The COX-2 rs20417 polymorphism and risk of coronary artery disease: evidence from 17,621 subjects

The Link between Prostanoids and Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of global deaths, and many risk factors contribute to their pathogenesis. In this context, prostanoids, which derive from arachidonic acid, have attracted attention for their involvement in cardiovascular homeostasis and inflammatory processes. Prostanoids are the target of several drugs, but it has been shown that some of them increase the risk of thrombosis. Overall, many studies have shown that prostanoids are tightly associated with cardiovascular diseases and that several polymorphisms in genes involved in their synthesis and function increase the risk of developing these pathologies. In this review, we focus on molecular mechanisms linking prostanoids to cardiovascular diseases and we provide an overview of genetic polymorphisms that increase the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Association of the cyclooxygenase-2 1759A allele with migraine in Chinese Han individuals

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of migraine, and some polymorphisms are known to affect the expression of COX-2. This retrospective case-control study aimed to explore the associations between the -765 G>C (rs20417), -1759 G>A (rs3218625), and -8473 C>T (rs5275) COX-2 polymorphisms and migraine in Chinese Han individuals. One hundred and ten unrelated Han Chinese patients with migraine and 108 healthy controls were recruited between 03/2014 and 08/2016 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and the First People's Hospital of Lianyungang City. The genotypes of all polymorphisms in controls followed the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P = 0.215, P = 0.884, and P = 0.689). There were differences in the genotype and allele distributions of the COX-2-1759G>A (Gly587Arg) polymorphism between the migraine and control groups (P = 0.038 and P = 0.040, respectively). Compared with the COX-2-1759AG genotype, GG genotype carriers had an increased risk of migraine (odds ratio (OR) = 8.720, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.072-70.960, P = 0.038). The frequency of the COX-2-1759A allele in patients with migraine was significantly lower than the controls (OR = 0.119, 95%CI: 0.015-0.957, P = 0.040). Adjusted age and sex, a statistical difference was found in the dominant model of COX-2-1759 G>A (OR = 0.118, 95% CI 0.014 to 0.962, P = 0.046). No significant difference was detected regarding the -765G>C and -8473T>C polymorphisms between the two groups. The COX-2 1759A allele might be involved in the development of migraine in Chinese Han individuals, but this will have to be confirmed in large-scale studies.

Genetic polymorphisms of pharmacogenomic VIP variants in the Dai population from Yunnan province

Background

Pharmacogenomics plays a crucial role in individualized therapy, but the variant information of pharmacogenomics in the Dai population is limited. We therefore aimed to screen very important pharmacogenetic (VIP) in the Dai population and compared differences between Dai and other 25 populations.

Methods

In this study, we genotyped 73 VIP variants from the PharmGKB and compared genotype distribution of variants in Dai with other 25 populations by χ2 test. To assess the genetic relationship among 26 populations, we performed the structure analysis. In addition, pair‐wise F‐statistics (Fst) was calculated to measure the population differentiation.

Results

We found 12, 10, 13, 17, 11, 39, 46, 46, 45, 43, 49, 46, 46, 46, 49, 45, 41, 42, 48, 53, 45, 50, 50, 51, 47, and 50 significantly different variants in Dai compared with other 25 populations. Genetic structure analysis showed Dai had close relationships with CDX (Chinese Dai in Xishuangbanna), CHB (Han Chinese in Beijing), JPT (Japanese in Tokyo), and KHV (Kinh in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). Moreover, Dai is the most similar to KHV according to Fst analysis.

Conclusions

Our study complement the pharmacogenomics information of Dai population from Yunnan province and provide a theoretical basis for personalized medicine.

The Relationship of COX-2 Gene Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Kawasaki Disease in Chinese Population

BACKGROUND

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis that predominantly affects children, and it can result in coronary artery lesions. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandin H2, an important precursor of several prostaglandins. The aim of this study was to examine the association between COX-2 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to KD.

