Association of Parental Prenatal Mental Health on Offspring Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Parental prenatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD) are linked to child neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), but evaluations of the magnitude and mechanisms of this association are limited. This study estimates the strength of the association and whether it is impacted by genetic and environmental factors. Method: A systematic search of PubMed, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, OVID, and Google Scholar was performed for articles published from January 1988 to January 2024. Of 2,170 articles screened, 64 met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses were conducted on 20 studies, and 44 were included in the narrative synthesis. We conducted random-effects meta-analyses, along with tests for heterogeneity (I2) and publication bias (Egger's test). The review followed PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. Results: Maternal PMADs were associated with a significantly increased risk of ADHD (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.45-2.52) and ASD (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.37-1.81) in children. Paternal PMADs were also associated with the risk of NDDs, with combined odds for ASD and ADHD (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.15-1.34). Several studies suggested that the link between parental PMADs and offspring NDDs might be impacted by both genetic and environmental factors, including the impact of ongoing parental depression on child behavior. Conclusions and Relevance: Parental PMADs are significantly associated with an increased risk of NDDs in children. These associations may be influenced by both genetic predispositions and environmental factors. Understanding these pathways is important for informing interventions aimed at mitigating mental health risks in families and supporting child development.

CLINICAL AND COGNITIVE PHENOTYPING OF COPY NUMBER VARIANTS PATHOGENIC FOR NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS FROM A MULTI-ANCESTRY BIOBANK.

Background: Rare copy number variants (CNVs) are pathogenic for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and effect neurocognitive impairment. In aggregate, NDD CNVs may present in up to 2% of population cohorts with implications for neuropsychiatric disease risk and cognitive health. However, analyses of NDD CNVs in biobanks or population cohorts have been hindered by limited clinical or cognitive phenotypes, and a lack of ancestral diversity. In the current proof-of-concept study, NDD CNV carriers were recontacted from BioMe, a multi-ancestry biobank derived from the Mount Sinai healthcare system, to enable 'deep phenotyping' beyond electronic health record outcomes. Methods: From BioMe biobank, 892 adult participants were recontacted, including 335 harboring NDD CNVs, 217 with schizophrenia and 340 neurotypical controls as comparators. Clinical and cognitive assessments were administered to each recruited participant. Results: Seventy-three participants completed study assessments (mean age=48.8 years; 66% female; 36% African, 26% European, 34% Hispanic), or 8% of the recontacted subset, including 30 NDD CNV carriers across 15 loci. Among NDD CNV carriers, assessments indicated 40% with mood and anxiety disorders, 30% with learning disorders, and 13% with a history of special education. NDD CNV carriers were significantly cognitively impaired compared to controls on digit span backwards (Beta=-1.76, FDR=0.04) and digit span sequencing (Beta=-2.01, FDR=0.04). Conclusions: Feasibility of "recall-by-genotype" from a multi-ancestry biobank was established for NDD CNV carriers, along with comparator groups. The current study corroborated past reports of NDD CNVs effects of cognitive impairment, while elucidating clinical phenotypes for recalled individuals. Future "recall-by-genotype" studies may further facilitate clinical characterization of disease-relevant genomic variants.

Genome-wide association study identifies 30 obsessive-compulsive disorder associated loci.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects ~1% of the population and exhibits a high SNP-heritability, yet previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have provided limited information on the genetic etiology and underlying biological mechanisms of the disorder. We conducted a GWAS meta-analysis combining 53,660 OCD cases and 2,044,417 controls from 28 European-ancestry cohorts revealing 30 independent genome-wide significant SNPs and a SNP-based heritability of 6.7%. Separate GWAS for clinical, biobank, comorbid, and self-report sub-groups found no evidence of sample ascertainment impacting our results. Functional and positional QTL gene-based approaches identified 249 significant candidate risk genes for OCD, of which 25 were identified as putatively causal, highlighting WDR6, DALRD3, CTNND1 and genes in the MHC region. Tissue and single-cell enrichment analyses highlighted hippocampal and cortical excitatory neurons, along with D1- and D2-type dopamine receptor-containing medium spiny neurons, as playing a role in OCD risk. OCD displayed significant genetic correlations with 65 out of 112 examined phenotypes. Notably, it showed positive genetic correlations with all included psychiatric phenotypes, in particular anxiety, depression, anorexia nervosa, and Tourette syndrome, and negative correlations with a subset of the included autoimmune disorders, educational attainment, and body mass index.. This study marks a significant step toward unraveling its genetic landscape and advances understanding of OCD genetics, providing a foundation for future interventions to address this debilitating disorder.

