390 likes | 481 Views
Is Metabolic Syndrome a Novel Inheritable Trait?. Suh-Hang Hank Juo, MD, PhD Director Graduate Institute of Medical Genetics Kaohsiung Medical University. What I am going to say …. Brief background Epidemiological data Heritability analysis Factor analysis conclusions.
E N D
Is Metabolic Syndrome a Novel Inheritable Trait? Suh-Hang Hank Juo, MD, PhD Director Graduate Institute of Medical Genetics Kaohsiung Medical University
What I am going to say … • Brief background • Epidemiological data • Heritability analysis • Factor analysis • conclusions
History of Metabolic Synd • 1923: Dr. Kylin described a clustering of H/T, hyperglycemia and gout (Zentralblatt Fuer Innere Medizin, 44:105-127) • 1947: Dr. Vague reported one obesity type associated with metab abnormalities often seen in DM or CVD Pts (In Medical Complications of obesity, Academic Press) • 1988: Dr. Reaven described a cluster of metab abnormalities with insulin resistance, called “syndrome X” (diabetes: 37:1595)
Alternative names • Metabolic syndrome • Syndrome X • Insulin resistance syndrome • Deadly quartet
Characteristics of Metab Synd • The metab synd is a constellation of abnormalities – essential components are glucose intolerance, obesity, dyslipidemia and H/T • The risk components co-occur in an individual more often than may be expected by chance Is there a common underlying mechanism driving the co-existence of risk components ?
Definition • Consensus definition for the synd was not available till 1998 • WHO definition: more complicated • NCEP ATPIII: simpler • EGIR (European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance)
Issues for waist circumference • Waist circumference vs BMI • Waist circumference reflects abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT). • VAT is the major determinant of metab and cardiovascular complication of obesity
Age-Specific Prevalence of the Metab Synd in US Adults 1988-94.
ATPⅢ Asian ATPⅢ Asian ATPⅢ JASSO def. ≧65 60~69 Mean 50 ≧60 Prevalence in diff countries
ATPIII 4.3 CHD mortality 2.5 CVD mortality 2.0 total mortality WHO 3.3 CHD mortality 2.6 CVD mortality 1.8 total mortality (JAMA, 2002; 288:2709) Relative risk according to ATPIII vs WHO CHD: coronary heart disease CVD: cardiovascular disease
Meta Synd for Clinical Implication • As a high risk marker for the development of type II diabetes, MI and stroke • More aggressive approach for not only glucose control, but also other risk factors including weight reduction, physical activity, diet, or drug (statin, anti-H/T, low dose aspirin)
Is metab synd a unified novel trait • Prospective study suggests Metab Synd identify additional cardiovascular risk beyond the individual risk factors (Circulation; 2003;108:1546) • Question remains to be answered: is the cluster of risk components driven by a common mechanism? If so, can genetic mechanism play a role?