METHODS

A total of 276 subjects (136 KD and 140 controls) were recruited. The analysis of two single nucleotide polymorphisms rs689466 (-1195G/A) and rs20417 (-765G/C) was respectively detected with polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing methods.

RESULTS

Polymorphisms of rs689466 were significantly different between the normal controls and KD patients (χ² = 6.070 and 5.435, both p < 0.05). The frequencies of AA genotype and A allele of rs689466 in Kawasaki disease group were higher than that of control group (χ² = 4.832, p = 0.028, OR = 1.832, 95%CI = 1.064-3.124; χ² = 5.435, p = 0.028, OR = 1.491, 95%CI = 1.065-2.088).

CONCLUSION

This study provides the first evidence supporting an association between COX-2 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility of KD. The AA genotype and A allele of rs689466 confer predisposing factors to KD.

COX-2 rs20417 Polymorphism Is Associated with Stroke and White Matter Disease

BACKGROUND

To investigate the effect of COX-2 polymorphism and its product, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), on stroke risk in an endemic area for Chagas disease. In a separate cohort, to investigate the effect of COX-2 polymorphisms on the total burden of cerebral white matter disease.

METHODS

Cases were outpatients with ischemic stroke; controls were stroke-free subjects from 2 outpatient clinics (heart failure and caregivers of a movement disorders clinic). We extracted DNA from total blood to investigate the rs20417 COX-2 polymorphism. Serologic tests (Enzime-linked immunosorbent assay) were performed to confirm Trypanosoma cruzi infection and to quantify PGE2 levels. In the Boston cohort, white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHv) was quantified on the admission brain magnetic resonance images of subjects with ischemic stroke, who also donated DNA for the COX-2 gene region analysis.

RESULTS

We studied 44 patients with stroke and 96 controls (46 with heart failure and 50 caregivers) in the Brazilian cohort; and 788 stroke patients (302 cardioembolic and 486 noncardioembolic) in the Boston cohort. In the Brazilian cohort, rs20417 polymorphism was associated with both stroke (P = 5 × 10(-6)) and decreased PGE2 levels (P = 4 × 10(-5)); similarly, Chagas was associated with stroke (P = 4 × 10(-3)) and decreased PGE2 levels (P = 7 × 10(-3)). In the Boston cohort, rs20417 polymorphism was associated with increased WMHv among noncardioembolic (P = .037), but not among cardioembolic stroke patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Variation in COX-2 gene is associated with both symptomatic and silent brain cerebrovascular disease. This candidate gene region should be tested in population-based samples.

Apolipoprotein C3 genetic polymorphisms are associated with lipids and coronary artery disease in a Chinese population

BACKGROUND

The disorder of triglyceride (TG) metabolism leading to hypertriglyceridemia is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Variants in the apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) gene were found to be associated with elevated TG levels. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of two polymorphisms (1100 C/T and 3238 C/G) of APOC3 on plasma lipid and risk of CAD in a Chinese population.

METHODS

The study population consisted of 600 patients with CAD and 600 age- and gender-matched controls. The APOC3 gene polymorphism was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

RESULTS

Patients with CAD had a significantly higher frequency of APOC3 3238 GG genotype [odds ratio (OR) =1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) =1.10, 2.43; P = 0.01] and APOC3 3238 G allele (OR =1.27, 95% CI =1.04, 1.55; P = 0.02) than controls. The findings are still emphatic by the Bonferroni correction. When stratifying by hyperlipidemia, CAD patients with hyperlipidemia had a significantly higher frequency of APOC3 3238 GG genotype (OR =1.73, 95% CI =1.13, 2.64; P = 0.01) than without hyperlipidemia. The APOC3 3238 G allele was significantly associated with increasing plasma TG levels and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) levels both in cases and controls (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The APOC3 3238 G allele might contribute to an increased risk of CAD as a result of its effect on TG and VLDL-C metabolism.