Biomedical subjects

Chris Chatzinakos

Publications and source records attributed to Chris Chatzinakos.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Genomic dimensions deconstruct the clinical heterogeneity of bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder's (BD) clinical heterogeneity has an unresolved genetic basis. We meta-analyzed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of 16 BD subphenotypes in 226,032 individuals from 57 cohorts (38,022 cases); 10 advanced to multivariate and multi-trait analyses. Four factors (compulsive, psychotic, dysregulated, internalizing) explained 82.8% of shared genetic variance. BD1 and BD2 loaded on distinct factors despite a high genetic correlation; 87.0% of common-factor loci were significant in neither subtype. Unipolar mania aligned with psychosis over internalizing, and was distinguishable from BD1, and rapid cycling showed heritable cross-domain liability. We identified 356 risk loci, 158 novel, including the first univariate-GWAS associations for psychosis, unipolar mania, rapid cycling and schizoaffective disorder-and 249 credible genes (89 high-confidence), 12 with approved-drug or clinical-phase annotations. Cell-type association showed a midbrain dopaminergic-GABAergic gradient along the psychotic factor. BD's genetic architecture appears hierarchical-a general liability resolving into dimensions of course and comorbidity, beyond subtypes.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Polygenic risk factors for comorbid diagnoses in individuals with substance use disorders: A phenome-wide survival analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Persons with substance use disorders (SUD) often suffer from additional comorbidities. Researchers have explored this overlap via phenome-wide association studies (PheWASs). However, PheWASs are largely cross-sectional, limiting our understanding of whether diagnoses predate the development of an SUD. We characterize whether polygenic scores (PGSs) are associated with time to comorbid diagnoses in electronic health records (EHR) after the first documented SUD diagnosis. METHODS: Using data from All of Us (N = 393,596), we explored: (1) whether social determinants of health (SDoHs) are associated with lifetime risk of SUD (N cases = 42,568) and (2) within a subset those with a diagnosed SUD and available genetic data SUD (N = 21,357), whether PGS for alcohol use disorders, cannabis use disorders, depression, externalizing, posttraumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia were associated with subsequent diagnoses via a phenome-wide survival analysis. RESULTS: Multiple SDoHs were associated with lifetime SUD diagnosis, with annual household income having the largest overall associations (e.g. <$10 K annually vs $100 K-$150 K annually: OR = 4.18; 95% CI = 3.92, 4.45). There were 86 phenome-wide significant PGS associations with subsequent diagnoses across various bodily systems. PGSs for alcohol use disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia were each associated with time to their respective diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Social determinants, especially those related to income, have profound associations with lifetime SUD risk. Additionally, PGSs for psychiatric conditions are associated with multiple post-SUD diagnoses within those with a SUD, suggesting PGS may capture information beyond lifetime risk, including timing and severity of comorbidities related to SUD.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Genome-wide association study of adolescent-onset depression.

Adolescent depression is a heritable psychiatric condition with rising global prevalence and severe long-term outcomes, yet its biological underpinnings remain poorly understood. We conducted the first genome-wide association study of adolescent-onset depression, comprising 102,428 cases (diagnosis or clinical symptom thresholds) and 286,911 controls, including diverse ancestries. Cross-ancestry meta-analysis identified 52 independent variants across 17 loci; European-only analysis found 61 variants at 29 loci, with a SNP-based heritability of 9.8%. Comparative analyses revealed two genes unique to adolescent-onset versus lifetime depression, enriched in neuronal subtypes, and two genes as potential drug repurposing targets. Polygenic scores were associated with adolescent-onset depression across ancestries, persistent depression trajectories, more severe outcomes, as well as reduced cortical volume, surface area and white matter integrity. Genetic correlation and Mendelian randomisation analyses support shared genetic liability and causal links with early puberty and modifiable health and behavioural risk factors. These findings uncover novel genetic loci and refine biological pathways underlying adolescent-onset depression, revealing age-specific mechanisms and early intervention opportunities.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2025

Polygenic Risk Factors for Comorbid Diagnoses in Individuals with Substance Use Disorders: A Phenome-Wide Survival Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Persons with substance use disorders (SUD) often suffer from additional comorbidities. Researchers have explored this overlap via phenome wide association studies (PheWAS). However, PheWAS are largely cross-sectional, limiting our understanding of whether diagnoses predate development of an SUD. We characterize whether polygenic scores (PGS) are associated with time to comorbid diagnoses in electronic health records (EHR) after the first documented SUD diagnosis. METHODS: Using data from All of Us (N = 393,596), we explored: 1) whether social determinants of health (SDoH) are associated with lifetime risk of SUD (N cases = 42,568) and 2) within a subset those with a diagnosed SUD and available genetic data SUD (N = 21,357), whether PGS for alcohol use disorders, cannabis use disorders, depression, externalizing, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia were associated with subsequent diagnoses via a phenome-wide survival analysis. RESULTS: Multiple SDoH were associated with lifetime SUD diagnosis, with annual household income having the largest overall associations (e.g., <$10K annually vs $100K-$150K annually: OR = 3.89, 95% CI = 3.66, 4.13). There were 101 phenome-wide significant PGS associations with subsequent diagnoses across various bodily systems. PGSs for alcohol use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia were each associated with time to their respective diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Social determinants, especially those related to income, have profound associations with lifetime SUD risk. Additionally, PGS for psychiatric conditions are associated with multiple post-SUD diagnoses within those with a SUD, suggesting PGS may capture information beyond lifetime risk, including timing and severity of comorbidities related to SUD.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2025

Multivariate genetic of 2.2 million individuals demonstrate genetic influences on substance use disorders operate via behavioral disinhibition and substance-specific risk.

Ongoing efforts to identify genes involved in substance use disorders (SUDs) often focus on individual disorders despite high rates of co-occurrence with each other and other externalizing traits. Here, we investigate whether incorporating data on other externalizing traits can boost power to detect without sacrificing specificity of SUD genetic signal. We used multivariate genomic analyses and downstream biological annotation and genetic association analyses to explore this question. We found that joint analysis of SUDs and other externalizing traits resulted in increased insights into the neurobiology of broad and substance-specific SUD risk. We found no evidence of loss of specificity for SUD genetic signal but note improvements in our ability to characterize the neurobiology of broad and substance-specific SUD genetic effects. Our findings suggest that genetic risk for SUDs operates largely via pathways shared with other behaviors characterized by behavioral disinhibition, with additional substance-specific risk, and that modeling this shared disposition improves gene discovery.

Journal Article↗