Identification of genetic risk factors in the Chinese population implicates a role of immune system in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 115; no. 8; pp. 1697 - 1706
• Main Authors: Zhou, Xiaopu, Chen, Yu, Mok, Kin Y., Zhao, Qianhua, Chen, Keliang, Chen, Yuewen, Hardy, John, Li, Yun, Fu, Amy K. Y., Guo, Qihao, Ip, Nancy Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 20.02.2018
• Series: Inaugural Article
• Subjects: Age of Onset; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - genetics; Alzheimer Disease - immunology; Alzheimer Disease - pathology; Alzheimer's disease; Apolipoprotein E; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Asian People - genetics; Biological Sciences; Biomarkers; Blood; China; Cohort Studies; Female; Gene expression; Gene sequencing; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genetics; Genome-Wide Association Study; Genomes; Genotype; Genotypes; Geriatrics; Humans; Immune system; Immune System - immunology; Loci; Male; Middle Aged; Network analysis; Neurodegenerative diseases; Older people; Pathogenesis; Phenotypes; Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying - genetics; Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying - immunology; Risk; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Transcription; China; GWAS; immune; Alzheimer’s disease; whole-genome sequencing; risk variant
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1715554115

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a leading cause of mortality among the elderly. We performed a whole-genome sequencing study of AD in the Chinese population. In addition to the variants identified in or around the APOE locus (sentinel variant rs73052335, P = 1.44 × 10−14), two common variants, GCH1 (rs72713460, P = 4.36 × 10−5) and KCNJ15 (rs928771, P = 3.60 × 10−6), were identified and further verified for their possible risk effects for AD in three small non-Asian AD cohorts. Genotype–phenotype analysis showed that KCNJ15 variant rs928771 affects the onset age of AD, with earlier disease onset in minor allele carriers. In addition, altered expression level of the KCNJ15 transcript can be observed in the blood of AD subjects. Moreover, the risk variants of GCH1 and KCNJ15 are associated with changes in their transcript levels in specific tissues, as well as changes of plasma biomarkers levels in AD subjects. Importantly, network analysis of hippocampus and blood transcriptome datasets suggests that the risk variants in the APOE, GCH1, and KCNJ15 loci might exert their functions through their regulatory effects on immune-related pathways. Taking these data together, we identified common variants of GCH1 and KCNJ15 in the Chinese population that contribute to AD risk. These variants may exert their functional effects through the immune system.