University of Cologne

About: University of Cologne is a education organization based out in Cologne, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Transplantation. The organization has 32050 authors who have published 66350 publications receiving 2210092 citations. The organization is also known as: Universität zu Köln & Universitatis Coloniensis.

Genome-wide association study of systemic sclerosis identifies CD247 as a new susceptibility locus

Abstract: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by fibrosis of the skin and internal organs that leads to profound disability and premature death. To identify new SSc susceptibility loci, we conducted the first genome-wide association study in a population of European ancestry including a total of 2,296 individuals with SSc and 5,171 controls. Analysis of 279,621 autosomal SNPs followed by replication testing in an independent case-control set of European ancestry (2,753 individuals with SSc (cases) and 4,569 controls) identified a new susceptibility locus for systemic sclerosis at CD247 (1q22-23, rs2056626, P = 2.09 x 10(-7) in the discovery samples, P = 3.39 x 10(-9) in the combined analysis). Additionally, we confirm and firmly establish the role of the MHC (P = 2.31 x 10(-18)), IRF5 (P = 1.86 x 10(-13)) and STAT4 (P = 3.37 x 10(-9)) gene regions as SSc genetic risk factors.

Multiancestry association study identifies new asthma risk loci that colocalize with immune-cell enhancer marks

Abstract: We examined common variation in asthma risk by conducting a meta-analysis of worldwide asthma genome-wide association studies (23,948 asthma cases, 118,538 controls) of individuals from ethnically diverse populations. We identified five new asthma loci, found two new associations at two known asthma loci, established asthma associations at two loci previously implicated in the comorbidity of asthma plus hay fever, and confirmed nine known loci. Investigation of pleiotropy showed large overlaps in genetic variants with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The enrichment in enhancer marks at asthma risk loci, especially in immune cells, suggested a major role of these loci in the regulation of immunologically related mechanisms.

Combination therapy with anti-HIV-1 antibodies maintains viral suppression

Abstract: Individuals infected with HIV-1 require lifelong antiretroviral therapy, because interruption of treatment leads to rapid rebound viraemia Here we report on a phase 1b clinical trial in which a combination of 3BNC117 and 10-1074, two potent monoclonal anti-HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies that target independent sites on the HIV-1 envelope spike, was administered during analytical treatment interruption Participants received three infusions of 30 mg kg−1 of each antibody at 0, 3 and 6 weeks Infusions of the two antibodies were generally well-tolerated The nine enrolled individuals with antibody-sensitive latent viral reservoirs maintained suppression for between 15 and more than 30 weeks (median of 21 weeks), and none developed viruses that were resistant to both antibodies We conclude that the combination of the anti-HIV-1 monoclonal antibodies 3BNC117 and 10-1074 can maintain long-term suppression in the absence of antiretroviral therapy in individuals with antibody-sensitive viral reservoirs

Mutations in GRIN2A cause idiopathic focal epilepsy with rolandic spikes

Abstract: Idiopathic focal epilepsy (IFE) with rolandic spikes is the most common childhood epilepsy, comprising a phenotypic spectrum from rolandic epilepsy (also benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, BECTS) to atypical benign partial epilepsy (ABPE), Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) and epileptic encephalopathy with continuous spike and waves during slow-wave sleep (CSWS). The genetic basis is largely unknown. We detected new heterozygous mutations in GRIN2A in 27 of 359 affected individuals from 2 independent cohorts with IFE (7.5%; P = 4.83 × 10(-18), Fisher's exact test). Mutations occurred significantly more frequently in the more severe phenotypes, with mutation detection rates ranging from 12/245 (4.9%) in individuals with BECTS to 9/51 (17.6%) in individuals with CSWS (P = 0.009, Cochran-Armitage test for trend). In addition, exon-disrupting microdeletions were found in 3 of 286 individuals (1.0%; P = 0.004, Fisher's exact test). These results establish alterations of the gene encoding the NMDA receptor NR2A subunit as a major genetic risk factor for IFE.

Osmium isotope evidence for the regulation of atmospheric CO2 by continental weathering

Abstract: The long-term stability of Earth9s climate throughout the Phanerozoic stands in marked contrast to the dramatic fluctuations that have taken place on time scales as short as a few years, reflecting the high efficiency of longer-term climate regulation through negative feedbacks. A fundamental mechanism is thought to involve control of CO 2 in the ocean- atmosphere system through continental weathering, although unambiguous, high-resolution data supporting this hypothesis have hitherto not been available. Organic-rich mud rocks from Yorkshire, England, which were deposited during the Toarcian oceanic anoxic event (ca. 181 Ma, Early Jurassic), contain evidence of an exceptionally large excursion in the 187 Os/ 188 Os ratio of contemporaneous seawater, from ∼0.4 to ∼1.0. The most likely explanation for this excursion is that it resulted from a transient increase in global continental weathering rates of ∼400%–800%. The Os isotope excursion coincided with a well-documented global δ 13 C excursion of −6‰ that affected all the major biospheric reservoirs of the time. Higher mean global temperatures caused global chemical weathering rates to increase substantially, while, in turn, chemical weathering was very effective in reducing the elevated levels of atmospheric CO 2 and the high temperatures to preexcursion levels.