Associations between potentially functional CORIN SNPs and serum corin levels in the Chinese Han population

Corin in cardiovascular diseases and stroke

Corin is a type II transmembrane serine protease highly expressed in the heart. It plays a critical role in regulating fluid balance and improving cardiac function by converting pro-atrial natriuretic peptide into mature atrial natriuretic peptide. CORIN variants have been identified in patients with hypertension, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke. In vivo and in vitro, corin deficiency increases blood pressure and impairs cardiac function. Circulating soluble corin appears to have potential as a stable and specific biomarker for the risk prediction and prognostic assessment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and stroke. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on corin physiology and circulating corin and discuss cardiac corin expression and function in CVDs. In the future, corin-related therapeutic approaches to increase corin activity and raise corin levels may offer new opportunities to treat CVDs.

Association between CORIN methylation and hypertension in Chinese adults

Background

Corin, a physical activator of atrial natriuretic peptide, has been associated with hypertension with unclear mechanisms. Here, we aimed to examine whether CORIN gene methylation was involved in the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methods

DNA methylation levels of CORIN were measured by target bisulfite sequencing using genomic DNA isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 2498 participants in the Gusu cohort (discovery sample) and 1771 independent participants (replication sample). We constructed a mediation model with DNA methylation as the predictor, serum corin as the mediator, and hypertension as the outcome, adjusting for covariates. Multiple testing was controlled by false discovery rate (FDR) approach.

Results

Of the 9 CpGs assayed, hypermethylation at all CpGs were significantly associated with a lower level of blood pressure in the discovery sample and eight associations were also significant in the replication sample (all FDR-adjusted p<0.05). Serum corin mediated approximately 3.07% (p=0.004), 6.25% (p=0.002) and 10.11% (p=0.034) of the associations of hypermethylation at one CpG (Chr4:47840096) with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and hypertension, respectively. All these mediations passed the causal inference test.

Conclusions

These results suggest that hypermethylation in the CORIN gene is associated with a lower odds of prevalent hypertension and may be involved in the role of corin in blood pressure regulation.

Association between CORIN promoter methylation and stroke: Results from two independent samples of Chinese adults

Objective

As the physical activator of natriuretic peptides, corin has been associated with stroke, but the underlying mechanism is not very clear. Here, we examined whether the CORIN promoter’s methylation, an epigenetic DNA modification, was associated with the risk of stroke in two independent samples.

Methods

A total of 1771 participants including 853 stroke cases and 918 healthy controls were included as a discovery sample and 2,498 community members with 10 years of follow-up were included as a replication sample. DNA methylation of the CORIN promoter was quantified by target bisulfite sequencing in both samples. We first examined the single CpG association, followed by a gene-based analysis of the joint association between multiple CpG methylation and stroke, adjusting for conventional risk factors.

Results

The single CpG association analysis found that hypermethylation at all of the 9 CpG sites assayed was significantly associated with lower odds of prevalent stroke in the discovery sample (all p < 0.05), and three of them located at Chr4:47840038 (HR = 0.74, p = 0.015), Chr4:47839941 (HR = 0.80, p = 0.047), and Chr4:47839933 (HR = 0.82, p = 0.050) were also significantly associated with incident stroke in the replication sample. The gene-based association analysis found that DNA methylation of the 9 CpG sites at the CORIN promoter was jointly associated with stroke in both samples (all p < 0.05).

Conclusion

DNA methylation levels of the CORIN gene promoter were lower in stroke patients and predicted a higher risk of incident stroke in Chinese adults. The underlying causality warranted further investigation.

Association between CORIN methylation and hypertension in Chinese adults

BACKGROUND

Corin, a physical activator of atrial natriuretic peptide, has been associated with hypertension with unclear mechanisms. Here, we aimed to examine whether CORIN gene methylation was involved in the underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

DNA methylation levels of CORIN were measured by target bisulfite sequencing using genomic DNA isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 2498 participants in the Gusu cohort (discovery sample) and 1771 independent participants (replication sample). We constructed a mediation model with DNA methylation as the predictor, serum corin as the mediator, and hypertension as the outcome, adjusting for covariates. Multiple testing was controlled by false discovery rate (FDR) approach.