Identification of moderate effect size genes in autism spectrum disorder through a novel gene pairing approach.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) arises from complex genetic and environmental factors, with inherited genetic variation playing a substantial role. This study introduces a novel approach to uncover moderate effect size (MES) genes in ASD, which individually do not meet the ASD liability threshold but collectively contribute when paired with specific other MES genes. Analyzing 10,795 families from the SPARK dataset, we identified 97 MES genes forming 50 significant gene pairs, demonstrating a substantial association with ASD when considered in tandem, but not individually. Our method leverages familial inheritance patterns and statistical analyses, refined by comparisons against control cohorts, to elucidate these gene pairs' contribution to ASD liability. Furthermore, expression profile analyses of these genes in brain tissues underscore their relevance to ASD pathology. This study underscores the complexity of ASD's genetic landscape, suggesting that gene combinations, beyond high impact single-gene mutations, significantly contribute to the disorder's etiology and heterogeneity. Our findings pave the way for new avenues in understanding ASD's genetic underpinnings and developing targeted therapeutic strategies.

Familial risk of postpartum psychosis.

Objective: Postpartum psychosis, a mood disorder triggered by childbirth, is one of the most severe psychiatric conditions, with high risks of suicide and infanticide if untreated. While it is evident that genetic factors play a crucial role in disorder risk, the exact extent of their importance is yet to be determined. Methods: This cohort study consisted of 1,648,759 women from the Swedish nationwide registers, of whom 2,514 (0.15%) experienced postpartum psychosis within three months of their first-ever childbirth. We estimated the relative recurrence risk of postpartum psychosis for female full siblings and cousins as a measure of familial, genetic, and environmental risk. Results: Relative recurrence risk of postpartum psychosis in full siblings was 10.69 (95% CI=6.60-16.26) when adjusted for year of and age at childbirth. Although cousins showed an elevated relative recurrence risk, these results did not reach statistical significance (1.78, 95% CI=0.70-3.62). Despite the higher familial risk of postpartum psychosis among full siblings, the absolute risk for women with an affected sibling is relatively low, estimated at 1.55% within the entire population. Conclusions: The observed increased risk of postpartum psychosis in full siblings suggests both genetic and shared environmental influences. However, the lack of significant results in cousins hampers a definitive distinction between these factors. Furthermore, despite increased relative recurrence risk in siblings, their overall likelihood of developing postpartum psychosis remains low. Our study underscores the need for further research to better understand the intricate interplay of genetics and environment in the development of postpartum psychosis.

Interactions of perinatal depression versus anxiety and infants' early temperament trajectories.

This study examines the interplay between maternal depression/anxiety and infant temperament's developmental trajectory in 1687 Swedish-speaking mother-infant dyads from Uppsala County (2009-2019), Sweden. The sample includes a high proportion of university-educated individuals and a low share of foreign-born participants. Maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale during gestational weeks 17 and 32 and postpartum at week 6. Multinomial regression explored associations between maternal variables and infant temperament trajectories at 6 weeks, 12 months, and 18 months. Prenatal anxiety is associated with the high-rising infant difficult temperament trajectory, while prenatal depression/anhedonia is associated with the stable-medium trajectory, attenuated postpartum. Associations between infant temperament and maternal mood depended on timing (pre/postpartum) and symptom type (depression/anhedonia vs. anxiety).

