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Ko S, Ju MS, Ahn HM, Na JH, Ko WH, Jo M, Kyung M, Lim CS, Ko BJ, Lee WK, Kim YJ, Jung ST. Engineered Human Antibody with Improved Endothelin Receptor Type A Binding Affinity, Developability, and Serum Persistence Exhibits Excellent Antitumor Potency. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:1247-1255. [PMID: 36563318 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Endothelin receptor A (ETA), a class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), is a promising tumor-associated antigen due to its close association with the progression and metastasis of many types of cancer, such as colorectal, breast, lung, ovarian, and prostate cancer. However, only small-molecule drugs have been developed as ETA antagonists with anticancer effects. In a previous study, we identified an antibody (AG8) with highly selective binding to human ETA through screening of a human naïve immune antibody library. Although both in vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that the identified AG8 had anticancer effects, there is a need for improvement in biochemical and physicochemical properties such as the ETA binding affinity, thermostability, and productivity. In this study, we engineered the framework regions of AG8 and isolated an anti-ETA antibody (MJF1) exhibiting significantly improved thermostability and ETA binding affinity. Subsequently, our previously isolated PFc29, an Fc variant with an enhanced pH-dependent human FcRn binding profile, was introduced to MJF1, and the resulting Fc-engineered anti-ETA antibody (MJF1-PFc29) inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells comparably to MJF1 and showed a 4.2-fold increased serum half-life in human FcRn transgenic mice. Moreover, MJF1-PFc29 elicited higher tumor growth inhibition in colorectal cancer xenograft mice compared to MJF1. Our results demonstrate that the engineered human anti-ETA antibody MJF1-PFc29 has great therapeutic potential and high antitumor potency against various types of cancers including colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanghwan Ko
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Human Genetics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Man-Seok Ju
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Human Genetics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Mi Ahn
- Targeted Therapy Branch, Division of Rare and Refractory Cancer, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 10408, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hyun Na
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Sangji University, Wonju, Gangwon-do 26339, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Hyung Ko
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.,BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Migyeong Jo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.,BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Munsu Kyung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.,BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Chung Su Lim
- New Drug Development Center, Osong Medical Innovation Foundation, Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung Joon Ko
- School of Biopharmaceutical and Medical Sciences, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul 02844, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Kyu Lee
- New Drug Development Center, Osong Medical Innovation Foundation, Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Youn-Jae Kim
- Targeted Therapy Branch, Division of Rare and Refractory Cancer, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 10408, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Taek Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Human Genetics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.,BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
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Ahn HM, Kim DG, Kim YJ. Blockade of endothelin receptor A enhances the therapeutic efficacy of gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 527:568-573. [PMID: 32423820 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.04.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is currently one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. The high rate of mortality in pancreatic cancer patients is due to the inability to detect early-stage disease and the disease being highly refractory to therapy. Gemcitabine has been the standard chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer patients for the last two decades. However, gemcitabine resistance develops within a few weeks of treatment, and the associated mechanism remains poorly understood. Therefore, a novel therapeutic strategy is needed to overcome the limited clinical efficacy of gemcitabine in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In this study, we demonstrated that ET-1/ETAR axis gene expression was upregulated in pancreatic cancer cells after treatment with gemcitabine. Additionally, ETAR expression was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in normal tissues, and patients with high ETAR expression had a notably worse overall survival rate than those with low ETAR expression. Furthermore, our results revealed that bosentan, an ETAR antagonist, enhanced the growth-inhibiting and proapoptotic effects of gemcitabine on pancreatic cancer cells. Thus, our findings indicate that blockade of the ET-1/ETAR axis signaling pathway promotes the antiproliferative effect of gemcitabine on pancreatic cancer. Therefore, combination of ETAR blockade and gemcitabine serves as an effective therapeutic approach to achieve clinical benefits in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Mi Ahn
- Division of Translational Science, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi, 10408, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Gun Kim
- Division of Translational Science, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi, 10408, Republic of Korea
| | - Youn-Jae Kim
- Division of Translational Science, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi, 10408, Republic of Korea.
