VEGFR2 and OPG genes modify the risk of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia

Polymorphic Variants of Genes Encoding Angiogenesis-Related Factors in Infertile Women with Recurrent Implantation Failure

Recurrent implantation failure (RIF) is a global health issue affecting a significant number of infertile women who undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Extensive vasculogenesis and angiogenesis occur in both maternal and fetal placental tissues, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family molecules and their receptors are potent angiogenic mediators in the placenta. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes encoding angiogenesis-related factors were selected and genotyped in 247 women who had undergone the ART procedure and 120 healthy controls. Genotyping was conducted by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). A variant of the kinase insertion domain receptor (KDR) gene (rs2071559) was associated with an increased risk of infertility after adjusting for age and BMI (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.45-0.91, p = 0.013 in a log-additive model). Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) rs699947 was associated with an increased risk of recurrent implantation failures under a dominant (OR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.11-4.94, p_adj. = 0.022) and a log-additive model (OR = 0.65; 95% CI 0.43-0.99, p_adj. = 0.038). Variants of the KDR gene (rs1870377, rs2071559) in the whole group were in linkage equilibrium (D' = 0.25, r² = 0.025). Gene-gene interaction analysis showed the strongest interactions between the KDR gene SNPs rs2071559-rs1870377 (p = 0.004) and KDR rs1870377-VEGFA rs699947 (p = 0.030). Our study revealed that the KDR gene rs2071559 variant may be associated with infertility and rs699947 VEGFA with an increased risk of recurrent implantation failures in infertile ART treated Polish women.

Association of TGFB1 rs1800469 and BCMO1 rs6564851 with coronary heart disease and IL1B rs16944 with all-cause mortality in men from the Northern Ireland PRIME study

Background

Historically, high levels of morbidity and mortality have been associated with cardiovascular disease in the Northern Ireland population. Previously reported associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and cardiovascular disease within other populations have not always been consistent.

Objective

To investigate associations between 33 SNPs with fatal or non-fatal incident coronary heart disease (CHD) events and all-cause mortality in the Northern Irish participants of the Prospective Epidemiological Study of Myocardial Infarction (PRIME).

Method

Phase 2 of the PRIME study prospectively evaluated 2,010 men aged 58–74 years in Northern Ireland for more than 10 years for incident CHD events (myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass, and cardiac death) and more than 15 years for all-cause mortality. SNPs previously reported in association with cardiovascular outcomes were evaluated against incident CHD events and all-cause mortality using Cox’s proportional hazards models adjusted for established cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Results

During the follow-up period, 177 incident CHD events were recorded, and 821 men died. Both BCMO1 rs6564851 (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.76; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.60–0.96; P = 0.02) and TGFB1 rs1800469 (HR = 1.30; CI: 1.02–1.65; P = 0.04) were significantly associated with incident CHD events in adjusted models. Only IL1B rs16944 was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (HR = 1.18; CI: 1.05–1.33; P = 0.005). No associations remained significant following Bonferonni correction for multiple testing.

Conclusion

We report a novel association between BCMO1 rs6564851 and risk of incident CHD events. In addition, TGFB1 rs1800469 and IL1B rs16944 were associated with the risk of incident CHD events and all-cause mortality outcomes respectively, supporting previously reported associations.

Osteoprotegerin Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with Subclinical Atherosclerosis in the Mexican Mestizo Population

Subclinical atherosclerosis (SA) is the presence of coronary calcification in the absence of cardiovascular symptoms, and it usually progresses to atherosclerotic disease. Studies have shown an association of osteoprotegerin gene (OPG) variants with calcification process in cardiovascular diseases; however, to this day there are no studies that evaluate individuals in the asymptomatic stage of atherosclerotic disease. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the association of four genetic variants and haplotypes of the OPG gene with the development of SA, through TaqMan genotyping assays. We also aimed to identify potential response elements for transcription factors in these genetic variants. The study included 1413 asymptomatic participants (1041 were controls and 372 were individuals with SA). The rs3102735 polymorphism appeared as a protective marker (OR = 0.693; 95% CI = 0.493−0.974; pheterozygote = 0.035; OR = 0.699; 95% CI = 0.496−0.985; pcodominant 1 = 0.040) and two haplotypes were associated with SA, one as a decreased risk: GACC (OR = 0.641, 95% CI = 0.414−0.990, p = 0.045) and another as an increased risk: GACT (OR = 1.208, 95% CI = 1.020−1.431, p = 0.029). Our data suggest a lower risk of SA in rs3102735 C carriers in a representative sample of Mexican mestizo population.

