Publications by authors named "Astrid van Hylckama Vlieg"

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent (annual incidence of 1-2 per 1,000) and potentially life-threatening (case-fatality rate up to 10%) disease. VTE is associated with serious short-term and long-term complications, including a recurrence rate approaching 20% within five years. Anticoagulant therapy, the mainstay of VTE treatment, drastically reduces the risk of early VTE recurrence, but it exposes patients to a substantial risk of bleeding.

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The magnitude of the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is debated.We included patients with a first VTE in 2021 and controls from a sample of Dutch citizens. Participants completed a questionnaire on VTE risk factors and vaccination, with data linked to Statistics Netherlands.

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Background: Coagulation factors play important roles in the pathophysiology of venous thromboembolism (VTE), and most of them are glycoproteins, that is, proteins containing glycans attached. Although the connection between glycosylation and coagulation factors seems obvious, the association between glycosylation and VTE risk remains unexplored. We aimed to elucidate the association between -glycans in plasma and VTE risk in the MEGA study (Multiple Environmental and Genetic Assessment of Risk Factors for Venous Thrombosis), a case-control study aiming to identify risk factors for VTE.

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Background: Metabotypes represent distinct metabolic profiles that groups of individuals share, facilitating disease risk stratification. We aimed to apply metabolomics to identify metabotypes in different prandial states and examine its associations with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk.

Methods: Using fasting and postprandial metabolomic data from the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) study (N = 5320), we applied -means clustering to identify individual’s metabotypes for three prandial states (fasting, postprandial [150 min after meal], and postprandial minus fasting, i.

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Coagulation factor V (FV) is a key protein in maintaining the hemostatic balance, with abnormal plasma levels associated with both thrombotic and hemorrhagic conditions. We propose a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis integrating large-scale proteogenomics and transcriptomic data from original and public data sets. We identify a biological fingerprint of 26 new proteins and loci involved in the regulation of plasma FV levels.

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Background: Hypercoagulability is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Thrombin generation (TG) is a global coagulation assay that measures an individual's clotting tendency. We hypothesise that slow-onset TG (achieved by using a low procoagulant stimulus or an inhibitor of coagulation) is the optimal responsive TG method for detecting hypercoagulability.

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Objectives: The overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality can be estimated by the assessment of excess deaths from all causes because the reported number of deaths due to COVID-19 do not accurately reflect the true death toll. We assessed excess mortality in 2020 and 2021 in the Netherlands.

Methods: All analyses were performed on data from comprehensive nationwide registers provided by Statistics Netherlands (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek), including demographic characteristics and mortality.

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Chronological age is a major risk factor for numerous diseases. However, chronological age does not capture the complex biological aging process. The difference between chronological age and biologically driven aging could be more informative in reflecting health status.

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Venous thromboembolism (VT) is a frequent (annual incidence of 1 to 2 per 1,000) and potentially life-threatening (case-fatality rate up to 10%) disease. VT is associated with serious short-term and long-term complications including a recurrence rate of approximately 20% within five years. Anticoagulant therapy, the mainstay of VT treatment, drastically reduces the risk of early VT recurrence, but it exposes patients to a substantial risk of bleeding.

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Objectives: Previous research has suggested beneficial heterologous effects of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine on non-mycobacterial infections and other immune-mediated diseases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, randomized controlled trials BCG-PRIME (n = 5349) and BCG-CORONA-ELDERLY (n = 1907) investigated the impact of BCG on SARS-CoV-2 infections in older individuals. We extended the follow-up in these studies by one year (BCG-Long Term study), to assess the overall effects of BCG vaccination on infectious and immune-mediated diseases in individuals aged over 60.

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Article Synopsis
  • Factor V (FV) is crucial for the blood coagulation process, and its plasma levels are linked to various health issues like blood clots and diabetes.
  • The researchers used a specific statistical method called the Brown-Forsythe methodology to analyze genetic factors affecting FV levels in 4505 individuals from four different studies.
  • They identified a significant genetic variant (rs75463553) associated with the variability in FV plasma levels, highlighting the interaction between neutrophil-related genes and FV biology.
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Article Synopsis
  • Hypercoagulability is linked to higher levels of coagulation factors and increased thrombin generation, which could be related to type 2 diabetes and other complications like glucose metabolism issues and endothelial dysfunction.
  • The study analyzed data from 5,718 participants, tracking diabetes diagnoses over 6.7 years, and found that higher levels of specific coagulation factors correlated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
  • Although glycoprotein acetylation (GlycA) was examined as a potential mediator in these associations, it only explained a small portion of the relationship, suggesting that hypercoagulability plays a significant role in the development of type 2 diabetes.
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  • Genetic studies have highlighted the need for more diverse research on plasma fibrinogen levels, as previous studies largely focused on Europeans, leading to gaps in understanding and missing heritability.
  • By analyzing data from whole-genome sequencing and genotype data from large cohorts, researchers identified 18 genetic loci related to fibrinogen levels, some of which are more common in African populations and include variants that may impact protein function.
  • The study's findings indicate a connection between fibrinogen levels and various health conditions, emphasizing the importance of whole-genome sequencing in discovering genetic factors in diverse populations and enhancing knowledge about fibrinogen regulation.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the associations among sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), liver fat content, and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study, 5,690 women (53%) and men (47%) without preexisting diabetes were included and followed for incident T2D. SHBG concentrations were measured in all participants, VAT was measured using MRI, and liver fat content was measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a random subset of 1,822 participants.

