Are Twins and Singletons Comparable? A Study of Disease-related and Lifestyle Characteristics in Adult Women

Andrew, Toby; Hart, Deborah; Snieder, H; Lange, Marlies de; Spector, Timothy D.; Macgregor, Alexander

doi:10.1375/1369052012803

Cited by 388 publications

(375 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Selection bias is unlikely to be a problem because the study questionnaire did not focus on a particular disease and all the twin pairs recruited were unselected volunteers. Our twin population has also been found to be similar to a population-based singleton sample for a range of diseases including osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (21). No significant associations with risk factors were found.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

The genetic contribution to carpal tunnel syndrome in women: A twin study

Hakim¹,

Cherkas²,

Zayat³

et al. 2002

Arthritis & Rheumatism

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114

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Objective. To assess the relative genetic and environmental contribution to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) using a classic twin study of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. Methods. The study group comprised unselected female twin pairs, between 20 and 80 years of age, from the St Thomas' UK Adult Twin Registry. Individuals completed a questionnaire that included details on potential risk factors for CTS. The diagnosis of CTS was made using a standardized hand pain diagram and validated criteria. The genetic contribution to CTS was assessed using variance component and regression methods, the heritability was adjusted for environmental confounders. The role of individual risk factors was assessed by a nested case-control study.Results. An overall prevalence of 14.2% for CTS was found in a population of 4,488 females, comprising 867 MZ and 970 DZ twin pairs, and 814 singletons. The concordance for CTS was significantly higher in MZ compared with DZ twins (case-wise concordance values of 0.35 and 0.24 respectively, with a significantly increased MZ:DZ ratio of 1.48; P ‫؍‬ 0.03). Modeling produced a heritability estimate of 0.46 (95% CI 0.34 -0.58) that was essentially unchanged after adjustment for environmental risk factors including age, body mass index, physical activities, and hormonal/reproductive factors. No major influence of any individual risk factor was seen in the case-control analysis of 520 cases and 3,154 controls, apart from a modest association with menopausal status with an increased risk of 1.53 and 1.43 in the peri and postmenopausal groups. There was no overall effect of age or body mass index. Conclusion. This is the first study to explore the genetic component of CTS. Our data show that up to half of the liability to CTS in women is genetically determined, and this appears to be the single strongest risk factor, with only minor contributions from known environmental factors. Further studies should focus on genetic mechanisms that may lead to tests for susceptibility and detection of those at risk of developing CTS.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

The genetic contribution to carpal tunnel syndrome in women: A twin study

Hakim¹,

Cherkas²,

Zayat³

et al. 2002

Arthritis & Rheumatism

Self Cite

114

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“…One of the studies is derived from a twin population, but the subjects from this cohort have been shown to be equivalent to the general UK population in terms of socioeconomic, lifestyle, anthropometric, and physiologic measures (31).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation at the ANP32A gene is associated with risk of hip osteoarthritis in women

Valdes¹,

Lories²,

Meurs³

et al. 2009

Arthritis & Rheumatism

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“…A further 2% ( n = 102) did not attend a clinical session for BMD assessment, resulting in 3160 participants being included in the current analyses. This population has been shown to be representative of the general population in terms of BMD and dietary intake 22, 23…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amino Acid Intakes Are Associated With Bone Mineral Density and Prevalence of Low Bone Mass in Women: Evidence From Discordant Monozygotic Twins

Jennings

Macgregor

Spector

et al. 2015

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research

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Although a higher protein intake, particularly from vegetable sources, has been shown to be associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD) the relative impact of specific amino acids on BMD and risk of osteoporosis remains to be determined. Mechanistic research suggests that a number of specific amino acids, including five nonessential amino acids—alanine, arginine, glutamic acid, glycine, and proline—may play a role in bone health, principally through improved production of insulin and insulin‐like growth factor 1 and the synthesis of collagen and muscle protein. However to date, no previous studies have examined the associations between habitual intake of amino acids and direct measures of BMD and prevalence of osteoporosis or osteopenia, and no studies have examined this relationship in discordant identical twin‐pairs. In these analyses of female monozygotic twin‐pairs discordant for amino acid intake (n = 135), twins with higher intakes of alanine and glycine had significantly higher BMD at the spine than their co‐twins with within‐pair differences in spine‐BMD of 0.012 g/cm2 (SE 0.01; p = 0.039) and 0.014 g/cm2 (SE 0.01; p = 0.026), respectively. Furthermore, in cross‐sectional multivariable analyses of 3160 females aged 18 to 79 years, a higher intake of total protein was significantly associated with higher DXA‐measured BMD at the spine (quartile Q4 to quartile Q1: 0.017 g/cm2, SE 0.01, p = 0.035) and forearm (Q4 to Q1: 0.010 g/cm2, SE 0.003, p = 0.002). Intake of six amino acids (alanine, arginine, glutamic acid, leucine, lysine, and proline) were associated with higher BMD at the spine and forearm with the strongest association observed for leucine (Q4 to Q1: 0.024 g/cm2, SE 0.01, p = 0.007). When intakes were stratified by protein source, vegetable or animal, prevalence of osteoporosis or osteopenia was 13% to 19% lower comparing extreme quartiles of vegetable intake for five amino acids (not glutamic acid or proline). These data provide evidence to suggest that intake of protein and several amino acids, including alanine and glycine, may be beneficial for bone health, independent of genetic background. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

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Are Twins and Singletons Comparable? A Study of Disease-related and Lifestyle Characteristics in Adult Women

Cited by 388 publications

References 34 publications

The genetic contribution to carpal tunnel syndrome in women: A twin study

The genetic contribution to carpal tunnel syndrome in women: A twin study

Variation at the ANP32A gene is associated with risk of hip osteoarthritis in women

Amino Acid Intakes Are Associated With Bone Mineral Density and Prevalence of Low Bone Mass in Women: Evidence From Discordant Monozygotic Twins

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