The C4280A (rs5705) gene polymorphism of the renin (REN) gene is associated with risk of developing coronary artery disease, but not with restenosis after coronary stenting

Nutrigenetic Investigations in Preeclampsia

Background: Preeclampsia is a leading cause of pregnancy-related maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Although its precise cause and prevention remain unclear, risk factors such as overweight and inadequate nutrient intake (e.g., calcium, folic acid, and vitamin D) are known to increase its incidence. Recent research has focused on the genetic predisposition to preeclampsia, identifying polymorphisms that may affect enzyme or receptor function. This study aims to review existing literature examining the relationship between genetic polymorphisms, BMI (body mass index), and nutrient levels in preeclampsia to develop more actionable therapeutic strategies. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to analyze studies on the nutrigenetic relationship between BMI, micronutrients, and preeclampsia. Results: A total of 17 studies investigating 12 genes related to BMI and 10 studies exploring 3 genes in relation to micronutrient levels were included in the analysis. Several polymorphisms associated with preeclampsia were found to be influenced by maternal BMI or serum vitamin levels. The interactions between certain gene variants and these factors suggest that both BMI and micronutrient status may modify the risk of developing preeclampsia in genetically predisposed individuals. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the potential for reanalyzing existing data by categorizing based on genotype and nutrient levels. This approach could yield more personalized dietary and therapeutic recommendations for managing preeclampsia. In the future, genetic information may support the development of tailored nutritional counseling during pregnancy to mitigate preeclampsia risk.

Genetic Insights and Neonatal Outcomes in Preeclampsia and Eclampsia: A Detailed Analysis of the RS5707 Genotype

BACKGROUND

Preeclampsia (PE) and eclampsia (E) are severe pregnancy complications with significant maternal and neonatal health impacts. This study explores the association of the rs5707 polymorphism in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) with PE/E and related neonatal outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 400 mother-newborn dyads at the "Pius Brinzeu" Emergency Clinical Hospital Timisoara. Participants were divided into a control group (254 normotensive women) and a PE/E group (146 women with PE/E). Genotyping for the rs5707 polymorphism was performed using real-time PCR, and statistical analyses assessed associations with maternal body mass index (BMI) and neonatal outcomes.

RESULTS

The AA genotype of rs5707 was significantly associated with a reduced risk of PE/E and more favorable neonatal outcomes, including higher Apgar scores, greater birth weights, and longer gestational ages. Conversely, the AC genotype correlated with increased maternal BMI and adverse neonatal outcomes. Odds ratios highlighted the protective effect of the AA genotype against PE/E and the increased risk associated with the AC genotype.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed the critical role of the rs5707 polymorphism in PE/E development and neonatal health. Genetic screening for rs5707 could enhance early identification and personalized intervention strategies, improving outcomes for both mothers and neonates. Further research is needed to validate these findings across diverse populations and to uncover the underlying mechanisms.

Genetic Appraisal of RAAS-Associated SNPs: REN (rs16853055), AGT (rs3789678) and ACE (rs4305) in Preeclamptic Women Living with HIV Infection

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The primary goal of this review article was to determine whether the three RAAS-associated SNPs, Renin-rs16853055, AGT-rs3789678 and ACE-rs4305 are genetically linked to the development of hypertension in preeclampsia. The secondary goal was to establish if there was a link between these SNPs and HIV infection.

RECENT FINDINGS

There is a paucity of findings related to the aforementioned SNPs and preeclampsia. There are no recent findings on the rs16853055 renin polymorphism. The rs3789678 angiotensinogen polymorphism correlated significantly with gestational hypertension. The rs4305 ACE polymorphism showed no significant association with the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension. There are conflicting findings when determining the relationship between ethnicity and the predisposition of preeclampsia and hypertension in relation to the discussed RAAS-associated SNPs. To date, the association between RAAS-associated SNPs and preeclamptic women co-morbid with HIV in South Africa has revealed that certain alleles of the AGT gene are more prominent in HIV-infected PE compared to normotensive pregnant HIV-infected women.