Direct additive genetics and maternal effect contribute to the risk of Tourette disorder.

BACKGROUND: Risk for Tourette disorder, and chronic motor or vocal tic disorders (referenced here inclusively as CTD), arise from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. While multiple studies have demonstrated the importance of direct additive genetic variation for CTD risk, little is known about the role of cross-generational transmission of genetic risk, such as maternal effect, which is not transmitted via the inherited parental genomes. Here, we partition sources of variation on CTD risk into direct additive genetic effect (narrow-sense heritability) and maternal effect. METHODS: The study population consists of 2 522 677 individuals from the Swedish Medical Birth Register, who were born in Sweden between 1 January 1973 and 31 December 2000, and followed for a diagnosis of CTD through 31 December, 2013. We used generalised linear mixed models to partition the liability of CTD into: direct additive genetic effect, genetic maternal effect and environmental maternal effect. RESULTS: We identified 6227 (0.2%) individuals in the birth cohort with a CTD diagnosis. A study of half-siblings showed that maternal half-siblings had twice higher risk of developing a CTD compared with paternal ones. We estimated 60.7% direct additive genetic effect (95% credible interval, 58.5% to 62.4%), 4.8% genetic maternal effect (95% credible interval, 4.4% to 5.1%) and 0.5% environmental maternal effect (95% credible interval, 0.2% to 7%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate genetic maternal effect contributes to the risk of CTD. Failure to account for maternal effect results in an incomplete understanding of the genetic risk architecture of CTD, as the risk for CTD is impacted by maternal effect which is above and beyond the risk from transmitted genetic effect.

Association Between Mental Health and Reproductive System Disorders in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Reproductive system and mental health disorders are commonly comorbid in women. Although the causes of this overlap remain elusive, evidence suggests potential shared environmental and genetic factors associated with risk. Objective: To investigate the comorbidity between psychiatric and reproductive system disorders, both as broad diagnostic categories and among specific pairs of diagnoses. Data Source: PubMed. Study Selection: Observational studies published between January 1980 and December 2019 assessing prevalence of psychiatric disorders in women with reproductive system disorders and prevalence of reproductive system disorders in women with psychiatric disorders were included. The study did not include psychiatric and reproductive disorders triggered by life events (eg, trauma, infection, surgery) to address potential confounding. Data Extraction and Synthesis: A search yielded 1197 records, of which 50 met the inclusion criteria for the qualitative and 31 for the quantitative synthesis in our study. A random-effects model was used for data synthesis and Egger test and I2 to assess study bias and heterogeneity. Data were analyzed from January to December 2022. This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guideline. Main Outcomes and Measures: Psychiatric and reproductive system disorders. Results: A total of 1197 records were identified, of which 50 met the inclusion criteria for qualitative and 31 for quantitative synthesis. Diagnosis of a reproductive system disorder was associated with a 2- to 3-fold increased odds of having a psychiatric disorder (lower bound odds ratio [OR], 2.00; 95% CI, 1.41-2.83; upper bound OR; 2.88; 95% CI, 2.21-3.76). The analysis focused on specific diagnoses described in the literature and found that polycystic ovary syndrome was associated with increased odds of depression (population-based studies OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.19-2.45; clinical studies OR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.57-4.23) and anxiety (population-based studies OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.36-2.10; clinical studies OR, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.98-4.09). Chronic pelvic pain was also associated with both depression (OR, 3.91; 95% CI, 1.81-8.46) and anxiety (OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.33-4.08). Few studies investigated risk of other reproductive system disorders in women with psychiatric disorders, or reverse associations (risk of reproductive system disorder among women with a psychiatric diagnosis). Conclusions and Relevance: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, a high rate of reported co-occurrence between psychiatric and reproductive disorders overall was observed. However, data for many disorder pairs were limited. The available literature focused overwhelmingly on affective disorders in polycystic ovary syndrome, overlooking a substantial portion of disease overlap. As such, the associations between the majority of mental health outcomes and conditions of the female reproductive system are largely unknown.

