression than with SSc as a single disease entity. Our METHOD OF APPROACH is a 2-phase study initially utilizing the Illumina Human Hap550K Genotyping BeadChip which enables whole-genome genotyping of over 550,000 tagged SNP markers from the HapMap Project on 1,500 cases, then directed SNP genotyping of approximately15,000 most significant SNPs identified in the first stage on 1,500 additional cases and controls. Data on 3,000 age-, gender-, and ethnicity-matched controls for the first and the second stage will be obtained from the NYCP, a longitudinal cohort study (P. Gregersen, Principal Investigator). POWER CALCULATIONS show that we will have adequate power to detect an effect size of OR 1.5-2 at the 10-4 significance level in joint analysis of cases from the two stages. We propose a combination of traditional statistical methods as well as novel methods as ANALYTICAL STRATEGY.

Public Health Relevance

. Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) is an autoimmune disease characterized by fibrosis and blood vessel damage in the skin and in internal organs which interfere with normal function. The cause is unknown but there is a genetic component, such that only those individuals with the right set of genes are likely to develop this disease. This study will perform a genome-wide scan of DNA from 3,000 scleroderma cases and 6,000 controls in order to find areas of the genome that are different in the cases than in the controls;using this approach, we hope to learn what genes are responsible for susceptibility to scleroderma and which biological pathways are used to cause organ damage in this disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AR055258-03
Application #
7930526
Study Section
Arthritis, Connective Tissue and Skin Study Section (ACTS)
Program Officer
Wang, Yan Z
Project Start
2008-09-01
Project End
2013-08-31
Budget Start
2010-09-01
Budget End
2011-08-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$881,501
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
800771594
City
Houston
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
77225
Gourh, Pravitt; Remmers, Elaine F; Boyden, Steven E et al. (2018) Brief Report: Whole-Exome Sequencing to Identify Rare Variants and Gene Networks That Increase Susceptibility to Scleroderma in African Americans. Arthritis Rheumatol 70:1654-1660
Wu, Minghua; Baron, Murray; Pedroza, Claudia et al. (2017) CCL2 in the Circulation Predicts Long-Term Progression of Interstitial Lung Disease in Patients With Early Systemic Sclerosis: Data From Two Independent Cohorts. Arthritis Rheumatol 69:1871-1878
Morgan, Nadia D; Shah, Ami A; Mayes, Maureen D et al. (2017) Clinical and serological features of systemic sclerosis in a multicenter African American cohort: Analysis of the genome research in African American scleroderma patients clinical database. Medicine (Baltimore) 96:e8980
Mejia Otero, Carolina; Assassi, Shervin; Hudson, Marie et al. (2017) Antifibrillarin Antibodies Are Associated with Native North American Ethnicity and Poorer Survival in Systemic Sclerosis. J Rheumatol 44:799-805
Prins, Bram P; Abbasi, Ali; Wong, Anson et al. (2016) Investigating the Causal Relationship of C-Reactive Protein with 32 Complex Somatic and Psychiatric Outcomes: A Large-Scale Cross-Consortium Mendelian Randomization Study. PLoS Med 13:e1001976
Hoa, S; Hudson, M; Troyanov, Y et al. (2016) Single-specificity anti-Ku antibodies in an international cohort of 2140 systemic sclerosis subjects: clinical associations. Medicine (Baltimore) 95:e4713
López-Isac, Elena; Martín, Jose-Ezequiel; Assassi, Shervin et al. (2016) Brief Report: IRF4 Newly Identified as a Common Susceptibility Locus for Systemic Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis in a Cross-Disease Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies. Arthritis Rheumatol 68:2338-44
Wu, Minghua; Assassi, Shervin; Salazar, Gloria A et al. (2016) Genetic susceptibility loci of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia do not represent risk for systemic sclerosis: a case control study in Caucasian patients. Arthritis Res Ther 18:20
Salazar, Gloria; Mayes, Maureen D (2015) Genetics, Epigenetics, and Genomics of Systemic Sclerosis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 41:345-66
Kottyan, Leah C; Zoller, Erin E; Bene, Jessica et al. (2015) The IRF5-TNPO3 association with systemic lupus erythematosus has two components that other autoimmune disorders variably share. Hum Mol Genet 24:582-96

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