Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40088892›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of human genetics2025

Actionable genetic variants in 4,198 Scottish participants from the Orkney and Shetland founder populations and implementation of return of results.

Shona M Kerr, Lucija Klaric, Marisa D Muckian, Kiera Johnston, Camilla Drake, Mihail Halachev, Emma Cowan, Lesley Snadden, John Dean, Sean L Zheng and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in American journal of human genetics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Measuring disease likelihood in genomic ascertainment.American journal of human genetics · 2026
    Article
  4. 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

16 authors.

Shona M KerrMRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK.
Lucija KlaricMRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK.
Marisa D MuckianCentre for Global Health Research, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Kiera JohnstonCentre for Global Health Research, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK.
Camilla DrakeMRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK.
Mihail HalachevMRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK.
Emma CowanDepartment of Medical Genetics, Ashgrove House, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen AB25 2ZA, UK; Medical Genetics Group, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK.
Lesley SnaddenDepartment of Medical Genetics, Ashgrove House, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen AB25 2ZA, UK; Medical Genetics Group, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK.
John DeanMedical Genetics Group, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK.
Sean L ZhengNational Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK; MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK; Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Prisca K ThamiNational Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK; MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
James S WareNational Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK; MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK; Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Gannie TzonevaRegeneron Genetics Center, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Alan R ShuldinerRegeneron Genetics Center, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Zosia MiedzybrodzkaDepartment of Medical Genetics, Ashgrove House, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen AB25 2ZA, UK; Medical Genetics Group, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK.
James F WilsonMRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Centre for Global Health Research, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK; Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK. Electronic address: jim.wilson@ed.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The benefits of returning clinically actionable genetic results to participants in research cohorts are accruing, yet such a genome-first approach is challenging. Here, we describe the implementation of return of such results in two founder populations from Scotland. Between 2005 and 2015, we recruited >4,000 adults with grandparents from Orkney and Shetland into the Viking Genes research cohort. The return of genetic data was not offered at baseline, but in 2023, we sent invitations to participants for consent to return of actionable genetic findings. We generated exome sequence data from 4,198 participants and used the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) v.3.2 list of 81 genes, ClinVar review, and pathogenicity status, plus manual curation, to develop a pipeline to identify potentially actionable variants. We identified 104 individuals (2.5%) with 108 actionable genotypes at 39 variants in 23 genes and validated these. Working with the NHS Clinical Genetics service, which provided genetic counseling and clinical verification of the research results, and after expert clinical review, we notified 64 consenting participants (or their next of kin) of their actionable genotypes. Ten actionable variants across seven genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, ATP7B, TTN, KCNH2, MUTYH, and GAA) have risen 50- to >3,000-fold in frequency through genetic drift in ancestral island localities. Viking Genes is one of the first UK research cohorts to return actionable findings, providing an ethical and logistical exemplar of return of results. The genetic structure in the Northern Isles of Scotland with multiple founder effects provides a unique opportunity for a tailored approach to disease prevention through genetic screening.

Indexed as

Founder EffectGenetic TestingGenetic VariationAdultCohort StudiesExomeFemaleGenotypeHumansMaleMiddle AgedScotlandactionable variantexomesfounder effectOrkneyreturn of resultsShetland

Identifiers

PMID40088892
PMCPMC12081267

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Registered trials

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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.