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Article Synopsis
  • Increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a critical concern for individuals using oral contraceptives (OCs) or hormone therapy (HT), prompting research into genetic factors that may increase this risk.
  • A gene-by-environment case-only meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) examined genetic predispositions in OC and HT users, identifying potential risk variants associated with VTE events.
  • While primary GWAS results did not find significant genetic variants, the analysis of 138 candidate variants revealed two noteworthy associations: F5 rs6025 (previously noted) and F11 rs2036914 (newly identified), offering insight into genetic risks related to OC and HT use.
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Background: Fractional-dosed intradermal (i.d.) vaccination produces antibody concentrations above the proposed proxy for protection against severe disease as compared with intramuscular (i.

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Background: The incidence rate of venous thrombosis (VT) in women switching combined oral contraceptives (COCs) is unknown.

Objectives: We hypothesize that women switching COCs may have a similar increased incidence rate of VT as women who start COCs. Switching means starting with a new COC, which may biologically approximate starting.

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Background: Extensive evidence is available on hormonal contraceptive (HC) use and the risk of a first venous thromboembolism (VTE) event. Despite recommendations to discontinue combined HC (CHC) use, some women continue or start its use after a first VTE.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the VTE recurrence risk associated with HC use in premenopausal women.

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Recently three large meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies for venous thromboembolism (VTE) identified over 130 genetic variants. However, mechanisms by which newly identified and therefore underexplored VTE-associated genetic variants influence VTE remain unclear. To elucidate the mechanism, we investigated the association between 61 newly identified VTE-associated genetic variants and the levels of coagulation factor (F) VIII, FIX, FXI, and fibrinogen as well as thrombin generation parameters (lag time, peak, endogenous thrombin potential, time-to-peak, and velocity), which are well-known biological traits associated with VTE.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Discovery of 7 new genetic loci associated with FVIII and 1 new locus for VWF, supporting their roles in thrombotic outcomes via Mendelian randomization.
  • * Functional testing revealed that silencing genes like B3GNT2 and CD36 impacted FVIII and VWF release from endothelial cells, indicating their potential regulatory roles.
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Venous thromboembolism (VTE) refers to abnormal blood clots in veins occurring in 1 to 2 per 1000 individuals every year. While anticoagulant treatment can prevent VTE, it increases the risk of bleeding. This emphasizes the importance of identifying individuals with a high risk of VTE and providing prophylactic interventions to these individuals to reduce both VTE and bleeding risks.

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Background: There is limited information on short- and long-term effects of venous thromboembolism (VTE) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the elderly.

Objectives: To assess change in generic HRQoL and disease-specific HRQoL in patients 1 year after the VTE.

Methods: The Age and Thrombosis, Acquired and Genetic risk factors in the elderly (AT-AGE) study is a 2-center case-control study performed in Leiden, the Netherlands, and Vermont, United States, among individuals aged ≥70 years.

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Article Synopsis
  • Genetic studies on plasma fibrinogen levels primarily focused on Europeans, revealing numerous associated regions, but there are gaps in understanding due to missing heritability and representation of non-Europeans.
  • The researchers utilized whole genome sequencing (WGS) and array-based genotyping data from large cohorts to identify 18 new genetic loci linked to fibrinogen levels, with some variants more common in African populations.
  • The study highlights the importance of WGS in discovering genetic variations across diverse populations, linking fibrinogen polygenic risk scores to increased risk for thrombotic and inflammatory diseases like gout.
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Introduction: The associations of plasma factor VIII (FVIII) and factor IX (FIX) levels with risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) are not well defined. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of these associations.

Methods: Random effects inverse-variance weighted meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled odds ratios for comparisons across equal quartiles of the distributions and 90 % thresholds (higher versus lower), and for testing linear trends.

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Background: Microvascular dysfunction is a growing determinant of sex differences in coronary heart disease (CHD). Dysregulation of the coagulation system is involved in CHD pathogenesis and can be induced by endothelial glycocalyx (EG) perturbation. However, little is known about the link between EG function and coagulation parameters in population-based studies on sex specificity.

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