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Cunningham, Julie M.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8159-3025

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic

Citations 176

Population-based targeted sequencing of 54 candidate genes identifies PALB2 as a susceptibility gene for high-grade serous ovarian cancer
Song, Honglin , Dicks, Ed , Intermaggio, Maria P., Chenevix‐Trench, Georgia , Bowtell, David D.L. , Traficante, Nadia , Group, AOCS, Hosking, Karen, Piskorz, Anna , Oudenhove, Elke Van , Doherty, J.A. , Rossing, Mary Anne, Duerst, Matthias, Dörk, Thilo , Bogdanova, Natalia , Moysich, Kirsten B. , Odunsi, Kunle , Ness, Roberta B., Lester, Jenny, Pujara, Miguel Angel, Cunningham, Julie M. , Hildebrandt, Michelle, Huff, Chad , Li, Donghui , Wu, Xifeng , Yu, Yao , Levine, Douglas A. , Schildkraut, Joellen M. , Riggan, Marjorie J. , Webb, Penelope M. , Group, OPAL Study, Jakubowska, Anna , Alsop, Jennifer , Harrington, Patricia, Chan, Isaac H Y , Menon, Usha , Pearce, Celeste Leigh, Wu, Anna H. , Fazio, Anna de , Kennedy, Catherine J. , Goode, Ellen L. , Ramus, Susan J. , Gayther, Simon A. , DeFazio, Anna , Cunningham, Julie, Vierkant, Robert, Huff, Chad , Cybulski, Cezary , Pharoah, Paul D P , Dörk, Thilo , Ramus, Susan J , Webb, Penelope M , Menon, Usha , Moysich, Kirsten , Kennedy, Catherine J , Jakubowska, Anna , Bogdanova, Natalia V , Chenevix-Trench, Georgia , Traficante, Nadia , Bowtell, David D , Tyrer, Jonathan P. , Group, AOCS, Brenton, James D. , Goranova, Teodora , Harris, Holly R. , Modugno, Francesmary , Karlan, Beth Y. , Jensen, Allan , Kjær, Susanne K. , Høgdall, Estrid , Campbell, Ian , Lázaro, Conxi , Vierkant, Robert A. , Winham, Stacey J. , Permuth, Jennifer B. , Berchuck, Andrew , Cybulski, Cezary , Gronwald, Jacek , Lubiński, Jan , Pharoah, Paul D.P.

Journal of Medical Genetics | June 16, 2020 | Volume: 58 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 305-313

10.1136/jmedgenet-2019-106739 Get It

Purpose The known epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) susceptibility genes account for less than 50% of the heritable risk of ovarian cancer suggesting that other susceptibility genes exist. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution to ovarian cancer susceptibility of rare deleterious germline variants in a set of candidate genes. Methods We sequenced the coding region of 54 candidate genes in 6385 invasive EOC cases and 6115 controls of broad European ancestry. Genes with an increased frequency of putative deleterious variants in cases versus controls were further examined in an independent set of 14 135 EOC cases and 28 655 controls from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium and the UK Biobank. For each gene, we estimated the EOC risks and evaluated associations between germline variant status and clinical characteristics. Results The ORs associated for high-grade serous ovarian cancer were 3.01 for PALB2 (95% CI 1.59 to 5.68; p=0.00068), 1.99 for POLK (95% CI 1.15 to 3.43; p=0.014) and 4.07 for SLX4 (95% CI 1.34 to 12.4; p=0.013). Deleterious mutations in FBXO10 were associated with a reduced risk of disease (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.00, p=0.049). However, based on the Bayes false discovery probability, only the association for PALB2 in high-grade serous ovarian cancer is likely to represent a true positive. Conclusions We have found strong evidence that carriers of PALB2 deleterious mutations are at increased risk of high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Whether the magnitude of risk is sufficiently high to warrant the inclusion of PALB2 in cancer gene panels for ovarian cancer risk testing is unclear; much larger sample sizes will be needed to provide sufficiently precise estimates for clinical counselling.
BRCA1Promoter Methylation and Clinical Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer: An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis
Kalachand, Roshni , Stordal, Britta , Madden, Stephen F. , Chandler, Benjamin C. , Cunningham, Julie M. , Goode, Ellen L. , Ruscito, Ilary , Braicu, Elena Ioana , Ignatov, Atanas , Katsaros, Dionyssios , Lu, Karen H. , Carey, Mark , Timms, Kirsten M. , Podgórska, Agnieszka , Swisher, Elizabeth M. , Bernards, Sarah S., Ó’Riain, Ciarán, O’Toole, Sharon , O’Leary, John , Bowtell, David D.L. , Thomas, David M. , Prieske, Katharina , Joosse, Simon A. , Woelber, Linn, Chaudhry, Parvesh, Runnebaum, Ingo B. , Hennessy, Bryan T. , Cunningham, Julie, Swisher, Elizabeth M , Bowtell, David D , Joosse, Simon A , Sehouli, Jalid , Yu, Kai , Mills, Gordon B. , Kupryjańczyk, Jolanta , Rzepecka, Iwona K. , McAlpine, Jessica N. , Woelber, Linn Lena , Häfner, Norman

JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute | May 11, 2020 | Volume: 112 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 1190-1203

10.1093/jnci/djaa070 Get It

AbstractBackgroundBRCA1 methylation has been associated with homologous recombination deficiency, a biomarker of platinum sensitivity. Studies evaluating BRCA1-methylated tubal and ovarian cancer (OC) do not consistently support improved survival following platinum chemotherapy. We examine the characteristics of BRCA1-methylated OC in a meta-analysis of individual participant data.MethodsData of 2636 participants across 15 studies were analyzed. BRCA1-methylated tumors were defined according to their original study. Associations between BRCA1 methylation and clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated. The effects of methylation on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were examined using mixed-effects models. All statistical tests were 2-sided.Results430 (16.3%) tumors were BRCA1-methylated. BRCA1 methylation was associated with younger age and advanced-stage, high-grade serous OC. There were no survival differences between BRCA1-methylated and non–BRCA1-methylated OC (median PFS = 20.0 vs 18.5 months, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.87 to 1.16; P = .98; median OS = 46.6 vs 48.0 months, HR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.87 to 1.18; P = .96). Where BRCA1/2 mutations were evaluated (n = 1248), BRCA1 methylation displayed no survival advantage over BRCA1/2-intact (BRCA1/2 wild-type non–BRCA1-methylated) OC. Studies used different methods to define BRCA1 methylation. Where BRCA1 methylation was determined using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis (n = 834), it was associated with improved survival (PFS: HR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.66 to 0.97; P = .02; OS: HR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.63 to 1.00; P = .05) on mixed-effects modeling.ConclusionBRCA1-methylated OC displays similar clinicopathological features to BRCA1-mutated OC but is not associated with survival. Heterogeneity within BRCA1 methylation assays influences associations. Refining these assays may better identify cases with silenced BRCA1 function and improved patient outcomes.
A Large Scale Evaluation of Genetic Variation in Immune and Inflammation Genes and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
Ansell, Stephen M. , Fredericksen, Zachary S., Liebow, Mark , Call, Timothy G. , Cunningham, Julie M. , Liu, Wen , Macon, William R. , Cerhan, James R. , Kay, Neil E. , Doǧan, Ahmet , Witzig, Thomas E. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Slager, Susan L.

Blood | April 19, 2020 | Volume: 108 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 817-817

