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TREM2 variants in Alzheimer's disease
Guerreiro R, Wojtas A, Bras J, Carrasquillo M, Rogaeva E, Majounie E, Cruchaga C, Sassi C et al.. The New England journal of medicine, 2012-11-14
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background Homozygous loss-of-function mutations in TREM2, encoding the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 protein, have previously been associated with an autosomal recessive form of early-onset dementia. Methods We used genome, exome, and Sanger sequencing to analyze the genetic variability in TREM2 in a series of 1092 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 1107 controls (the discovery set). We then performed a meta-analysis on imputed data for the TREM2 variant rs75932628 (predicted to cause a R47H substitution) from three genomewide association studies of Alzheimer's disease and tested for the association of the variant with disease.
Key findings
- Methods We used genome, exome, and Sanger sequencing to analyze the genetic variability in TREM2 in a series of 1092 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 1107 controls (the discovery set).
- We then performed a meta-analysis on imputed data for the TREM2 variant rs75932628 (predicted to cause a R47H substitution) from three genomewide association studies of Alzheimer's disease and tested for the association of the variant with disease.
- We genotyped the R47H variant in an additional 1887 cases and 4061 controls.
- We then assayed the expression of TREM2 across different regions of the human brain and identified genes that are differentially expressed in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease and in control mice.
Why it matters
This genetic study sequenced the TREM2 gene in 1,092 people with Alzheimer's disease and 1,107 controls. It pooled data on one TREM2 variant, R47H, from three genome-wide studies and checked that variant in a further 1,887 cases and 4,061 controls. The summary held here describes the methods but not the results, so see the original paper for what was found. It is a genetics study and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Participants1,092
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 85/100
Published in a top-tier journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (The New England journal of medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | New England Journal of Medicine: journal h-index 1,505 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,092 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 3,026 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 201.7 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 94.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 6 / 6 | Cited by 404 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 601 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author John Hardy: h-index 205 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23150934) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 85 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa1211851
- PubMed: 23150934
- Original source →
- Free full text: New England Journal of Medicine →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Guerreiro, R., Wojtas, A., Bras, J., Carrasquillo, M., Rogaeva, E., Majounie, E., et al. (2013). TREM2 variants in Alzheimer's disease. The New England journal of medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1211851
Vancouver
Guerreiro R, Wojtas A, Bras J, Carrasquillo M, Rogaeva E, Majounie E, et al. TREM2 variants in Alzheimer's disease. The New England journal of medicine. 2013. doi:10.1056/nejmoa1211851. PMID: 23150934.
BibTeX
@article{guerreiro2013-23150934,
author = {Guerreiro, R. and Wojtas, A. and Bras, J. and Carrasquillo, M. and Rogaeva, E. and Majounie, E. and Cruchaga, C. and Sassi, C. and others},
title = {{TREM2 variants in Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {The New England journal of medicine},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1056/nejmoa1211851},
pmid = {23150934},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1211851}
}
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