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Lee Y, Ko D, Min HJ, Kim SB, Ahn HM, Lee Y, Kim S. TMPRSS4 induces invasion and proliferation of prostate cancer cells through induction of Slug and cyclin D1. Oncotarget 2018; 7:50315-50332. [PMID: 27385093 PMCID: PMC5226585 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
TMPRSS4 is a novel type II transmembrane serine protease found at the cell surface that is highly expressed in pancreatic, colon, and other cancer tissues. Previously, we demonstrated that TMPRSS4 mediates tumor cell invasion, migration, and metastasis. We also found that TMPRSS4 activates the transcription factor activating protein-1 (AP-1) to induce cancer cell invasion. Here, we explored TMPRSS4-mediated cellular functions and the underlying mechanisms. TMPRSS4 induced Slug, an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-inducing transcription factor, and cyclin D1 through activation of AP-1, composed of c-Jun and activating transcription factor (ATF)-2, which resulted in enhanced invasion and proliferation of PC3 prostate cancer cells. In PC3 cells, not only c-Jun but also Slug was required for TMPRSS4-mediated proliferation and invasion. Interestingly, Slug induced phosphorylation of c-Jun and ATF-2 to activate AP-1 through upregulation of Axl, establishing a positive feedback loop between Slug and AP-1, and thus induced cyclin D1, leading to enhanced proliferation. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we found that Slug expression positively correlated with that of c-Jun and cyclin D1 in human prostate cancers. Expression of Slug was positively correlated with that of cyclin D1 in various cancer cell lines, whereas expression of other EMT-inducing transcription factors was not. This study demonstrates that TMPRSS4 modulates both invasion and proliferation via Slug and cyclin D1, which is a previously unrecognized pathway that may regulate metastasis and cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhee Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejon 34141, Korea.,Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejon 34141, Korea
| | - Dongjoon Ko
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejon 34141, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejon 34113, Korea
| | - Hye-Jin Min
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejon 34141, Korea
| | - Sol Bi Kim
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejon 34141, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejon 34113, Korea
| | - Hye-Mi Ahn
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejon 34141, Korea
| | - Younghoon Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejon 34141, Korea
| | - Semi Kim
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejon 34141, Korea.,Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejon 34141, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejon 34113, Korea
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Kim B, Kim YS, Ahn HM, Lee HJ, Jung MK, Jeong HY, Choi DK, Lee JH, Lee SR, Kim JM, Lee DS. Peroxiredoxin 5 overexpression enhances tumorigenicity and correlates with poor prognosis in gastric cancer. Int J Oncol 2017; 51:298-306. [PMID: 28535004 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2017.4013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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Ahn HM, Yoo JW, Lee S, Lee HJ, Lee HS, Lee DS. Peroxiredoxin 5 promotes the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colon cancer. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 487:580-586. [PMID: 28431931 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.04.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is common cause of cancer-related deaths. The high mortality rate of patients with colon cancer is due to cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Initiation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is essential for the tumorigenesis. Peroxiredoinxs (PRX1-6) have been reported to be overexpressed in various tumor tissues, and involved to be responsible for tumor progression. However, the exact role of PRX5 in colon cancer remains to be investigated enhancing proliferation and promoting EMT properties. In this study, we constructed stably overexpressing PRX5 and suppressed PRX5 expression in CRC cells. Our results revealed that PRX5 overexpression significantly enhanced CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. On the other hand, PRX5 suppression markedly inhibited these EMT properties. PRX5 was also demonstrated to regulate the expression of two hallmark EMT proteins, E-cadherin and Vimentin, and the EMT-inducing transcription factors, Snail and Slug. Moreover, in the xenograft mouse model, showed that PRX5 overexpression enhances tumor growth of CRC cells. Thus, our findings first provide evidence in CRC that PRX5 promotes EMT properties by inducing the expression of EMT-inducing transcription factors. Therefore, PRX5 can be used as a predictive biomarker and serves as a putative therapeutic target for the development of clinical treatments for human CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Mi Ahn
