Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies discovers 67 new loci associated with chronic back pain

Abstract This multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) investigated the genetic factors underlying chronic back pain (CBP) in a sample from the Million Veteran Program comprised of 553,601 Veterans of African (19.2%), European (72.6%), and Hispanic (8.2%) ancestry. The...

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Main Authors: Ian B. Stanaway, Pradeep Suri, Niloofar Afari, Daniel Dochtermann, Armand Gerstenberger, Saiju Pyarajan, Eric J. Roseen, Million Veteran Program, Marianna Gasperi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-02-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55326-3
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author Ian B. Stanaway
Pradeep Suri
Niloofar Afari
Daniel Dochtermann
Armand Gerstenberger
Saiju Pyarajan
Eric J. Roseen
Million Veteran Program
Marianna Gasperi
author_facet Ian B. Stanaway
Pradeep Suri
Niloofar Afari
Daniel Dochtermann
Armand Gerstenberger
Saiju Pyarajan
Eric J. Roseen
Million Veteran Program
Marianna Gasperi
author_sort Ian B. Stanaway
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) investigated the genetic factors underlying chronic back pain (CBP) in a sample from the Million Veteran Program comprised of 553,601 Veterans of African (19.2%), European (72.6%), and Hispanic (8.2%) ancestry. The results revealed novel (N = 67) and known (N = 20) genome-wide significant loci associated with CBP, with 43 independent variants replicating in a non-overlapping contemporary meta-GWAS of the spinal pain dorsalgia phenotype. The most significant novel variant was rs12533005 (chr7:114416000, p = 1.61 × 10−20, OR = 0.96 (95% CI: 0.95–0.97), EA = C, EAF = 0.39), in an intron of the FOXP2 gene. In silico functional characterization revealed enrichment in brain and pituitary tissues. Mendelian randomization analysis of 62 variants for CBP-MVP revealed 48 with causal links to dorsalgia. Notably, four genes (INPP5B, DRD2, HTT, SLC30A6) associated with these variants are targets of existing drugs. Our findings more than double the number of previously reported genetic predictors across all spinal pain phenotypes.
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spelling doaj-art-fe4b5bf331dd4f4c9891285ec1d912b72025-08-20T02:59:57ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-02-0116111210.1038/s41467-024-55326-3Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies discovers 67 new loci associated with chronic back painIan B. Stanaway0Pradeep Suri1Niloofar Afari2Daniel Dochtermann3Armand Gerstenberger4Saiju Pyarajan5Eric J. Roseen6Million Veteran ProgramMarianna Gasperi7VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS)VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS)Department of Psychiatry, University of California San DiegoCenter for Data and Computational Sciences (C-DACS), VA Boston Healthcare System (VABHS)VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS)Center for Data and Computational Sciences (C-DACS), VA Boston Healthcare System (VABHS)Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedision School of Medicine and Boston Medical CenterVA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS)Abstract This multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) investigated the genetic factors underlying chronic back pain (CBP) in a sample from the Million Veteran Program comprised of 553,601 Veterans of African (19.2%), European (72.6%), and Hispanic (8.2%) ancestry. The results revealed novel (N = 67) and known (N = 20) genome-wide significant loci associated with CBP, with 43 independent variants replicating in a non-overlapping contemporary meta-GWAS of the spinal pain dorsalgia phenotype. The most significant novel variant was rs12533005 (chr7:114416000, p = 1.61 × 10−20, OR = 0.96 (95% CI: 0.95–0.97), EA = C, EAF = 0.39), in an intron of the FOXP2 gene. In silico functional characterization revealed enrichment in brain and pituitary tissues. Mendelian randomization analysis of 62 variants for CBP-MVP revealed 48 with causal links to dorsalgia. Notably, four genes (INPP5B, DRD2, HTT, SLC30A6) associated with these variants are targets of existing drugs. Our findings more than double the number of previously reported genetic predictors across all spinal pain phenotypes.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55326-3
spellingShingle Ian B. Stanaway
Pradeep Suri
Niloofar Afari
Daniel Dochtermann
Armand Gerstenberger
Saiju Pyarajan
Eric J. Roseen
Million Veteran Program
Marianna Gasperi
Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies discovers 67 new loci associated with chronic back pain
Nature Communications
title Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies discovers 67 new loci associated with chronic back pain
title_full Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies discovers 67 new loci associated with chronic back pain
title_fullStr Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies discovers 67 new loci associated with chronic back pain
title_full_unstemmed Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies discovers 67 new loci associated with chronic back pain
title_short Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies discovers 67 new loci associated with chronic back pain
title_sort multi ancestry meta analysis of genome wide association studies discovers 67 new loci associated with chronic back pain
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55326-3
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