Nat Genet. 2012 Apr 15
Taal HR, St Pourcain B, Thiering E, Das S, Mook-Kanamori DO, Warrington NM, Kaakinen M, Kreiner-Møller E, Bradfield JP, Freathy RM, Geller F, Guxens M, Cousminer DL, Kerkhof M, Timpson NJ, Ikram MA, Beilin LJ, Bønnelykke K, Buxton JL, Charoen P, Chawes BL, Eriksson J, Evans DM, Hofman A, Kemp JP, Kim CE, Klopp N, Lahti J, Lye SJ, McMahon G, Mentch FD, Müller-Nurasyid M, O’Reilly PF, Prokopenko I, Rivadeneira F, Steegers EA, Sunyer J, Tiesler C, Yaghootkar H; Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genetic Epidemiology Consortium, Breteler MM, Decarli C, Breteler MM, Debette S, Fornage M, Gudnason V, Launer LJ, van der Lugt A, Mosley TH Jr, Seshadri S, Smith AV, Vernooij MW; Early Genetics & Lifecourse Epidemiology Consortium, Blakemore AI, Chiavacci RM, Feenstra B, Fernandez-Banet J, Grant SF, Hartikainen AL, van der Heijden AJ, Iñiguez C, Lathrop M, McArdle WL, Mølgaard A, Newnham JP, Palmer LJ, Palotie A, Pouta A, Ring SM, Sovio U, Standl M, Uitterlinden AG, Wichmann HE, Vissing NH, DeCarli C, van Duijn CM, McCarthy MI, Koppelman GH, Estivill X, Hattersley AT, Melbye M, Bisgaard H, Pennell CE, Widen E, Hakonarson H, Smith GD, Heinrich J, Jarvelin MR, Jaddoe VW; Early Growth Genetics Consortium.
Abstract
To identify genetic variants associated with head circumference in infancy, we performed a meta-analysis of seven genome-wide association studies (GWAS) (N = 10,768 individuals of European ancestry enrolled in pregnancy and/or birth cohorts) and followed up three lead signals in six replication studies (combined N = 19,089). rs7980687 on chromosome 12q24 (P = 8.1 × 10(-9)) and rs1042725 on chromosome 12q15 (P = 2.8 × 10(-10)) were robustly associated with head circumference in infancy. Although these loci have previously been associated with adult height, their effects on infant head circumference were largely independent of height (P = 3.8 × 10(-7) for rs7980687 and P = 1.3 × 10(-7) for rs1042725 after adjustment for infant height). A third signal, rs11655470 on chromosome 17q21, showed suggestive evidence of association with head circumference (P = 3.9 × 10(-6)). SNPs correlated to the 17q21 signal have shown genome-wide association with adult intracranial volume, Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, indicating that a common genetic variant in this region might link early brain growth with neurological disease in later life.
PMID: 22504419