10.1182/blood.v108.11.817.817 Get It

Abstract Background: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a malignancy of lymphocytes, and may develop in the setting of inflammation and immune dysfunction. Small scale evaluations have suggested that common genetic variation in candidate genes related to immune function may predispose to the development of NHL. Here we report a comprehensive analysis of variants within genes associated with immunity and inflammation and risk of NHL. Methods: We used ParAllele’s Immune and Inflammation panel of 9,412 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 1,450 immune/inflammation genes as a discovery tool in a clinic-based study of 458 NHL cases and 484 frequency matched controls seen at the Mayo Clinic from 2002–2005. The panel included 537 coding non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs), with the remainder of the SNPs selected as tags from HapMap (tagSNPs) to provide coverage of the candidate genes (r2 = 0.8 and minor allele frequency >0.05). To assess the association of individual SNPs with risk of NHL, we calculated Odds Ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals, adjusted for age and gender. The most prevalent homozygous genotype was used as the reference group, and each polymorphism was modeled individually as having a log-additive effect in the regression model. Associations between haplotypes from each gene and the risk of NHL were calculated using a score test implemented in HAPLO.SCORE. We also modeled the main effects for all independent (r2 <0.25) SNPs from a gene in a multivariate logistic regression model. Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 60 years for cases and 58% were male; in controls the mean age at enrollment was 61.6 years and 55% were male. In the gene analyses, the strongest findings (p≤0.001 from multiple SNP logistic regression or haplotype analysis) were for cAMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB1; p=0.0004), fibrinogen alpha chain (FGA; p=0.0006), TNF receptor-associated factor 1 (TRAF1; p=0.001), dual specificity phosphatase 2 (DUSP2; p=0.001), and fibrinogen gamma chain (FGG; p=0.001). In the nsSNP analyses, the strongest findings (p≤0.01) were for integrin β3 (ITGB3) L59P (OR=0.64, 0.50–0.83), Beta-1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 3 (B3GNT3) H328R (OR=0.72, 0.57–0.91), transporter 2, ATP-binding cassette (TAP2) T665A (OR=1.32, 1.07–1.63), HLA-B associated transcript 2 (BAT2) V1895L (OR=0.60, 0.42–0.85), and complement component 7 (C7) T587P (OR=1.39, 1.07–1.80). Conclusions. Our results suggest that genetic variability in genes associated with antigen processing (CREB1 and TAP2), lymphocyte trafficking (B3GNT3), immune activation (TRAF1, BAT2), complement and coagulation pathways (FGA, FGG, ITGB3, C7), and MAPK signaling (DUSP2) may be important in the etiology of NHL, and should be pursued in replication studies.
Evaluation of platinum-based chemotherapy, glutathione metabolic genes, and survival in advanced non small cell lung cancer: A NCCTG 97–24–51 based study
Mandrekar, Sumithra J. , Hillman, Shauna L., Allen, Katie L., Cunningham, Julie M. , Jett, James R., Adjei, Alex A. , Perez, Edith A. , Yang, Ping , Sun, Zhifu , Wampfler, Jason A.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | March 9, 2020 | Volume: 24 | Issue: 18_suppl | Pages: 13013-13013

10.1200/jco.2006.24.18_suppl.13013 Get It

13013 Background: The glutathione metabolic pathway is directly involved in the inactivation of platinum compounds. Our earlier work indicated that genotypes corresponding to varied glutathione-related enzyme activities may predict survival in patients with advanced lung cancer. Herein, we evaluated the role of glutathione-related genotypes on clinical outcomes in stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer patients who were stable or responding from one prior platinum-based chemotherapy. Methods: DNA samples from patients who had tumor regression or stable disease after treatment with one platinum based chemotherapy regimen were analyzed using 6 polymorphic DNA markers that encode 5 important enzymes in the glutathione metabolic pathway. The contrasting genotypes used in the analysis were GCLC (homozygous repeat 77 vs. heterozygous 7*), GPX1 (CC vs. other), GSTP1-I105V (AA vs. other), GSTP1-A114V (CC vs. other), GSTM1 (null vs. present), and GSTT1 (null vs. present). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, gender, treatment arm, ECOG performance status, stage, and prior tumor response, were used to evaluate the prognostic significance of the genotypes at each locus. Results: Data from 112 patients with a median follow-up of 10.6 (range: 0.4–56.3) months was used. No significant difference in time to disease progression was observed for any of the genotypes. Among the 6 genomic DNA markers, the GCLC genotype was an important prognostic factor for overall survival after adjusting for other factors. In particular, patients carrying a 77 repeat genotype (homozygous) had a significantly worse survival (Hazard ratio = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.05–2.63). Conclusions: Genotypes of glutathione-related enzymes, especially GCLC, may be used as host factors in predicting patients’ prognosis after platinum-based chemotherapy. Further investigation to define and measure the effects of these genes in chemotherapeutic regimens is needed. (This work was partly supported by NIH research grants CA77118, CA80127, and CA84354.) No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Copy Number Abnormalities Of The Interferon Regulatory Factor-4 (IRF4) Gene Are Associated With IRF4/MUM1 Expression In Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas
Boddicker, Rebecca L., Knudson, Ryan A., Mark, Law E, Xing, Xiaoming , Wu, Yanhong , Cunningham, Julie M. , Ansell, Stephen M. , Ketterling, Rhett P. , Cerhan, James R. , Feldman, Andrew L.

