Biomedical subjects

Robin G Walters

Publications and source records attributed to Robin G Walters.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Incidence patterns and genetic validation of primary glaucoma subtypes among 1 million adults in China and the UK.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) are distinct diseases, yet many glaucoma cases in population-based datasets lack subtype specification. We assessed incidence patterns of glaucoma subtypes in China and the UK and used genetic evidence to infer the likely subtype composition of cases recorded as unspecified glaucoma. METHODS: Incident primary glaucoma was identified from linked inpatient records in the prospective China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB; n=512 504) and UK Biobank (UKB; n=492 329) studies. Cohort-specific phenotyping algorithms defined POAG, PACG and unspecified glaucoma. Adjusted incidence rates were estimated by direct standardisation. To support subtype inference, polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were constructed using ancestry-specific genome-wide association studies, including a new East Asian PACG meta-analysis, and tested for association with glaucoma phenotypes using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Over 12 years of follow-up, 1658 primary glaucoma cases were identified in CKB and 7643 in UKB. Most (>68%) cases lacked subtype specification. Incidence increased with age and was twofold higher among women for PACG in both cohorts and for unspecified glaucoma in CKB. In UKB, POAG incidence was fivefold higher among Black than White participants, with a similar but attenuated pattern for unspecified glaucoma. PRS analyses indicated that unspecified glaucoma closely aligned with PACG in CKB but was more heterogeneous in UKB. CONCLUSION: Healthcare-recorded incidence patterns for POAG and PACG were consistent with established demographic risk factors, whereas unspecified glaucoma showed differences in subtype composition between populations. Integrating epidemiological and genetic evidence improves interpretation of glaucoma phenotypes when detailed clinical information is unavailable.

Epidemiology↗

PubMed2026

Proteome-wide Mendelian randomisation of lung function to identify potential therapeutic targets for respiratory disease.

BACKGROUND: Despite multiple clinical trials, disease-modifying treatments for COPD are currently limited. Since many drugs target proteins, identifying causality between proteins and lung function informs understanding of COPD pathophysiology and may suggest novel targets. We used Mendelian randomisation (MR) to prioritise proteins as potentially causal for imparied lung function. For prioritised proteins, we explored their potential suitability as drug targets by predicting their effects on a range of clinical outcomes. METHODS: We used genome-wide association study (GWAS) data on 2923 proteins (n=48 195, UK Biobank) to identify single genetic variants (protein quantitative trait loci (cis-pQTLs)) associated with protein levels (p≤5×10-9, variant ≤100 kb of a transcription start site). We performed cis-pQTL-MR analyses of four spirometric traits (n=149 166, 36 independent cohorts). Sensitivity analyses included colocalisation and reverse direction MR. We report associations between cis-pQTLs for prioritised proteins and multiple clinical respiratory outcomes, and use phenome-wide analysis to explore potential adverse effects or drug repurposing opportunities. FINDINGS: 1841 proteins had a suitable cis-pQTL. We implicated 16 proteins as potentially causal for lung function (p<1.71×10-5): seven proteins have not been implicated by previous lung function GWAS or MR (CCND2, DTD1, PILRA, PTPRK, TDRKH, GRHPR, NUDT5), and we provide corroborative evidence for 10 proteins. We add to the literature identifying surfactant protein D (SFTPD) as a candidate, yet predict that integrin subunit alpha V (ITGAV) inhibition could impair some lung function measures, mimicking adverse results from a recent trial. INTERPRETATION: Our approach identifies proteins (some novel) that are potentially therapeutic targets for respiratory disease, and which warrant follow-up for utility and safety.

Journal Article↗