Comorbidities in autism spectrum disorder and their etiologies.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in addition to the core features of the disease, experience a higher burden of co-occurring medical conditions. This study sought to describe the frequency and distribution of comorbidit conditions in individuals with ASD, and systematically evaluate the possibility that pre- and postnatal exposures (e.g., preterm birth, hypoxia at birth, traumatic brain injury, and fetal alcohol syndrome) associated with ASD may also be linked with distinct comorbidities. We used the SPARK study database, launched by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). Comorbidities considered in the study included neurological, cognitive, psychiatric, and physical conditions. The study sample consisted of 42,569 individuals with ASD and their 11,389 non-ASD siblings (full and half siblings). Majority (74%) of individuals with ASD had at least one comorbidity, and had a greater average number of comorbidities than their non-ASD siblings. Preterm birth and hypoxia at birth were the most common peri-natal exposures in the sample. In logistic regression models adjusted for covariates, these exposures were associated with several distinct comorbidities in ASD cases, including attention and behavior problems, psychiatric and neurological disorders, and growth conditions. A similar pattern of association was also observed in non-ASD siblings. Our findings underscore that individuals with ASD experience a greater burden of comorbidities, which could be partly attributable to the higher rates of perinatal exposures compared to their non-ASD siblings. Study findings, if replicated in other samples, can inform the etiology of comorbidity in ASD.

Phenotypic Impact of Rare Potentially Damaging Copy Number Variation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Chronic Tic Disorders.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies report an important-and previously underestimated-role of rare variation in risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and chronic tic disorders (CTD). Using data from a large epidemiological study, we evaluate the distribution of potentially damaging copy number variation (pdCNV) in OCD and CTD, examining associations between pdCNV and the phenotypes of probands, including a consideration of early- vs. late-diagnoses. METHOD: The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) questionnaire was used to ascertain psychometric profiles of OCD probands. CNV were identified genome-wide using chromosomal microarray data. RESULTS: For 993 OCD cases, 86 (9%) were identified as pdCNV carriers. The most frequent pdCNV found was at the 16p13.11 region. There was no significant association between pdCNV and the OCI-R total score. However, pdCNV was associated with Obsessing and Checking subscores. There was no significant difference in pdCNV frequency between early- vs. late-diagnosed OCD probands. Of the 217 CTD cases, 18 (8%) were identified as pdCNV carriers. CTD probands with pdCNV were significantly more likely to have co-occurring autism spectrum disorder (ASD). CONCLUSIONS: pdCNV represents part of the risk architecture for OCD and CTD. If replicated, our findings suggest pdCNV impact some OCD symptoms. Genes within the 16p13.11 region are potential OCD risk genes.

Rare coding variation provides insight into the genetic architecture and phenotypic context of autism.

Some individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) carry functional mutations rarely observed in the general population. We explored the genes disrupted by these variants from joint analysis of protein-truncating variants (PTVs), missense variants and copy number variants (CNVs) in a cohort of 63,237 individuals. We discovered 72 genes associated with ASD at false discovery rate (FDR) ≤ 0.001 (185 at FDR ≤ 0.05). De novo PTVs, damaging missense variants and CNVs represented 57.5%, 21.1% and 8.44% of association evidence, while CNVs conferred greatest relative risk. Meta-analysis with cohorts ascertained for developmental delay (DD) (n = 91,605) yielded 373 genes associated with ASD/DD at FDR ≤ 0.001 (664 at FDR ≤ 0.05), some of which differed in relative frequency of mutation between ASD and DD cohorts. The DD-associated genes were enriched in transcriptomes of progenitor and immature neuronal cells, whereas genes showing stronger evidence in ASD were more enriched in maturing neurons and overlapped with schizophrenia-associated genes, emphasizing that these neuropsychiatric disorders may share common pathways to risk.

Clinical Characterization of Copy Number Variants Associated With Neurodevelopmental Disorders in a Large-scale Multiancestry Biobank.

