Cindy Boer

Contents Chapter 1 General Introduction 1.1 General Introduction 11 1.2 Role of Epigenetics in bone and cartilage disease 31 Chapter 2 Phenotypes of Osteoarthritis 2.1 Novel Genetic Variants for Cartilage Thickness and Hip Osteoar- thritis 67 2.2 Hand Phenotypes Identify WNT9A as Novel Gene Associated with Thumb Osteoarthritis 93 Chapter 3 Hand Osteoarthritis genetics 3.1 Genome-Wide Association and Functional Studies Identify a Role for Matrix-Gla Protein in Osteoarthritis of the Hand 117 3.2 Vitamin K Antagonist Anticoagulant Usage is Associated with In- creased Incidence and Progression of Osteoarthritis 133 Chapter 4 Large Scale Osteoarthritis Genetics 4.1 Deciphering Osteoarthritis Genetics Across 826,690 Individuals from 9 populations 159 Chapter 5 Osteoarthritis and the microbiome 5.1 Compositional and Functional Differences in Gut Microbiota of Healthy Children and Adults: the Rotterdam Study and Generation R Study 203 5.2 Intestinal Microbiome Composition and its Relation to Joint Pain and Inflammation 229 Chapter 6 General Discussion 253 Chapter 7 Summary / Nederlandse Samenvatting 277 Appendices About the author/Over de auteur 297 PhD portfolio 301 List of publications 309 Acknowledgements/Dankwoord 317