GWAS for male-pattern baldness identifies 71 susceptibility loci explaining 38% of the risk

Nicola Pirastu; Peter K. Joshi; Paul S. de Vries; Marilyn C. Cornelis; Paul M. McKeigue; NaNa Keum; Nora Franceschini; Marco Colombo; Edward L. Giovannucci; Athina Spiliopoulou; Lude Franke; Kari E. North; Peter Kraft; Alanna C. Morrison; Tõnu Esko; James F. Wilson

doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01490-8

GWAS for male-pattern baldness identifies 71 susceptibility loci explaining 38% of the risk

Nicola Pirastu, Peter K. Joshi, Paul S. de Vries, Marilyn C. Cornelis, Paul M. McKeigue, NaNa Keum, Nora Franceschini, Marco Colombo, Edward L. Giovannucci, Athina Spiliopoulou, Lude Franke, Kari E. North, Peter Kraft, Alanna C. Morrison, Tõnu Esko, James F. Wilson

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Abstract / Description of output

Male pattern baldness (MPB) or androgenetic alopecia is one of the most common conditions affecting men, reaching a prevalence of ~50% by the age of 50; however, the known genes explain little of the heritability. Here, we present the results of a genome-wide association study including more than 70,000 men, identifying 71 independently replicated loci, of which 30 are novel. These loci explain 38% of the risk, suggesting that MPB is less genetically complex than other complex traits. We show that many of these loci contain genes that are relevant to the pathology and highlight pathways and functions underlying baldness. Finally, despite only showing genome-wide genetic correlation with height, pathway-specific genetic correlations are significant for traits including lifespan and cancer. Our study not only greatly increases the number of MPB loci, illuminating the genetic architecture, but also provides a new approach to disentangling the shared biological pathways underlying complex diseases.

Original language	English
Article number	1584
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01490-8
Publication status	Published - 17 Nov 2017

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Author Correction: GWAS for male-pattern baldness identifies 71 susceptibility loci explaining 38% of the risk
Pirastu, N., Joshi, P. K., de Vries, P. S., Cornelis, M. C., McKeigue, P. M., Keum, N., Franceschini, N., Colombo, M., Giovannucci, E. L., Spiliopoulou, A., Franke, L., North, K. E., Kraft, P., Morrison, A. C., Esko, T. & Wilson, J. F., 29 Jun 2018, In: Nature Communications. 9, 1, p. 2536
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Nicola Pirastu
- Deanery of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences - UoE Honorary staff
Person: Affiliated Independent Researcher

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Pirastu, N., Joshi, P. K., de Vries, P. S., Cornelis, M. C., McKeigue, P. M., Keum, N., Franceschini, N., Colombo, M., Giovannucci, E. L., Spiliopoulou, A., Franke, L., North, K. E., Kraft, P., Morrison, A. C., Esko, T., & Wilson, J. F. (2017). GWAS for male-pattern baldness identifies 71 susceptibility loci explaining 38% of the risk. Nature Communications, 8, [1584]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01490-8

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title = "GWAS for male-pattern baldness identifies 71 susceptibility loci explaining 38% of the risk",

abstract = "Male pattern baldness (MPB) or androgenetic alopecia is one of the most common conditions affecting men, reaching a prevalence of ~50% by the age of 50; however, the known genes explain little of the heritability. Here, we present the results of a genome-wide association study including more than 70,000 men, identifying 71 independently replicated loci, of which 30 are novel. These loci explain 38% of the risk, suggesting that MPB is less genetically complex than other complex traits. We show that many of these loci contain genes that are relevant to the pathology and highlight pathways and functions underlying baldness. Finally, despite only showing genome-wide genetic correlation with height, pathway-specific genetic correlations are significant for traits including lifespan and cancer. Our study not only greatly increases the number of MPB loci, illuminating the genetic architecture, but also provides a new approach to disentangling the shared biological pathways underlying complex diseases.",

author = "Nicola Pirastu and Joshi, {Peter K.} and {de Vries}, {Paul S.} and Cornelis, {Marilyn C.} and McKeigue, {Paul M.} and NaNa Keum and Nora Franceschini and Marco Colombo and Giovannucci, {Edward L.} and Athina Spiliopoulou and Lude Franke and North, {Kari E.} and Peter Kraft and Morrison, {Alanna C.} and T{\~o}nu Esko and Wilson, {James F.}",

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doi = "10.1038/s41467-017-01490-8",

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Pirastu, N, Joshi, PK, de Vries, PS, Cornelis, MC, McKeigue, PM, Keum, N, Franceschini, N, Colombo, M, Giovannucci, EL, Spiliopoulou, A, Franke, L, North, KE, Kraft, P, Morrison, AC, Esko, T & Wilson, JF 2017, 'GWAS for male-pattern baldness identifies 71 susceptibility loci explaining 38% of the risk', Nature Communications, vol. 8, 1584. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01490-8

TY - JOUR

T1 - GWAS for male-pattern baldness identifies 71 susceptibility loci explaining 38% of the risk

AU - Pirastu, Nicola

AU - Joshi, Peter K.

AU - de Vries, Paul S.

AU - Cornelis, Marilyn C.

AU - McKeigue, Paul M.

AU - Keum, NaNa

AU - Franceschini, Nora

AU - Colombo, Marco

AU - Giovannucci, Edward L.

AU - Spiliopoulou, Athina

AU - Franke, Lude

AU - North, Kari E.

AU - Kraft, Peter

AU - Morrison, Alanna C.

AU - Esko, Tõnu

AU - Wilson, James F.

PY - 2017/11/17

Y1 - 2017/11/17

N2 - Male pattern baldness (MPB) or androgenetic alopecia is one of the most common conditions affecting men, reaching a prevalence of ~50% by the age of 50; however, the known genes explain little of the heritability. Here, we present the results of a genome-wide association study including more than 70,000 men, identifying 71 independently replicated loci, of which 30 are novel. These loci explain 38% of the risk, suggesting that MPB is less genetically complex than other complex traits. We show that many of these loci contain genes that are relevant to the pathology and highlight pathways and functions underlying baldness. Finally, despite only showing genome-wide genetic correlation with height, pathway-specific genetic correlations are significant for traits including lifespan and cancer. Our study not only greatly increases the number of MPB loci, illuminating the genetic architecture, but also provides a new approach to disentangling the shared biological pathways underlying complex diseases.

AB - Male pattern baldness (MPB) or androgenetic alopecia is one of the most common conditions affecting men, reaching a prevalence of ~50% by the age of 50; however, the known genes explain little of the heritability. Here, we present the results of a genome-wide association study including more than 70,000 men, identifying 71 independently replicated loci, of which 30 are novel. These loci explain 38% of the risk, suggesting that MPB is less genetically complex than other complex traits. We show that many of these loci contain genes that are relevant to the pathology and highlight pathways and functions underlying baldness. Finally, despite only showing genome-wide genetic correlation with height, pathway-specific genetic correlations are significant for traits including lifespan and cancer. Our study not only greatly increases the number of MPB loci, illuminating the genetic architecture, but also provides a new approach to disentangling the shared biological pathways underlying complex diseases.

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-017-01490-8

DO - 10.1038/s41467-017-01490-8

M3 - Article

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 8

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 1584

ER -

GWAS for male-pattern baldness identifies 71 susceptibility loci explaining 38% of the risk

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Author Correction: GWAS for male-pattern baldness identifies 71 susceptibility loci explaining 38% of the risk

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Nicola Pirastu

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