ABSTRACT
In 2004 the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR) started a large scale biological sample collection in twin families to create a resource for genetic studies on health, lifestyle and personality. Between January 2004 and July 2008, adult participants from NTR research projects were invited into the study. During a home visit between 7:00 and 10:00 am, fasting blood and morning urine samples were collected. Fertile women were bled on day 2-4 of the menstrual cycle, or in their pill-free week. Biological samples were collected for DNA isolation, gene expression studies, creation of cell lines and for biomarker assessment. At the time of blood sampling, additional phenotypic information concerning health, medication use, body composition and smoking was collected. Of the participants contacted, 69% participated. Blood and urine samples were collected in 9,530 participants (63% female, average age 44.4 (SD 15.5) years) from 3,477 families. Lipid profile, glucose, insulin, HbA1c, haematology, CRP, fibrinogen, liver enzymes and creatinine have been assessed. Longitudinal survey data on health, personality and lifestyle are currently available for 90% of all participants. Genome-wide SNP data are available for 3,524 participants, with additional genotyping ongoing. The NTR biobank, combined with the extensive phenotypic information available within the NTR, provides a valuable resource for the study of genetic determinants of individual differences in mental and physical health. It offers opportunities for DNA-based and gene expression studies as well as for future metabolomic and proteomic projects.
Subject(s)
Biological Specimen Banks , Molecular Epidemiology/methods , Twin Studies as Topic/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Anthropometry , Biomarkers/blood , Biomarkers/urine , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Molecular Epidemiology/statistics & numerical data , Netherlands/epidemiology , Phenotype , Registries , Twins, Dizygotic/blood , Twins, Dizygotic/urine , Twins, Monozygotic/blood , Twins, Monozygotic/urineABSTRACT
Previous studies have shown an association between oxidative stress and various diseases in humans including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease. To what extents this damage is determined by genetic and environmental factors is unknown. In a classical twin study with 198 elderly twins we examined the contributions of genetic versus environmental factors to nucleic acid oxidation and lipid peroxidation. Urinary excretion of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoGuo), and dinor,dihydro F2-isoprostane metabolites (F2-IsoP-M) was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The environmental influence on nucleic acid oxidation and lipid peroxidation was predominant, leaving only little influence from genetic factors, as evidenced by no differences in intraclass correlations between monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins, neither for 8-oxodG (r(MZ)=0.55, r(DZ)=0.47; P=0.43), F(2)-IsoP-M (r(MZ)=0.33, r(DZ)=0.22; P=0.42), nor 8-oxoGuo (r(MZ)=0.45, r(DZ)=0.58; P=0.21). Accordingly, heritability estimates for the three markers of oxidative damage were low (h²=0.17-0.22). The three urinary markers of oxidative stress were closely correlated (r=0.60-0.84). In conclusion, we demonstrated in a large population of elderly Danish twins that "whole-body" oxidative damage to nucleic acids and lipids is predominantly determined by potentially modifiable nongenetic factors.