IMPORTANCE: Past studies identified rare copy number variants (CNVs) as risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. However, the clinical characterization of NDD CNVs is understudied in population cohorts unselected for neuropsychiatric disorders and in cohorts of diverse ancestry. OBJECTIVE: To identify individuals harboring NDD CNVs in a multiancestry biobank and to query their enrichment for select neuropsychiatric disorders as well as association with multiple medical disorders. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS: In a series of phenotypic enrichment and association analyses, NDD CNVs were clinically characterized among 24 877 participants in the BioMe biobank, an electronic health record-linked biobank derived from the Mount Sinai Health System, New York, New York. Participants were recruited into the biobank since September 2007 across diverse ancestry and medical and neuropsychiatric specialties. For the current analyses, electronic health record data were analyzed from May 2004 through May 2019. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: NDD CNVs were identified using a consensus of 2 CNV calling algorithms, based on whole-exome sequencing and genotype array data, followed by novel in-silico clinical assessments. RESULTS: Of 24 877 participants, 14 586 (58.7%) were female; self-reported ancestry categories included 5965 (24.0%) who were of African ancestry, 7892 (31.7%) who were of European ancestry, and 8536 (34.3%) who were of Hispanic ancestry; and the mean (SD) age was 50.5 (17.3) years. Among 24 877 individuals, the prevalence of 64 NDD CNVs was 2.5% (n = 627), with prevalence varying by locus, corroborating the presence of some relatively highly prevalent NDD CNVs (eg, 15q11.2 deletion/duplication). An aggregate set of NDD CNVs were enriched for congenital disorders (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5; P = .01) and major depressive disorder (odds ratio, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1-2.0; P = .01). In a meta-analysis of medical diagnoses (n = 195 hierarchically clustered diagnostic codes), NDD CNVs were significantly associated with several medical outcomes, including essential hypertension (z score = 3.6; P = 2.8 × 10-4), kidney failure (z score = 3.3; P = 1.1 × 10-3), and obstructive sleep apnea (z score = 3.4; P = 8.1 × 10-4) and, in another analysis, morbid obesity (z score = 3.8; P = 1.3 × 10-4). Further, NDD CNVs were associated with increased body mass index in a multiancestry analysis (ß = 0.19; 95% CI, 0.10-0.31; P = .003). For 36 common serum tests, there was no association with NDD CNVs. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Clinical features of individuals harboring NDD CNVs were elucidated in a large-scale, multiancestry biobank, identifying enrichments for congenital disorders and major depressive disorder as well as associations with several medical outcomes, including hypertension, kidney failure, and obesity and obesity-related phenotypes, specifically obstructive sleep apnea and increased body mass index. The association between NDD CNVs and obesity outcomes indicate further potential pleiotropy of NDD CNVs beyond neurodevelopmental outcomes previously reported. Future clinical genetic investigations may lead to insights of at-risk individuals and therapeutic strategies targeting specific genetic variants. The importance of diverse inclusion within biobanks and considering the effect of rare genetic variants in a multiancestry context is evident.

Psychometric properties of the Swedish translation of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised and the population characteristics of the symptom dimensions of OCD.

PURPOSE: EGOS is an epidemiological obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) cohort in Sweden. Individuals contributed DNA for genotyping and sequencing and completed a Swedish translation of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), a self-report questionnaire for assessing the severity of OCD. This study aimed first to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Swedish translation of the OCI-R and then shed light on the frequency, severity, and symptom dimensions of OCD comorbid with other psychiatric disorders. METHODS: OCI-R data were available for 1010 individuals diagnosed with OCD, and 124 individuals diagnosed with chronic tic disorders without OCD used as a comparison group. We first performed a confirmatory factor analysis to confirm the six-factor structure of OCI-R. Then, we estimated Cronbach's α coefficient and the generalizability coefficient to evaluate the internal consistency of the OCI-R. We linked the data from the Swedish national registries to access and analyze psychiatric comorbidities of OCD. RESULTS: The Swedish translation of OCI-R demonstrated internal consistency and clear agreement with the OCI-R six-factor model. The mean total OCI-R score for females was significantly higher than for males. The most comorbid psychiatric condition to OCD were anxiety disorders (13.6%) and major depression (12%). CONCLUSION: The Swedish translation of OCI-R was a valid and reliable measure for assessing the severity of OCD. We observed that individuals with OCD frequently had additional comorbid psychiatric disorders and that the severity of OCD was significantly higher in individuals with at least one additional psychiatric comorbidity as compared to individuals with no psychiatric comorbidity.