RESULTS

Of the 9 CpGs assayed, hypermethylation at all CpGs were significantly associated with a lower level of blood pressure in the discovery sample and eight associations were also significant in the replication sample (all FDR-adjusted p<0.05). Serum corin mediated approximately 3.07% (p=0.004), 6.25% (p=0.002) and 10.11% (p=0.034) of the associations of hypermethylation at one CpG (Chr4:47840096) with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and hypertension, respectively. All these mediations passed the causal inference test.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that hypermethylation in the CORIN gene is associated with a lower odds of prevalent hypertension and may be involved in the role of corin in blood pressure regulation.

DNA Methylation of the Natriuretic Peptide System Genes and Ischemic Stroke: Gene-Based and Gene Set Analyses

Background and Objectives

The natriuretic peptide (NP) system has been considered an important regulator for ischemic stroke (IS) with a limited clinical implication. A better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms is urgent. Here, we aimed to examine the role of DNA methylation of NP system genes in IS.

Methods

DNA methylation at promoter regions of 4 core NP system genes, e.g., CORIN, FURIN, NPPA, and NPPB, was measured by targeted bisulfite sequencing in 853 patients with IS and 918 controls. We first examined the association between DNA methylation at each single CpG and IS, followed by gene-based and gene set analyses to examine the joint associations of DNA methylation at multiple CpGs in a gene or all 4 genes as a pathway with IS.

Results

After control of covariates and multiple testing, DNA methylation at 19 of the 36 assayed CpGs was individually associated with IS at q < 0.05. Higher average methylation levels at the targeted regions of CORIN (odds ratio [OR] = 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56–0.73), FURIN (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.69–0.88), and NPPA (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.69–0.88) were associated with a lower odds of IS (all q < 0.05). The truncated product method revealed the same gene-based associations (all q < 0.05) and found that DNA methylation at all 4 NP system genes together was jointly associated with IS (p = 0.0001).

Discussion

DNA methylation at NP system genes was downregulated in patients with IS. Our results may unravel a molecular mechanism underlying the regulating effect of the NP system on IS and highlight the relevance of testing the joint effect of multiple CpGs in the epigenetic analysis.

Evolutionary history of type II transmembrane serine proteases involved in viral priming

Type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs) are a family of trypsin-like membrane-anchored serine proteases that play key roles in the regulation of some crucial processes in physiological conditions, including cardiac function, digestion, cellular iron homeostasis, epidermal differentiation, and immune responses. However, some of them, in particular TTSPs expressed in the human airways, were identified as host factors that promote the proteolytic activation and spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza virus, human metapneumovirus, and coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Given their involvement in viral priming, we hypothesized that members of the TTSP family may represent targets of positive selection, possibly as the result of virus-driven pressure. Thus, we investigated the evolutionary history of sixteen TTSP genes in mammals. Evolutionary analyses indicate that most of the TTSP genes that have a verified role in viral proteolytic activation present signals of pervasive positive selection, suggesting that viral infections represent a selective pressure driving the evolution of these proteases. We also evaluated genetic diversity in human populations and we identified targets of balancing selection in TMPRSS2 and TMPRSS4. This scenario may be the result of an ancestral and still ongoing host–pathogen arms race. Overall, our results provide evolutionary information about candidate functional sites and polymorphic positions in TTSP genes.

Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the 3' Untranslated Region of CORIN Associated With Cardiovascular Diseases in a Chinese Han Population: A Case-Control Study

Background: Corin is a transmembrane serine protease that activates pro-forms of atrial and brain natriuretic peptides. Numerous studies have indicated that corin played an important role in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, there have been few studies about the correlation between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of CORIN and CVDs. The aims of this study were to investigate the associations of three SNPs (rs3749585, rs4695253, and rs12641823) in the 3'UTR of CORIN with CVDs and to find the seed regions of microRNAs (miRNAs) that bind to SNPs of CORIN. Methods and Results: A case-control study (n = 3,537) was performed in a Han population of northeastern China. CVDs included essential hypertension (EH), atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (HF), and coronary artery disease (CAD). Genotyping was performed using high-resolution melt analysis. In the EH-control study, rs3749585T was significantly associated with the risk of EH after adjusting for sex and age in allelic (p adj = 0.049; OR: 1.113) and dominant (p adj = 0.015, OR: 1.233) models. Rs4695253T was significantly associated with the risk of EH in the recessive model after adjusting for sex and age (p adj = 0.005, OR: 2.084). Rs3749585T was significantly and negatively associated with AF in the dominant and additive models after adjusting for sex, age, EH, HF, T2DM, and CAD (dominant: p adj = 0.009, OR: 0.762; additive: p adj = 0.048, OR: 0.873). In the HF-control study and CAD-control study, none of the three SNPs was associated with HF and CAD after adjusting for covariates in any models (p adj > 0.05). The levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in rs4695253CC+CT were lower than the levels of HDL in rs4695253TT (42.47 ± 10.30 vs. 48.0 ± 10.24 mg/dl, p adj = 0.008). The levels of total cholesterol (TC) in rs4695253CC+CT were lower than the levels of TC in rs4695253TT (164.01 ± 49.15 vs. 180.81 ± 43.92 mg/dl, p adj = 0.036). Luciferase assay revealed that the relative luciferase activity of rs3749585CC-transfected cells was significantly decreased by miR-494-3p, in comparison to cells transfected with rs3749585TT (p < 0.001). A significant decrease in the relative luciferase activity of rs3749585TT reporter was observed as compared with rs3749585CC reporter in the presence of miR-1323 or miR-548o-3p (p = 0.017 and 0.012, respectively). Conclusions: We found significant associations between rs3749585T and rs4695253T and EH, between rs4695253T and the levels of TC and HDL, and between rs3749585T and AF. Hsa-miR-494-3p may serve as a potential therapeutic target for EH and AF patients in the future.

Assessment of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker on the split renal function in the patients with primary hypertension

Bilateral kidney damage in hypertensive patients is not parallel. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEI/ARB), as a commonly used antihypertensive drug, could protect kidney function and delay its deterioration. Most studies focused on overall renal function, but the researches on split renal function (SRF) are rare. We investigated the effects of ACEI/ARB on the SRF in patients with primary hypertension.Patients with primary hypertension (n = 429; male: 213; female: 216) admitted to our department between January 2014 and December 2016 were included in this study. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of split and total renal function were determined using diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid tagged with 99mTc renal dynamic imaging method. For the same patient, the side with high GFR was considered as higher GFR kidney, whereas that with a low GFR was considered as lower GFR kidney. The split function score (Q value) was utilized to evaluate the differences of bilateral renal function. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on the Q values (Group 1, Q value <5%; Group 2, Q value of 5%-10%; Group 3, Q value ≥10%). All the patients received antihypertensive therapy based on ACEI/ARB. The renal dynamic imaging was performed in the 1-year follow-up to investigate the changes of the SRF.Compared with the baseline level, significant decline was noticed in the serum creatinine (Scr) in Group 2 and Group 3 (P < .05). The cystatin C in Group 3 showed significant decline (P < .05). Compared with the baseline, there was significant decline in the Q value in Group 2, whereas the GFR of lower GFR kidney showed significant increase (P < .05). No statistical differences were noticed in the Q value and split GFR in Group 1 and Group 3 (P > .05).In primary hypertension patients, ACEI/ARB therapy could improve the SRF of lower GFR kidney in the presence of certain differences between the SRF. As a result, the SRF difference was reduced. In case of Q value in a range of 5% to 10%, ACEI/ARB could improve the renal function effectively. It may be significant for the design of antihypertensive drugs.