Blood | October 14, 2019 | Volume: 122 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 3016-3016

10.1182/blood.v122.21.3016.3016 Get It

Abstract Background Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas with poor overall survival rates. The genetics of PTCLs are poorly understood. We have described t(6;14)(p25.3;q11.2) translocations in PTCLs involving the T-cell receptor-alpha (TRA@) and interferon regulatory factor-4 (IRF4) genes and overexpressing IRF4 protein (also called MUM1). IRF4/MUM1 is a lymphoid transcription factor involved in differentiation and growth, the expression of which is tightly regulated in normal T cells. However, nearly half of PTCLs constitutively express IRF4/MUM1 and this expression is associated with adverse overall survival in several PTCL subtypes. Because IRF4/TRA@ translocations are rare among PTCLs (<1%), we investigated the presence of other genetic abnormalities of IRF4 in PTCLs and examined their association with IRF4/MUM1 protein expression. Methods Studies were performed on paraffin tissue sections of PTCL specimens diagnosed by standard WHO criteria. IRF4/MUM1 immunohistochemical staining (IHC) was performed using the MUM1p antibody and considered positive if nuclear staining was present in >30% of tumor cell nuclei. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed using breakapart probes constructed from bacterial artificial chromosome DNA that hybridized to loci flanking the IRF4 locus on 6p25.3. Cases with 3 or more fusion signals were considered to have extra copies of the IRF4 gene. In a subset of cases, PCR and Sanger sequencing was performed on DNA extracted from frozen PTCL tumor tissue with primer sets that amplified exons 1 to 10 of the IRF4 gene. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test or t test. Results PTCLs from 277 patients (175 M:102 F; median age, 61 y) were examined by both IHC and FISH. The subtype distribution was: PTCL, not otherwise specified (NOS), 93; anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), 89; angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), 27; cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), 43; and cytotoxic PTCL, 25. IRF4/MUM1 was positive in 116 cases (42%). Extra copies of IRF4 were identified in 18 PTCLs (7%), 83% of which were IRF4/MUM1 protein-positive. In contrast, 39% of cases without extra copies of IRF4 were IRF4/MUM1 protein-positive (p=0.0002). The mean percentage of tumor cells with IRF4/MUM1 staining was 69% in cases with extra copies of IRF4, compared to 30% in cases without extra copies (p=0.0001). Extra copies of IRF4 were seen in 13% of ALCLs, 4% each of PTCLs, NOS and cytotoxic PTCLs, 2% of CTCLs, and 0% of AITLs (p=0.02). Two IRF4/MUM1-positive cases had an IRF4/TRA@ translocation (1%). We selected 30 IRF4/MUM1-positive PTCLs for Sanger sequencing. In this subset, we identified a previously undescribed non-synonymous variant in exon 5 (S309R) in 1 case (3%) without an extra copy of IRF4. Conclusions Extra copies of IRF4 are seen in ∼7% of PTCLs, are significantly associated with IRF4/MUM1 expression, and are preferentially observed in ALCLs. Both IRF4/TRA@ translocations and IRF4 mutations are rare in PTCLs. These data suggest that genetic abnormalities of the IRF4 gene – specifically extra copies of IRF4 – may contribute to IRF4/MUM1 expression in some PTCLs. Since IRF4/MUM1 expression is seen in ∼42% of PTCLs, these data also imply the existence of other regulatory mechanisms. Characterizing these mechanisms may be important clinically, since IRF4/MUM1 has been proposed as a therapeutic target in human cancers but drugs that directly inhibit its function are currently not available. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Whole Exome Sequencing Among 26 Patients With Indeterminate Acute Liver Failure: A Pilot Study
Rakela, Jorge , Ganger, Daniel , Lau, Julie S., Cunningham, Julie M. , Dehankar, Mrunal , Baheti, Saurabh , Lee, William M. , Group, the Acute Liver Failure Study, Lau, Julie, Cunningham, Julie, Rule, Jody A. , Group, the Acute Liver Failure Study

Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology | October 14, 2019 | Volume: 10 | Issue: 10 | Pages: e00087