The Genetic Architecture of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Contribution of Liability to OCD From Alleles Across the Frequency Spectrum.

OBJECTIVE: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is known to be substantially heritable; however, the contribution of genetic variation across the allele frequency spectrum to this heritability remains uncertain. The authors used two new homogeneous cohorts to estimate the heritability of OCD from inherited genetic variation and contrasted the results with those of previous studies. METHODS: The sample consisted of 2,090 Swedish-born individuals diagnosed with OCD and 4,567 control subjects, all genotyped for common genetic variants, specifically >400,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with minor allele frequency (MAF) ≥0.01. Using genotypes of these SNPs to estimate distant familial relationships among individuals, the authors estimated the heritability of OCD, both overall and partitioned according to MAF bins. RESULTS: Narrow-sense heritability of OCD was estimated at 29% (SE=4%). The estimate was robust, varying only modestly under different models. Contrary to an earlier study, however, SNPs with MAF between 0.01 and 0.05 accounted for 10% of heritability, and estimated heritability per MAF bin roughly followed expectations based on a simple model for SNP-based heritability. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that common inherited risk variation (MAF ≥0.01) accounts for most of the heritable variation in OCD. SNPs with low MAF contribute meaningfully to the heritability of OCD, and the results are consistent with expectation under the "infinitesimal model" (also referred to as the "polygenic model"), where risk is influenced by a large number of loci across the genome and across MAF bins.

Systematic review and meta-analysis: relationships between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and urinary symptoms in children.

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), e.g., urinary frequency, pressure, urgency, and overactive bladder syndrome, are commonly reported in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Understanding the co-occurrence of these conditions has implications regarding clinical approaches, treatments, and improved quality of life. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the relationships between LUTS and ADHD in children. We searched for articles published between January 1990 and July 2019, in PubMed, CENTRAL, and PsycNet. Two authors independently screened all articles and extracted data. We performed random-effect meta-analyses for ADHD with pooled outcomes for LUTS. We identified 119 relevant articles in the literature and 18 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, of which, 5 articles had sufficient data for meta-analysis. Examining ADHD among individuals with LUTS, the odds ratio was 2.99 (95% CI 1.13, 7.88, p < 0.001), compared to controls. In multiple studies, the mean overall score for LUTS, using a standardized measure, was significantly higher in patients with ADHD in comparison to controls, and the severity of ADHD was positively associated with the severity of LUTS. Younger age in children was correlated with a higher LUTS score. Different subtypes of urinary incontinence demonstrated differences in behavioral problems and psychiatric comorbidity. Sex differences in LUTS were not consistent across articles. Our results indicate clinically significant associations between ADHD and LUTS in children. Because LUTS and ADHD are common disorders in children, clinicians should be aware of these associations as they inform optimal assessment and treatment strategies.

Family history of breast cancer is associated with elevated risk of prostate cancer: evidence for shared genetic risks.