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea; College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Woo Yoo
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea; College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Seunghoon Lee
- Animal Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong Jun Lee
- Biomedical Research Institute, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Shik Lee
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea; College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Seok Lee
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea; College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
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Ahn HM, Ryu J, Song JM, Lee Y, Kim HJ, Ko D, Choi I, Kim SJ, Lee JW, Kim S. Anti-cancer Activity of Novel TM4SF5-Targeting Antibodies through TM4SF5 Neutralization and Immune Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity. Am J Cancer Res 2017; 7:594-613. [PMID: 28255353 PMCID: PMC5327636 DOI: 10.7150/thno.15629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The transmembrane four L6 family member 5 (TM4SF5) protein is a novel molecular target for the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. TM4SF5 is highly expressed in liver, colon, esophageal, and pancreatic cancers and is implicated in tumor progression. Here, we screened monoclonal antibodies that specifically bound to the extracellular loop 2 (EC2) of TM4SF5 from a phage-displayed murine antibody (single-chain variable fragment; scFv) library. We constructed and characterized chimeric antibodies, Ab27 and Ab79, of scFv fused with Fc domain of human IgG1. The affinity (KD) of Ab27 and Ab79 for soluble EC2 was approximately 9.2 nM and 16.9 nM, respectively, as determined by surface plasmon resonance analysis. Ab27 and Ab79 efficiently bound to native TM4SF5 on the cell surface were internalized into the cancer cells, leading to a decrease in cell surface TM4SF5. Ab27 and Ab79 inhibited the proliferation and invasion of TM4SF5-positive liver and colon cancer cells and reduced FAK and c-Src phosphorylation. Ab27 and Ab79 also enhanced anoikis sensitivity and reduced survivin. Ab27 mediated antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro. Ab27 and Ab79 efficiently inhibited tumor growth in a liver cancer xenograft model. These results strongly support the further development of Ab27 as a novel anti-cancer agent in the clinic.
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Kim EK, Seo HS, Chae MJ, Jeon IS, Song BY, Park YJ, Ahn HM, Yun CO, Kang CY. Enhanced antitumor immunotherapeutic effect of B-cell-based vaccine transduced with modified adenoviral vector containing type 35 fiber structures. Gene Ther 2013; 21:106-14. [PMID: 24225639 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2013.65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
For successful clinical tumor immunotherapy outcomes, strong immune responses against tumor antigens must be generated. Cell-based vaccines compromise one strategy with which to induce appropriate strong immune responses. Previously, we established a natural killer T-cell (NKT) ligand-loaded, adenoviral vector-transduced B-cell-based anticancer cellular vaccine. To enhance tumor antigen delivery to B cells, we established a modified adenoviral vector (Ad-k35) that encoded a truncated form of the breast cancer antigen Her2/neu (Ad-k35HM) in which fiber structure was substituted with adenovirus serotype 35. We observed increased tumor antigen expression with Ad-k35HM in both human and murine B cells. In addition, an Ad-k35HM-transduced B-cell vaccine elicited strong antigen-specific cellular and humoral immune responses that were further enhanced with the additional loading of soluble NKT ligand KBC009. An Ad-k35HM-transduced, KBC009-loaded B-cell vaccine efficiently suppressed the in vivo growth of established tumors in a mouse model. Moreover, the vaccine elicited human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 epitope-specific cytotoxic T-cell responses in B6.Cg (CB)-Tg (HLA-A/H2-D) 2Enge/Jat mice. These findings indicated that the Ad-k35 could be appropriate for the preclinical and clinical development of B-cell-based anticancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- E-K Kim
- Laboratory of Immunology, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - H-S Seo
- WCU Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - M-J Chae
- Laboratory of Immunology, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - I-S Jeon
- WCU Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - B-Y Song