10.14309/ctg.0000000000000087 Get It

INTRODUCTION: The etiology of acute liver failure (ALF) remains an important prognostic factor. The Acute Liver Failure Study Group recently reported that 150 of 2,718 adult patients with ALF (5.5%) had an indeterminate etiology. Our aim was to use whole exome sequencing to identify genetic variants associated with phenotypic, biochemical, and histologic features among patients with indeterminate ALF. METHODS: This effort has defined a cohort of well-pedigreed patients with indeterminate ALF; DNA samples extracted from whole blood samples were obtained from 26 respective patients with indeterminate ALF. These samples were kept at the Acute Liver Failure Study Group repository at the NIDDK, Bethesda. Whole exome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed at the Mayo Clinic Center of Individualized Medicine in Rochester, MN. RESULTS: Of the 26 patients, 8 survived spontaneously, 6 died, and 12 underwent a liver transplantation; all those transplanted were alive at 21 days after enrollment in the study. Twenty-two of the 26 patients presented as ALF. We found 12 variants associated with 11 genes. The most common variant was rs4940595 in the SERPINB11 gene which was found in 23 of the 26 patients. This variant had a stop codon; no reports of disorders have been associated with this variant. The next most commonly found variant was rs1135840 in the CYP2D6 gene; this mutation is a missense_variant and has been reported to be associated with hepatotoxicity of antituberculous therapy. None of our patients were receiving this therapy. We also found a significant asymmetric distribution of rs1800754 of the CYP2D7 gene and rs1135840 of the CYP2D6 gene between patients who survived spontaneously (75%) and those who died or underwent liver transplantation (30.5% and 25%, respectively). DISCUSSION: We found 12 variants of 11 genes significantly associated with ALF among adults with i ndeterminate etiology. We also found a significant asymmetric distribution of 2 variants belonging to the CYP2D7 and CYP2D6 genes, respectively, between those who survived spontaneously and those who died or underwent liver transplantation. The 2 most common variants, rs4940595 and rs1135840, of the SERPINB11 and CYP2D6 genes, respectively, found in our patients with ALF have been described as potentially important in the adaptive response combating the emergence of infectious diseases and associated with hepatotoxicity of antituberculous therapy, respectively. Our findings need to be expanded to include more patients with indeterminate ALF as well as viral, drug toxicity, and autoimmune etiologies to determine whether our findings are associated with the specific etiology, indeterminate, or with the overall ALF syndrome itself.
Identification of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)-Associated Novel Variants in the ABO Gene Using Targeted Deep Sequencing
Asmann, Yan W. , Matsumoto, Martha, Armasu, Sebastian M. , Petterson, Tanya M. , Cunningham, Julie M. , Heit, John A. , Andrade, Mariza de , Middha, Sumit

Blood | October 14, 2019 | Volume: 118 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 709-709

10.1182/blood.v118.21.709.709 Get It

Abstract Abstract 709 Background: A recent analysis of merged genome-wide and candidate gene genotypes in VTE cases and controls identified multiple tag SNPs that were strongly associated with VTE. Objective: To identify rare and/or novel functional variants by sequencing the implicated genes. Methods: Cases (n=1488) were Mayo Clinic European-American patients of non-Hispanic ancestry with objectively-diagnosed VTE in the absence of active cancer, venous catheter or antiphospholipid antibodies. Controls (n=1439) were Mayo Clinic outpatients without VTE who were frequency-matched on case age, gender, race, MI/stroke status and state of residence. For this analysis, we selected a subset of these cases and controls for sequencing to take advantage of the joint configuration of two ABO SNPs of primary interest, rs8176719 (ABO exon 6 deletion determining type O blood group) and rs2519093 (ABO intron 1 tag SNP), which were previously shown to be strongly associated with VTE (p=5.7E-12 and p=3.0E-16, respectively). We randomly sampled 82 cases and 14 controls within 3 of the 9 potential allele frequency cells (Figure). The rs8176719 alleles are -−/−- (double deletion is the common allele), –/G, and G/G (the rare allele). The rs2519093 alleles are GG (G is the common allele), AG, and AA (A is the rare allele). For each SNP, the genotypes are represented as 0, 1, or 2 copies of the minor allele. We represented the joint allelic configuration of the two SNPs with the number of copies of the rs8176719 given first as 0/0 (both with 0 copies of the minor allele), 0/1, 0/2 (0 copies of the rs8176719 SNP), 1/0 (1 copy of the rare rs8176719 SNP), 1/1/, and 1/2, and 2/0 (2 copies of the rare allele for the rs8176719 SNP and 0 copies of the rare allele of the rs2519093 SNP), 2/1, and 2/2. From the Figure one observes discrepancies between cases and controls at the 0/0, 1/1 and 2/2 combinations. We randomly sampled from these three combinations, taking one third of the case series. For each SNP, we had 28 cases with 0/0 copies of the rare allele, 27 cases with 1/1 copies of the rare allele; and 27 cases with the combination of 2/2 copies of the rare allele. We compared these 82 cases with 14 controls that do not have any of these combinations. Sixteen genes were selected for deep sequencing, including 5 genes harboring SNPs significantly associated with VTE (F5, SLC19A2, ABO, NME7, ATP1B1), 10 genes with SNPs marginally associated with VTE (C1orf114, KLKB1, SELP, F11, SCUBE1, PRKCB1, CD44, ITPR1, GFRA1, BLZF1), and CYP4V2 which reportedly confounds F11 and KLKB1. Agilent SureSelect probes were designed to capture and enrich the ∼2 Mb genomic regions of these 16 genes. Samples were multiplexed (12-plex) and sequenced using Illumina HiSeq 2000. The sequence reads were aligned to the human genome build 36 using Burrows-Wheeler Aligner, and the single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and small INDELs were called using SNVMix and GATK, respectively. For this analysis, novel ABO SNVs were tested for an association with VTE using age-, sex-adjusted logistic regression and Fisher's Exact Test. Results: 98% of the targeted regions were sequenced with > 20X coverage. On average, ∼2500 SNVs and ∼200 INDELs were detected in each sample. Fifteen novel SNVs in intron 6 and 3' of the ABO gene were associated with VTE (p<E-06) and belonged to 3 distinctive LD blocks; none were in LD with the coding or tag ABO SNPs (rs8176719; rs2519093). SNVs inside the middle LD block at the 3' of ABO are located within an enhancer and promoter histone marked with putative transcription factor binding sites. In addition, strong evidence from both ENCODE and dbEST support the middle LD block as lying within a novel transcript, probably an extension of the 3' of ABO. In addition, we discovered a novel, significant, protective, frame-shifting single base (G) deletion at ABO chr9:135120877. Conclusion: Novel ABO functional variants that are associated with VTE were identified by deep sequencing. Disclosures: Heit: Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria.
Association of Gene-Gene Interactions with Venous Thromboembolism (VTE): A Merged/Imputed Genome-Wide Scan/Candidate-Gene Case-Control Study
Heit, John A. , Armasu, Sebastian M. , Matsumoto, Martha, Petterson, Tanya M. , Rider, David N., Cunningham, Julie M. , Asmann, Yan W. , Andrade, Mariza de