Association of Polymorphisms in Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA), and Renin (REN) with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss in Korean Women

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is defined as two or more consecutive pregnancy losses prior to 20 weeks of gestational age. Various factors, including immune dysfunction, endocrine disorders, coagulation abnormality, and genetic disorders influence RPL. In particular, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and renin (REN) have important roles in the thrombotic and thrombolytic systems, and abnormal expression of these genes have a reported negative correlation with pregnancy maintenance. Moreover, some polymorphisms of the three genes are related to expression levels and thrombotic disorder. Therefore, we investigated whether polymorphisms of PAI-1, tPA, and REN are linked to RPL. Genotyping of the six polymorphisms (PAI-1 rs11178, rs1050955, tPA rs4646972, rs2020918, REN rs1464816, and rs5707) was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism and associations of the polymorphisms with RPL were evaluated by statistical analysis. The polymorphism PAI-1 rs1050955 GA+AA was associated with decreased RPL risk (AOR, 0.528; 95% CI 0.356–0.781; p = 0.001) as was the REN 10795 rs5707 GG genotype (AOR, 0.487; 95% CI 0.301–0.787; p = 0.003). In contrast, the tPA rs4646972 II genotype correlated with increased RPL risk (AOR, 1.606; 95% CI, 1.047–2.463; p = 0.030). This study provides evidence that tPA Alu rs4646972 may contribute to the risk of idiopathic RPL, but PAI-1 12068 rs1050955 and REN 10795 rs5707 are associated with a decreased risk of RPL. Therefore, these alleles may be useful as biomarkers to evaluate the risk of RPL.

Common gene polymorphism in ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 and coronary artery disease: A genetic association study and a structural analysis

ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) has a crucial role in removing intracellular cholesterol and plays a protective role against atherosclerosis. Therefore, genetic polymorphisms in this gene may alter the susceptibility to coronary artery disease (CAD). This study was aimed to examine the association of rs2230806 (c.1051 G > A; p.R219K) variation in the ABCA1 gene with CAD in a case-control design which was followed by a meta-analysis and in silico approach. In the case-control study, 300 subjects including 150 individuals with CAD and 150 healthy controls were recruited. The c.1051 G > A genotyping was done by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. In the meta-analysis, eligible studies were collected from PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases and pooled odds ratio, heterogeneity, publication bias, and sensitivity analyses were carried. Finally, some bioinformatics tools were employed to assess the impacts of p.R219K variation on ABCA1 protein structure. Our case-control examination showed a statistically significant association between c.1051 G > A genetic polymorphism and CAD risk. In addition, the meta-analysis showed reliable significant associations between c.1051 G > A transition and risk of CAD in the Caucasian population. In silico analysis showed that the p.R219K substitution could alter the secondary structure, hydrophobicity pattern, and Ramachandran plot of ABCA1. These findings elucidate that the c.1051 G > A variation could be a genetic risk factor for CAD and it could be considered as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for susceptible individuals.

The association between maternal and foetal REN gene polymorphisms and preeclampsia/eclampsia: A hybrid design study

OBJECTIVES

Preeclampsia (PE)/eclampsia (E) is an important cause of foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality, and its aetiology is poorly understood. Good evidence suggests that renin (REN) might be associated with PE/E. The risk of PE/E is determined by both maternal and foetal genes, but most previous studies have focused on maternal contributions. This study aimed to explore the association of maternal and foetal REN polymorphisms with PE/E in pregnant Han Chinese women.

METHODS

A case-parents/mother-control study including 347 PE/E patients with their partners and offspring and 700 control mothers with their offspring was conducted. A log-linear model was used to investigate the association between maternal and foetal REN SNPs and PE/E simultaneously, as well as the interaction of REN SNPs and environmental factors on PE/E.

RESULTS

The foetal REN rs5707 AC genotype in combination with a pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 24 kg/m² was significantly associated with an increased risk of PE/E, with an OR of 2.75 (95%CI = 1.50-5.06). Maternal and foetal rs5707 were significantly associated with an increased risk of PE/E under the recessive model (AA + AC/CC). In haplotype analyses, foetal CCT (in the order of rs2368564, rs5707, rs5705) and TAT genotypes were positively associated with the risk of PE/E. There was no significant association between maternal and foetal REN SNP genotypes and PE/E in the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) and log-linear model analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study indicate that foetal rs5707 polymorphisms may play a significant role in PE/E development, especially among overweight or obese pregnant women in China.

Plasma protein biomarkers and their association with mutually exclusive cardiovascular phenotypes: the FIBRO-TARGETS case-control analyses

BACKGROUND

Hypertension, obesity and diabetes are major and potentially modifiable "risk factors" for cardiovascular diseases. Identification of biomarkers specific to these risk factors may help understanding the underlying pathophysiological pathways, and developing individual treatment.