- WCU Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Y-J Park
- Laboratory of Immunology, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - H M Ahn
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - C-O Yun
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - C-Y Kang
- 1] Laboratory of Immunology, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea [2] WCU Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
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Ahn HM, Lee KS, Lee DS, Yu K. JNK/FOXO mediated PeroxiredoxinV expression regulates redox homeostasis during Drosophila melanogaster gut infection. Dev Comp Immunol 2012; 38:466-473. [PMID: 22858408 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2012] [Revised: 07/04/2012] [Accepted: 07/05/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Innate immunity plays an important role in combating microbial infection in animals. During bacterial infection in Drosophila melanogaster gut, Dual oxidase (Duox) generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) to fight against the infected microbes. Concurrently, antioxidant systems eliminate residual ROS and protect the hosts. Here we found that Drosophila melanogaster Peroxiredoxin V (dPrxV) is an immune-related antioxidant enzyme which maintains intestinal redox homeostasis. dPrxV was highly expressed in gut and induced by the oral infection of Erwinia carotovora carotovora. dPrxV expression was increased by the gut-specific Duox overexpression but decreased by Duox inhibition. Moreover, dPrxV expression was mediated by the JNK/FOXO signaling and dPrxV mutant reduced survival after gut infection. These results suggest that JNK/FOXO mediated dPrxV expression plays a critical role in Drosophila melanogaster gut during bacterial infection in protecting the host gut epithelial cells from oxidative damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Mi Ahn
- Aging Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
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Ahn HM, Lee JA, Kim H, Oh CH, Lee SH, Sim TB, Hah JM, Kim DJ, Yoo KH. Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activity of Pyridinylcarbonylpyrimidines Against Melanoma Cell Line. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2011. [DOI: 10.5012/bkcs.2011.32.4.1209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Park EY, Ahn HM, Lee JA, Hong YM. Insertion/deletion polymorphism of angiotensin converting enzyme gene in Korean hypertensive adolescents. Heart Vessels 2009; 24:193-8. [PMID: 19466520 DOI: 10.1007/s00380-008-1101-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2007] [Accepted: 08/08/2008] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The essential role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in controlling blood pressure has been well established. Genes encoding components of the RAS have been proposed as candidate genes that determine genetic predisposition to hypertension and the risk of developing cardiovascular complications. The purpose of this study was to analyze angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms in Korean hypertensive adolescents, and to determine the association between ACE genotype and cardiovascular risk. Forty hypertensive adolescents (16-17 years old, systolic blood pressure (BP) > or =140 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP > or =90 mm Hg) and a control group of twenty normotensive adolescents were included in the study. Obesity index (OI) and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. Skin fold thickness and arm circumference were also measured. Fat mass and fat distribution were analyzed by bioelectrical impedance. Blood pressure was measured at resting state by oscillometric methods. Serum aldosterone, renin, insulin, ACE, homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folate levels were evaluated after a fasting period of 12 h. The carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid artery diameter were measured by carotid ultrasound. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were also measured. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted to amplify DNA from blood samples of each individuals to analyze ACE I/D polymorphism. Genotype frequencies of I/I were 37.5%, I/D 45.0% and D/D 17.5%. Serum ACE levels were 33.5 +/- 8.7 U/l in I/I genotype, 48.6 +/- 19.8 U/l in I/D genotype and 61.4 +/- 22.7 U/l in D/D genotype, which showed that ACE levels were significantly higher in those with D/D or I/D genotype than in I/I genotype. Carotid IMT was significantly greater in D/D group than in I/I group. In conclusion, the D allele is associated with the increased level of ACE in Korean hypertensive adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Young Park
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 911-1 MokDong, YangCheon-Ku, Seoul 158-710, Republic of Korea
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