Y chromosome and cardiovascular risk: What are we missing?

Preliminary study between Y chromosome haplogroups and chagasic cardiomyopathy manifestations in patients with Chagas disease

INTRODUCTION

Among patients with Chagas disease, men have a higher risk of worse pathological symptoms than women. We aimed to explore the role of the Y chromosome in men diagnosed with Chagas disease and assess the relationship between their ancestry and disease status.

METHODS

In this comparative study, we analyzed 150 men with unrelated non-chagasic disease (nCD) and 150 men with unrelated chagasic disease (CD). We assessed the serological diagnosis of Chagas disease, biochemical parameters, thoracic X-rays, electrocardiogram, and transthoracic echocardiography and determined the haplogroup by analyzing a set of 17 microsatellites from the Y chromosome. We examined the associations between common Y chromosome haplogroups and the clinical parameters of risk by logistic regression.

RESULTS

For all patients, the most common haplogroups were R1b (43%), G2a (9%), and E1b1b (9%). The R1b and G2a haplogroup was more frequent in men with nCD and CD, respectively. As expected, we observed a high proportion of symptomatic patients in the CD group independent of the haplogroups. Men from both groups classified as having the R1b haplogroup showed less clinical evidence of disease. Multivariate analysis showed that CD patients without R1b were about five times more likely to have a cardio-thorax index >0.5% (OR [odds ratio] = 5.1, 95% CI [confidence interval] = 3.31-8.17). Men without the R1b haplogroup were 2.5 times more likely to show EcoCG alterations (OR = 2.50, 95% CI = 0.16-3.94).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provided evidence that the R1b haplogroup may have a potential protective cardiovascular effect for its carriers.

Associations of Y chromosomal haplogroups with cardiometabolic risk factors and subclinical vascular measures in males during childhood and adolescence

Background and aims

Males have greater cardiometabolic risk than females, though the reasons for this are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the association between common Y chromosomal haplogroups and cardiometabolic risk during early life.

Methods

In a British birth cohort, we examined the association of Y chromosomal haplogroups with trajectories of cardiometabolic risk factors from birth to 18 years and with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, carotid intima media thickness and left ventricular mass index at age 18. Haplogroups were grouped according to their phylogenetic relatedness into categories of R, I, E, J, G and all other haplogroups combined (T, Q, H, L, C, N and O). Risk factors included BMI, fat and lean mass, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), non-HDL-c and c-reactive protein. Analyses were performed using multilevel models and linear regression, as appropriate.

Results

Y chromosomal haplogroups were not associated with any cardiometabolic risk factors from birth to 18 years. For example, at age 18, the difference in SBP comparing each haplogroup with haplogroup R was −0.39 mmHg (95% Confidence Interval (CI): −0.75, 1.54) for haplogroup I, 2.56 mmHg (95% CI: −0.76, 5.89) for haplogroup E, −0.02 mmHg (95% CI: −2.87, 2.83) for haplogroup J, 1.28 mmHg (95% CI: −4.70, 2.13) for haplogroup G and −2.75 mmHg (95% CI: −6.38, 0.88) for all other haplogroups combined.

Conclusions

Common Y chromosomal haplogroups are not associated with cardiometabolic risk factors during childhood and adolescence or with subclinical cardiovascular measures at age 18.

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Common Y chromosomal haplogroups are not associated with cardiometabolic risk factors from birth to age 18.

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Common Y chromosomal haplogroups are not associated with cardiovascular structure and function at age 18.

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Common Y chromosomal haplogroups are not associated with cardiometabolic risk in males during early life.