Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29040465›Full record

ArticleHuman molecular genetics2017

The FUT2 secretor variant p.Trp154Ter influences serum vitamin B12 concentration via holo-haptocorrin, but not holo-transcobalamin, and is associated with haptocorrin glycosylation.

Aneliya Velkova, Jennifer E L Diaz, Faith Pangilinan, Anne M Molloy, James L Mills, Barry Shane, Erica Sanchez, Conal Cunningham, Helene McNulty, Cheryl D Cropp and 3 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Human molecular genetics, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Vitamin BClinical nutrition ESPEN · 2025
    Observational
  4. Review
  5. Vitamin BBMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2023
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Genotype-informed nutrition counselling in clinical practice.BMJ nutrition, prevention & health · 2023
    Article
  8. Article
  9. The Role of Gallstones in Gallbladder Cancer in India: A Mendelian Randomization Study.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2021
    Observational
  10. Article
  11. The Many Faces of Cobalamin (Vitamin BMayo Clinic proceedings. Innovations, quality & outcomes · 2019
    Review
  12. A commonBlood · 2018
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 6 institutions in 3 countries.

Aneliya VelkovaMedical Genomics and Metabolic Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Jennifer E L DiazMedical Genomics and Metabolic Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Faith PangilinanMedical Genomics and Metabolic Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Anne M MolloyDepartment of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
James L MillsDivision of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA.
Barry ShaneDepartment of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Erica SanchezMedical Genomics and Metabolic Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Conal CunninghamSt. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Helene McNultyNorthern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland.
Cheryl D CroppComputational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 21224, USA.
Joan E Bailey-WilsonComputational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 21224, USA.
Alexander F WilsonComputational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 21224, USA.
Lawrence C BrodyMedical Genomics and Metabolic Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
National Human Genome Research Institute · USEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · USSt. James's Hospital · IETrinity College Dublin · IEUniversity of California, Berkeley · USUniversity of Ulster · GB

Funding

Genometric analysis of quantitative traitsZIAHG000200 · NHGRI · NATIONAL HUMAN GENOME RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI WILSON, ALEXANDER F · 2009 to 2020
$19.8M
The contribution folate and vitamin B12 genes to disease.ZIAHG000167 · NHGRI · NATIONAL HUMAN GENOME RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI BRODY, LAWRENCE C · 2009 to 2025
$17.6M
Genetic Epidemiology of Complex TraitsZIAHG200327 · NHGRI · NATIONAL HUMAN GENOME RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI BAILEY-WILSON, JOAN ELLEN · 2009 to 2022
$10.5M
NICHD Health Research Board Of Ireland Neural Tube Defects StudyZIAHD002502 · NICHD · EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT · PI MILLS, JAMES · 2009 to 2022
$2.9M
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in older individuals. Circulating vitamin B12 concentration can be used to diagnose deficiency, but this test has substantial false positive and false negative rates. We conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in which we resolved total serum vitamin B12 into the fractions bound to transcobalamin and haptocorrin: two carrier proteins with very different biological properties. We replicated reported associations between total circulating vitamin B12 concentrations and a common null variant in FUT2. This allele determines the secretor phenotype in which blood group antigens are found in non-blood body fluids. Vitamin B12 bound to haptocorrin (holoHC) remained highly associated with FUT2 rs601338 (p.Trp154Ter). Transcobalamin bound vitamin B12 (holoTC) was not influenced by this variant. HoloTC is the bioactive the form of the vitamin and is taken up by all tissues. In contrast, holoHC is only taken up by the liver. Using holoHC from individuals with known FUT2 genotypes, we demonstrated that FUT2 rs601338 genotype influences the glycosylation of haptocorrin. We then developed an experimental model demonstrating that holoHC is transported into cultured hepatic cells (HepG2) via the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGR). Our data challenge current published hypotheses on the influence of genetic variation on this clinically important measure and are consistent with a model in which FUT2 rs601338 influences holoHC by altering haptocorrin glycosylation, whereas B12 bound to non-glycosylated transcobalamin (i.e. holoTC) is not affected. Our findings explain some of the observed disparity between use of total B12 or holoTC as first-line clinical tests of vitamin B12 status.

Indexed as

AdultAgedBiological TransportFemaleFucosyltransferasesGalactoside 2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferaseGenetic VariationGenome-Wide Association StudyGenotypeGlycosylationHep G2 CellsHumansIrelandMaleMiddle AgedPolymorphism, Single NucleotideFucosyltransferasesGalactoside 2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferaseTranscobalaminsVitamin B 12

Identifiers

PMID29040465
PMCPMC5886113
OpenAlexW2763520885

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.