Osteoprotegerin expression and serum values in obese women with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

Obesity and diabetes prevalence are increasing worldwide. We aimed to detect the possible association of osteoprotegerin (OPG) gene expression with visceral adiposity indices and cardiometabolic risk factors among obese women.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The study enrolled 150 controls and 150 obese cases subdivided into two subgroups non-diabetic (n = 70) and 80 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Circulating OPG gene expression levels were figured out by real time PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). Serum OPG levels were assessed by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Our results explored that OPG serum levels were lower in the obese women compared to control group (p < 0.001) and obese diabetics had higher serum levels of OPG in comparison to obese non-diabetic patients (p < 0.001). Expression levels of OPG were higher in obese women than controls (p < 0.001). Moreover, the blood expression levels of OPG gene were higher in diabetic obese patients than non-diabetics. We found positive correlations between parameters of metabolic syndrome and obesity indices. After adjustment of the traditional risk factors, stepwise linear regression analysis test revealed that OPG expression levels were independently correlated with glycated hemoglobin, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and waist-to-hip ratio.

CONCLUSIONS

OPG mRNA levels were associated with surrogate markers of insulin resistance in Egyptian obese women.

Association between Osteoprotegerin and Charcot Neuroarthropathy: a systematic review

AIMS

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) has been associated with Charcot Neuroarthropathy (CN); however, three studied OPG polymorphisms (1181C > G, 245A > C and 950 T > C) have yielded conflicting results. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to determine the difference in serum OPG concentrations between healthy controls and diabetics with and without CN and the effect OPG polymorphisms have on CN development.

METHODS

PubMed, LILAC, SCOPUS, and EBSCO databases and retrieved publications' bibliographies were searched for studies that examined for OPG and CN. Depending on the heterogeneity, fixed or random effects were used to calculate the pooled odds ratio (OR) or standard difference in means (SDM) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for 5 genetic models (heterozygous, homozygous, dominant, recessive, and allelic) and serum concentrations, respectively.

RESULTS

Seven publications (12 studies) demonstrated that serum OPG concentrations were more elevated in subjects with CN (SDM = 0.719, 95%CI = 0.555-0.883, p < 0.001). When CN was compared to healthy controls or diabetics, the difference was more prominent for healthy controls (SDM = 1.043, 95%CI = 0.676-1.409, p < 0.001) than diabetics (SDM = 0.639, 95%CI = 0.456-0.821, p < 0.001) and the SDM difference was significant (p = 0.013). Using 6 publications (9 studies), neither the 1181C > G or the 950 T > C polymorphisms showed any significant associations for any genetic model. For the 245A > C polymorphism, only the homozygous genetic model showed a significant association between the polymorphism and CN (OR = 2.850, 95%CI: 1.051-7.729, p = 0.040).

CONCLUSIONS

Here, we determined a potential correlation between the CN and serum OPG concentrations and that only the CC genotype of the 245A > C polymorphism showed an increased risk of developing CN.

A genetic risk score predicts coronary artery disease in familial hypercholesterolaemia: enhancing the precision of risk assessment

Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD); however, risk prediction and stratification remain a challenge. Genetic risk scores (GRS) may have utility in identifying FH patients at high CAD risk. The study included 811 patients attending the lipid disorders clinic at Royal Perth Hospital with mutation-positive (n = 251) and mutation-negative (n = 560) FH. Patients were genotyped for a GRS previously associated with CAD. Associations between the GRS, clinical characteristics, and CAD were assessed using regression analyses. The average age of patients was 49.6 years, and 44.1% were male. The GRS was associated with increased odds of a CAD event in mutation-positive [odds ratio (OR) = 3.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.3-8.2; P = .009] and mutation-negative FH patients (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.0-3.3; P = .039) after adjusting for established predictors of CAD risk. The GRS was associated with greater subclinical atherosclerosis as assessed by coronary artery calcium score (P = .039). A high GRS was associated with CAD defined clinically and angiographically in FH patients. High GRS patients may benefit from more intensive management including lifestyle modification and aggressive lipid-lowering therapy. Further assessment of the utility of the GRS requires investigation in prospective cohorts, including its role in influencing the management of FH patients in the clinic.