Blood | October 13, 2019 | Volume: 118 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 1242-1242

10.1182/blood.v118.21.1242.1242 Get It

Abstract Abstract 1242 Background: While bivariate interactions between Factor V Leiden, prothrombin G20201A and hereditary deficiency of antithrombin, protein C and protein S compound VTE risk, whether other gene-gene interactions are associated with VTE is largely unknown. Objective: To test novel gene-gene interactions for an association with VTE. Methods: Genome-wide scan (Illumina 660Q [557,112 SNPs]) and candidate gene (12,551 SNPs in 764 genes within the anticoagulant, procoagulant, fibrinolytic and innate immunity pathways) genotypes from 1270 non-Hispanic adults of European ancestry with objectively-diagnosed VTE (cases; no cancer, venous catheter or antiphospholipid antibodies) and 1302 controls (frequency-matched on case age, gender, race, MI/stroke status) were merged and imputed to about 2.5 million SNPs with MACH using HapMap Phase 2 (60 CEU). We tested all pairwise SNP-SNP interactions using a 2-stage procedure (fast epistasis in the first stage and age, gender, MI/stroke status and state of residence adjusted analysis using logistic regression in the second stage). Results: The mean ± standard deviation case and control ages were 54.4 ± 16.2 and 55.6 ± 15.8 years, respectively and 51% were female. Among 2.299×10^12 pairwise interactions tested, 900 million reached a p-value<E-06 and were be tested in the second stage. Of these, 2417, 278 and 22 SNP-SNP interactions reached p-values ≤1E-9, 1E–10, and1E-11 respectively; 121 SNP-SNP interactions reached the Bonferroni statistical significance threshold (≤5.555659E-11). The gene-gene pairwise interactions with p-values≤1E-11 were: (1) chromosome 3 open reading frame 70 (C3orf70) – short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR family) member 4 (DHRS4), (2) 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase 4 (AGPAT4) - NIMA (never in mitosis gene a)-related kinase 6 (NEK6), and (3) TatD DNase domain containing 2 (TATDN2) – WAS protein family, member 3 (WASF3). No gene function data are available for C3orf70. DHRS4 encodes for a 3-ketosteroid reductase important for active steroid hormone regulation, AGPAT4 is important for signal transduction and lipid biosynthesis, NEK6 encodes for Nek6 which downregulates p53-induced cancer cell senescence, TATDN2 encodes a deoxyribonuclease, WASF3 encodes for a member of the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family which are key regulators of signal transduction and cytoskeletal reorganization in hematopoietic cells. Conclusion: Pairwise gene-gene interaction analyses suggest potential associations between VTE and novel genes for future testing in replication studies. Disclosures: Heit: Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria.
A Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) Of Event-Free Survival In Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Treated With Rituximab and Anthracycline-Based Chemotherapy: A Lysa and Iowa/Mayo Clinic SPORE Multistage Study
Ghesquières, Hervé , Véron, Amélie S, Novak, Anne J. , Béné, Marie C. , Lamy, Thierry , Ansell, Stephen M. , Tilly, Hervé , Cunningham, Julie M. , Olswold, Curtis L., Asmann, Yan W. , Molina, Thierry Jo , Salles, Gilles , Salles, Gilles A , Slager, Susan L. , Jardin, Fabrice , Maurer, Matthew J. , Fest, Thierry , Habermann, Thomas M. , Haïoun, Corinne , Witzig, Thomas E. , Feldman, Andrew L. , Doǧan, Ahmet , Link, Brian K. , Milpied, Noel Jean , Cox, David G. , Cerhan, James R.