INTRODUCTION: Although breast and prostate cancers arise in different organs and are more frequent in the opposite sex, multiple studies have reported an association between their family history. Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphism data, based on distant relatives, has revealed a small positive genetic correlation between these cancers explained by common variants. The estimate of genetic correlation based on close relatives reveals the extent to which shared genetic risks are explained by both common and rare variants. This estimate is unknown for breast and prostate cancer. METHOD: We estimated the relative risks, heritability, and genetic correlation of breast cancer and prostate cancer, based on the Minnesota Breast and Prostate Cancer Study, a family study of 141 families ascertained for breast cancer. RESULTS: Heritability of breast cancer was 0.34 (95% credible interval: 0.23-0.49) and 0.65 (95% credible interval: 0.36-0.97) for prostate cancer, and the genetic correlation was 0.23. In terms of odds ratios, these values correspond to a 1.3 times higher odds of breast cancer among probands, given that the brother has prostate cancer. CONCLUSION: This study shows the inherent relation between prostate cancer and breast cancer; an incident of one in a family increases the risk of developing the other. The large difference between estimates of genetic correlation from distant and close relatives, if replicated, suggests that rare variants contribute to the shared genetic risk of breast and prostate cancer. However, the difference could steam from genotype-by-family effects shared between the two types of cancers.

How rare and common risk variation jointly affect liability for autism spectrum disorder.

BACKGROUND: Genetic studies have implicated rare and common variations in liability for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Of the discovered risk variants, those rare in the population invariably have large impact on liability, while common variants have small effects. Yet, collectively, common risk variants account for the majority of population-level variability. How these rare and common risk variants jointly affect liability for individuals requires further study. METHODS: To explore how common and rare variants jointly affect liability, we assessed two cohorts of ASD families characterized for rare and common genetic variations (Simons Simplex Collection and Population-Based Autism Genetics and Environment Study). We analyzed data from 3011 affected subjects, as well as two cohorts of unaffected individuals characterized for common genetic variation: 3011 subjects matched for ancestry to ASD subjects and 11,950 subjects for estimating allele frequencies. We used genetic scores, which assessed the relative burden of common genetic variation affecting risk of ASD (henceforth "burden"), and determined how this burden was distributed among three subpopulations: ASD subjects who carry a potentially damaging variant implicated in risk of ASD ("PDV carriers"); ASD subjects who do not ("non-carriers"); and unaffected subjects who are assumed to be non-carriers. RESULTS: Burden harbored by ASD subjects is stochastically greater than that harbored by control subjects. For PDV carriers, their average burden is intermediate between non-carrier ASD and control subjects. Both carrier and non-carrier ASD subjects have greater burden, on average, than control subjects. The effects of common and rare variants likely combine additively to determine individual-level liability. LIMITATIONS: Only 305 ASD subjects were known PDV carriers. This relatively small subpopulation limits this study to characterizing general patterns of burden, as opposed to effects of specific PDVs or genes. Also, a small fraction of subjects that are categorized as non-carriers could be PDV carriers. CONCLUSIONS: Liability arising from common and rare risk variations likely combines additively to determine risk of any individual diagnosed with ASD. On average, ASD subjects carry a substantial burden of common risk variation, even if they also carry a rare PDV affecting risk.

Prevalence and phenotypic impact of rare potentially damaging variants in autism spectrum disorder.

BACKGROUND: The Autism Sequencing Consortium identified 102 high-confidence autism spectrum disorder (ASD) genes, showing that individuals with ASD and with potentially damaging single nucleotide variation (pdSNV) in these genes had lower cognitive levels and delayed age at walking, when compared to ASD participants without pdSNV. Here, we made use of a Swedish sample of individuals with ASD (called PAGES, for Population-Based Autism Genetics & Environment Study) to evaluate the frequency of pdSNV and their impact on medical and psychiatric phenotypes, using an epidemiological frame and universal health reporting. We then combine findings with those for potentially damaging copy number variation (pdCNV). METHODS: SNV and CNV calls were generated from whole-exome sequencing and chromosome microarray data, respectively. Birth and medical register data were used to collect phenotypes. RESULTS: Of 808 individuals assessed by sequencing, 69 (9%) had pdSNV in the 102 ASC genes, and 144 (18%) had pdSNV in the 102 ASC genes or in a larger set of curated neurodevelopmental genes (from the Deciphering Developmental Disorders study, the gene2phenotype database, and the Radboud University gene lists). Three or more individuals had pdSNV in GRIN2B, POGZ, SATB1, DYNC1H1, SCN8A, or CREBBP. In comparison, out of the 996 individuals from whom CNV were called, 105 (11%) carried one or more pdCNV, including four or more individuals with CNV in the recurrent 15q11q13, 22q11.2, and 16p11.2 loci. Carriers of pdSNV were more likely to have intellectual disability (ID) and epilepsy, while carriers of pdCNV showed increased rates of congenital anomalies and scholastic skill disorders. Carriers of either pdSNV or pdCNV were more likely to have ID, scholastic skill disorders, and epilepsy. LIMITATIONS: The cohort only included individuals with autistic disorder, the more severe form of ASD, and phenotypes are defined from medical registers. Not all genes studied are definitively ASD genes, and we did not have de novo information to aid in classification. CONCLUSIONS: In this epidemiological sample, rare pdSNV were more common than pdCNV and the combined yield of potentially damaging variation was substantial at 27%. The results provide compelling rationale for the use of high-throughout sequencing as part of routine clinical workup for ASD and support the development of precision medicine in ASD.

