Genomic analysis of traits related to metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K14757
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 45010:Genetics-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University (2019); Tohoku University (2018)
• Principal Investigator: Gervais Olivier 京都大学, スーパーグローバルコース医学生命系ユニット, 特定研究員 (10707988)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: Regional heritability / Metabolic syndrome / Chronic kidney disease / Japanese population

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Japan, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and metabolic syndrome (MS), which is known to be strongly related to CKD onset and progression, have become national public health issues. For this reason, it is critical to conduct research on traits related to CKD and MS (for instance BMI and cholesterol levels) to determine how much of the variation seen in the population is due to differences in the genome, as well as identify related genes. In this research project, we estimated the heritability, i.e. the variation in phenotypes that is due to variation in the genome, for a wide range of traits related to MS and CKD. We also developed computer programs to apply complex statistical models for the analysis of genomic data, and identified a number of associated genes. We have presented our results at international conferences on genetics and in the peer-reviewed scientific journal literature.

Free Research Field

ゲノミックス、生物統計学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

CKDは全国で約1,330万人が罹患しており、慢性腎臓病の発症・進行には生活習慣病や肥満等、MSが深く関連している。このような状況から考えると、CKD及びMSの遺伝性の推定や、関与する遺伝子の同定は非常に重要であり、緊急に対処すべき課題だと考える。本研究により、CKD及びMSに関連する形質を解析することで、遺伝の効果や、日本人の遺伝的な特性が明らかになった。本研究の対象である東日本大震災の被災地住民の健康管理の観点から考えると、遺伝的な要因が強い形質においては家系により対応を変える等、より細かな指導への実現に貢献している。