Genotypic variability-based genome-wide association study identifies non-additive loci HLA-C and IL12B for psoriasis

J Hum Genet. 2018 Mar;63(3):289-296. doi: 10.1038/s10038-017-0350-6. Epub 2017 Dec 19.

Abstract

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified a number of loci for psoriasis but largely ignored non-additive effects. We report a genotypic variability-based GWAS (vGWAS) that can prioritize non-additive loci without requiring prior knowledge of interaction types or interacting factors in two steps, using a mixed model to partition dichotomous phenotypes into an additive component and non-additive environmental residuals on the liability scale and then the Levene's (Brown-Forsythe) test to assess equality of the residual variances across genotype groups genome widely. The vGWAS identified two genome-wide significant (P < 5.0e-08) non-additive loci HLA-C and IL12B that were also genome-wide significant in an accompanying GWAS in the discovery cohort. Both loci were statistically replicated in vGWAS of an independent cohort with a small sample size. HLA-C and IL12B were reported in moderate gene-gene and/or gene-environment interactions in several occasions. We found a moderate interaction with age-of-onset of psoriasis, which was replicated indirectly. The vGWAS also revealed five suggestive loci (P < 6.76e-05) including FUT2 that was associated with psoriasis with environmental aspects triggered by virus infection and/or metabolic factors. Replication and functional investigation are needed to validate the suggestive vGWAS loci.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Cohort Studies
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  • Genetic Variation*
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Genotype*
  • HLA-C Antigens / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-12 Subunit p40 / genetics*
  • Models, Genetic
  • Phenotype
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Psoriasis / genetics*
  • Quantitative Trait Loci*

Substances

  • HLA-C Antigens
  • IL12B protein, human
  • Interleukin-12 Subunit p40