Blood | October 13, 2019 | Volume: 122 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 76-76

10.1182/blood.v122.21.76.76 Get It

Abstract Background Relatively few studies have evaluated the role of host (germline) genetics in predicting outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and of these, most were small candidate gene studies without replication and/or from the pre-R-CHOP era. We report the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of outcome in DLBCL patients treated with rituximab and anthracycline-based chemotherapy. We used two independent studies for discovery, and validated the results in two additional independent studies. Methods In the discovery phase, we conducted a meta-analysis of two GWAS studies of DLBCL patients treated with rituximab and anthracycline-based chemotherapy, the first study as part of the prospective clinical trials of the LNH2003B program (N=540) of the Lymphoma Study Association (LYSA) and the second as part of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (N=316), a prospective observational study from the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE). Genotyping for the GWAS was performed using the Illumina 610 (LYSA) and 660 Quad (SPORE) BeadArrays (Illumina, San Diego, USA). HapMap2 was used to impute additional SNPs. Association testing was conducted assuming a log-additive genetic model and using Cox regression analyses. We calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for event-free survival (EFS), with adjustment for age, sex and age-adjusted IPI. The two studies were then combined using the fixed effects inverse variance method based on the beta estimates and standard errors from each study. From the meta-analysis, 89 SNPs were selected for validation, based on a minor allele frequency (MAF) >0.05 and LD pattern for multiple SNPs from the same region. Validation cohorts were an independent set of DLBCL patients from the SPORE (SPORE-2, N=366) and DLBCL patients from the prospective GOELAMS 075 phase III study (N=294), and validation genotyping was conducted using the Illumina VeraCode platform. We then conducted a meta-analysis of the 4 studies. We report SNPs with both a statistical significance of p<5x10-6 and effect sizes in the same direction across the 4 studies in the meta-analysis. For the latter SNPs, we also report the results for overall survival (OS), adjusted for age, sex and age-adjusted IPI. Results In the final meta-analysis of all four studies for the prediction of EFS, the top SNP was rs7765004 (MAF=0.30; HR=1.45; p=9.7 x 10-8) in the 6q21 region, which is near the MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate) and HDAC2 genes. MARCKS encodes for a protein involved in cell mobility, while HDAC2 belongs to the histone deacetylase family. Additional SNPs from this region included rs6918103 (MAF=0.25; HR=1.38; p=7.6 x 10-6), which marks an EZH2 histone binding site, and rs11969684 (MAF=0.12; HR=1.43; p=3.3 x 10-5). The next hit was rs7712513 (MAF=0.31; HR=1.40; p=3.2 x 10-7), which is near arginine-fifty homeobox pseudogene 1 (ARGFXP1) on chromosome 5q23.2. This was followed by a region on chromosome 8q13.3, with the SNP rs9298183 (MAF=0.29; HR=1.41; p=1.4 x 10-6) from LOC100132891 showing the strongest association, along with 3 other SNPs from this region (rs2035376, rs6472637, and rs1600797; all p<5 x 10-6). These SNPs are near the musculin gene (MSC) a transcriptional repressor of E2A frequently silenced by promoter methylation in DLBCL. Finally, rs2253986 (MAF=0.27; HR=1.39; p=3.4 x 10-6) at chromosome 16q12.2, along with rs2253971 and rs6499810, were associated with EFS. These SNPs are located in CES5A (carboxylesterase 5A), which encodes a member of the carboxylesterase family. The family members are responsible for the hydrolysis or transesterification of various xenobiotics. The top SNPs associated with EFS also predicted OS, including rs7765004 (HR=1.41; p=1.2 x 10-5), rs7712513 (HR=1.39; p=8.4 x 10-6), rs9298183 (HR=1.36; p=3.5 x 10-5), and rs2253986 (HR=1.35; p=5.2 x 10-5). Conclusions Although our top SNPs on did not reach genome-wide significance (p<5x10-8), they showed clear consistency across the four large prospective studies and predicted both EFS and OS independently of IPI. The strongest findings were from loci on 6q21, 8q13.3, 5q23.2, and 16q12.2, and several genes from these regions are involved in methylation and xenobiotic metabolism, supporting a role for host genetic variation in these pathways in DLBCL prognosis. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in Genes for Glutathione-Related Metabolism, Cyclin D1, and DNA Repair As Predictive Biomarkers in Mantle Cell Lymphoma Patients Treated with R-HyperCVAD with Ten Year Clinical Follow-up,
Wei, Caimiao, Moyer, Ann M. , Cunningham, Julie M. , Wang, Lühua , Fayad, Luis , Rodriguez, Maria Alma , Romaguera, Jorge , Thompson, Michael A. , Feng, Lei , Cabanillas, Fernando , Kantarjian, Hagop M. , Kwak, Larry W.