Systematic review and meta-analysis identify significant relationships between clinical anxiety and lower urinary tract symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), such as voiding symptoms, overactive bladder, and interstitial cystitis, and anxiety disorders are often comorbid conditions in patients. However, the existing evidence regarding the rates and nature of the co-occurrence of these conditions has not been systematically evaluated. The aim of this study was to examine these relationships. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the relationship between LUTS and anxiety. We searched for articles published from January 1990 to July 2019 in PubMed, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Outcomes were anxiety-related disorders and symptoms (clinically significant anxiety) and LUTS. We performed random-effects meta-analyses, inspected funnel plots, and applied the Egger's test to evaluate publication bias. We followed PRISMA guidelines and recorded our protocol on PROSPERO (ID = CRD42019118607). RESULTS: We identified 814 articles, of which 94 fulfilled inclusion criteria, and 23 had sufficient data for meta-analysis. The odds ratio (OR) for clinically significant anxiety among individuals with LUTS was 2.87 (95% CI: 2.38,3.46, p < .001). The OR for LUTS among individuals with clinically significant anxiety was 2.87 (95% CI: 1.07,7.74, p < .001), although very few studies examined this relationship. A large value of I2 index suggests high heterogeneity between studies. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate a significant association between clinically significant anxiety and LUTS in both females and males. There were limited studies on younger individuals and on individuals ascertained for clinically significant anxiety, which should motivate further study in these areas. Understanding the co-occurrence of these conditions will lead to better prevention and interventions to ameliorate the progression of the symptoms and improve the quality of life. A thorough assessment of anxiety may provide more optimal care for LUTS patients.

Genetics of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder with multiple symptom dimensions (e.g. contamination, symmetry). OCD clusters in families and decades of twin studies clearly demonstrate an important role for genetics in the etiology of the disorder. METHODS: In this review, we summarize the genetic epidemiology and molecular genetic studies of OCD and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. RESULTS: OCD is a heritable, polygenic disorder with contributions from both common and rare variants, including de novo deleterious variations. Multiple studies have provided reliable support for a large additive genetic contribution to liability to OCD, with discrete OCD symptom dimensions having both shared and unique genetic risks. Genome-wide association studies have not produced significant results yet, likely because of small sample sizes, but larger meta-analyses are forthcoming. Both twin and genome-wide studies show that OCD shares genetic risk with its comorbid conditions (e.g. Tourette syndrome and anorexia nervosa). CONCLUSIONS: Despite significant efforts to uncover the genetic basis of OCD, the mechanistic understanding of how genetic and environmental risk factors interact and converge at the molecular level to result in OCD's heterogeneous phenotype is still mostly unknown. Future investigations should increase ancestral genetic diversity, explore age and/or sex differences in genetic risk for OCD and expand the study of pharmacogenetics, gene expression, gene × environment interactions and epigenetic mechanisms for OCD.