Genetic studies of the components • Previous genetic studies showed significant heritabilities for the components • TG, HDL-C and other lipids • waist circumference, WHR, and obesity phenotypes • Blood pressure and H/T • Blood sugar, insulin level and DM
What is Heritability ? • Statistical definition: Heritability is the proportion of phenotypic variance explained by overall genetic effects. • Non-statistical def: Heritability is the extent to which genetic variants contribute to individual differences of the phenotype
Heritability estimation for metab synd • Two important needs to know whether metab synd can be treated as a novel genetic trait – 1. to support the synd is a novel disease rather than a combination of mild abnormalities 2. to justify the ongoing gene mapping endeavors
Heritability Estimation • Twin Study • Family Study
Twin study • MZ twins share 100% genetic factors; DZ 50% • If MZ twins have a higher concordance rate (both have disease) than DZ twins genetic • For Mendelian diseases, MZ concordance rate = 100%, DZ = 50% and thus the heritability = (100%-50%) x2 = 100% • limitation: more adverse intrauterine environment among MZ compared to DZ twins, MZ twins are more prone to metabolic abnormalities. Therefore h2 estimation can be biased by the pre-natal condition
Family Study for H2 Estimation • Using data from multiple family members, and sophisticated statistical tools to estimate the overall genetic contribution
Family study to estimate heritability of the metabolic syndrome (Lin et al. Diabetologia. 48(10): 2006-12, 2005)
Study Subjects • Northern Manhattan Family Study (NOMAFS) enrolls high-risk Caribbean Hispanic families. • 803 subjects with available information of metabolic syndrome from 89 families • Family size: 3 to 53 with mean of 9 subjects. The mean age = 47 (18 – 95 yr) • Metab synd (ATPIII) 26% (Lin et al. Diabetologia. 48(10): 2006-12, 2005)
Methods • Statistical method: variance component implemented in a statistical software, SOLAR • SOLAR uses a threshold method: assuming an individual is affected if an underlying genetically determined risk (i.e., liability) exceeds a certain threshold. (Lin et al. Diabetologia. 48(10): 2006-12, 2005)
Heritability estimates for the metab synd and its components (Lin et al. Diabetologia. 48(10): 2006-12, 2005)
Interpretation of H2 for metab synd • A common set of genes cause abnormalities of several risk factors leading to the development of metab synd • Additional genes may have individual effects on each risk component
Factor Analysis • Factor analysis consists of (1) principle component analysis, (2) a varimax rotation and (3) identification of the variables to facilitate interpretation. • Factor analysis is to discover if the observed variables can be explained largely or entirely in terms of a smaller number of variables called factors. • In this case, factors replace the metab synd as the phenotypes of interest (Lin et al. Diabetologia. 48(10): 2006-12, 2005)
Factor analysis and h2 estimation *p<0.001 Factor1: lipids/glucose/obesity; Factor 2: Blood pressure
Interpretation of Factor Analysis • Metab Synd can be caused (or replaced) two major factors: lipid/glucose/obesity and BP • Lipid/glucose/obesity factor may share a common genetic mechanism, and the BP factor is more likely influenced by another set of genes
To test for familial aggregation of the synd according to its severity • Dividing the families into different severity subgroups according to the number of risk components in the most severely affected individual in each family. • “5-risk” family: the most severe family member had 5 risk components (ATPIII). • “4-risk” family: the most severe member had 4 risk components.
Summary of family aggregation • increasing familial aggregation with the increase of load of the risk components. • An estimated heritability of 78% for a modified metabolic syndrome defined as ≥ 4 risk components.
Hypothesis-testing approach to specify the metab synd underlying structure: Confirmatory factor analysis
A hierarchical 4-factor model with 4 1st order factors, and a 2nd order factor reflecting the metab synd (Am J Epidemiol 2003;707-711)
Each risk component independently contributes to the synd (Am J Epidemiol 2003;707-711)
4 major factors are correlated but not an unified disease (Am J Epidemiol 2003;707-711)
Summary of confirmatory factor analysis • Metab synd was represented primarily by the insulin resistance and obesity factors, followed by the lipid factor and to a lesser extent, the blood pressure factor • Metab synd should be considered a unified disease (Am J Epidemiol 2003;707-711)
Conclusions • The clustering of risk components in metab synd is driven by a common underlying mechanism • A set of genes is likely to cause clustering of several risk components leading to metab synd
Conclusions (cont.) • The synd should be considered a unified novel trait and treated as a whole • Defining the synd w/ a higher load may increase power to detect susceptibility genes
Acknowledgements • Dr. Hsiu-Fen Lin (KMU) • Dr. Ralph Sacco (Columbia Univ) • Dr. Tanja Rundek (Columbia Univ) • Dr. Bernadette Boden-Albala (Columbia Univ) • Dr. Rong Cheng (Columbia Univ) • Ms. Naeun Park (Columbia Univ)