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 118 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 3650-3650

10.1182/blood.v118.21.3650.3650 Get It

Abstract Abstract 3650 Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive lymphoma with poor prognosis. Cyclin D1 (CCND1) gene amplification is a marker of MCL. Glutathione (GSH) S-transferase pi (GSTP1) is a gene on the same amplicon as CCND1. Alternative splicing of CCND1 is mediated by an A/G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the exon 4 splice donor region. Inhibition of GSTP1 activity increased the sensitivity of MCL cell lines to cisplatin, cytarabine and bortezomib, but not doxorubicin suggesting its importance for drug resistance (Paret et al, 2005, ASH Abst #2806). Other GSH-related proteins were hypothesized to potentially be predictive biomarkers. We retrospectively analyzed DNA samples from MCL patients in a clinical trial with uniform first line chemoimmunotherapy treatment in order to study potential prognostic and predictive molecular markers including: GST M1/T1 gene copy number as well as SNPs for CCND1, GSTP1 and other GSH metabolism family of genes (described in Moyer et al, 2010 CEBP). Methods: DNA was available from 89 MCL patients treated with R-HyperCVAD from 1999 to 2002 at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC). The CCND1 exon 4 (codon 242) SNP was evaluated using pyrosequencing. GST copy numbers were determined as previously described (Moyer et al., 2007 CCR). GSH-related gene SNP testing was performed at the Mayo Clinic Advanced Genomic Technology Center using an Illumina Golden Gate 384 plex panel [290 GSH-related SNPs (30 genes) and 94 additional SNPs in DNA damage repair and other pathways (19 genes] for GSTs and related GSH metabolism genes including GSH synthetase and GSH transporters. Comparison to ten year clinical data with an 8 year median follow-up was used under an IRB approved protocol (Romaguera et al., 2010, Br J Haematol). For overall survival (OS) and failure free survival (FFS), each SNP was first examined by the method of Kaplan and Meier and the log-rank test. To account for multiple testing (of 300+ SNP), we used a beta-uniform mixture model to model the sets of p-values for OS and FFS separately. SNPs that had a false discovery rate (FDR) adjusted p-value of less than 0.2 were evaluated with Cox proportional hazard models to examine the association between SNP and time to event. When there was evidence of non-proportional hazards, we fitted Bayesian parametric accelerated failure regression model. All tests are two-sided. All analyses were done using SAS (v 9.1, Cary, NC) and the R statistical project (http://www.r-project.org/). Results: Fifteen SNPs were significantly associated with FFS or OS in univariable analysis using a FDR q-value cut off of 0.2 (Table). Ten of these SNPs remained significant with FFS or OS after adjustment for age. Prognostic SNPs included GST (GSTO1, GSTO2, GSTA5) and DNA repair (LIG1, ERCC2, RAD52) genes. GST M1/T1 gene copy numbers and SNPs for GSTP1 and CCND1 were not found to be significantly associated with FFS and OS. Conclusion: DNA repair and GSH-associated gene SNPs correlated with OS and FFS in MCL patients treated with R-HyperCVAD at ten years follow-up. This is the largest MCL molecular marker study of which we are aware in a uniformly treated patient group and includes over 300 SNPs including CCND1, GSTP1, and GSH-associated metabolism pathway genes. Additional clinical trials may look at these SNPs in correlative studies. Statistically Significant SNPs Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.