METHODS

The FIBRO-TARGETS (targeting cardiac fibrosis for heart failure treatment) consortium has merged data from 12 patient cohorts in 1 common database of > 12,000 patients. Three mutually exclusive main phenotypic groups were identified ("cases"): (1) "hypertensive"; (2) "obese"; and (3) "diabetic"; age-sex matched in a 1:2 proportion with "healthy controls" without any of these phenotypes. Proteomic associations were studied using a biostatistical method based on LASSO and confronted with machine-learning and complex network approaches.

RESULTS

The case:control distribution by each cardiovascular phenotype was hypertension (50:100), obesity (50:98), and diabetes (36:72). Of the 86 studied proteins, 4 were found to be independently associated with hypertension: GDF-15, LEP, SORT-1 and FABP-2; 3 with obesity: CEACAM-8, LEP and PRELP; and 4 with diabetes: GDF-15, REN, CXCL-1 and SCF. GDF-15 (hypertension + diabetes) and LEP (hypertension + obesity) are shared by 2 different phenotypes. A machine-learning approach confirmed GDF-15, LEP and SORT-1 as discriminant biomarkers for the hypertension group, and LEP plus PRELP for the obesity group. Complex network analyses provided insight on the mechanisms underlying these disease phenotypes where fibrosis may play a central role.

CONCLUSION

Patients with "mutually exclusive" phenotypes display distinct bioprofiles that might underpin different biological pathways, potentially leading to fibrosis. Plasma protein biomarkers and their association with mutually exclusive cardiovascular phenotypes: the FIBRO-TARGETS case-control analyses. Patients with "mutually exclusive" phenotypes (blue: obesity, hypertension and diabetes) display distinct protein bioprofiles (green: decreased expression; red: increased expression) that might underpin different biological pathways (orange arrow), potentially leading to fibrosis.

Relationship of the rs1799752 polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene and the rs699 polymorphism of the angiotensinogen gene to the process of in-stent restenosis in a population of Polish patients with stable coronary artery disease

PURPOSE

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system may influence in-stent restenosis (ISR) via angiotensin II, which stimulates the production of growth factors for smooth muscle cells. The aim of this work is to assess the influence of the rs1799752 polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene and the rs699 polymorphism of the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene on the ISR in Polish patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) who underwent stent implantation.

MATERIAL/METHODS

Two hundred and sixty-five patients with SCAD were included in the study. All patients underwent stent implantation upon admission to the hospital and had subsequent coronary angiography performed. The patients were divided into two groups - those with significant ISR (n=53) and those without ISR (n=212). The ACE polymorphism was assessed using the classical PCR method and the AGT polymorphism was determined using the TaqMan method for SNP genotyping.

RESULTS

No difference in the frequency of angiographically significant ISR occurrence associated with the different ACE and AGT gene polymorphisms was observed. In a multivariable analysis, after correction for clinical variables, the relationship between the ACE and AGT genotypes within the scope of the analyzed polymorphisms and the process of restenosis was not found using a dominant, recessive and log-additive model. Late lumen loss was also independent of the genotypes of the polymorphisms before and after correction with angiographic variables.

CONCLUSIONS

The rs1799752 polymorphism and the rs699 polymorphism had no relationship with the occurrence of angiographically significant ISR and late lumen loss in a group of Polish patients who underwent metal stent implantation.

Some Aspects of the Renin-Angiotensin-System in Hemodialysis Patients

Understanding of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has changed remarkably over the past decade. Renin, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin II (Ang II), and Ang II receptors are the main components of the RAS. Recent studies identified the ACE2/Ang 1–7/ Mas receptor axis, which counter-regulates the classical RAS. Many studies have examined the effects of the RAS on the progression of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD). In addition, many studies have documented increased levels of ACE in hemodialysis (HD) patients, raising concerns about the negative effects of RAS activation on the progression of renal disease. Elevated ACE increases the level of Ang II, leading to vasoconstriction and cell proliferation. Ang II stimulation of the sympathetic system leads to renal and cardiovascular complications that are secondary to uncontrolled hypertension. This review provides an overview of the RAS, evaluates new research on the role of ACE2 in dialysis, and reviews the evidence for potentially better treatments for patients undergoing HD. Further understanding of the role of ACE and ACE2 in HD patients may aid the development of targeted therapies that slow the progression of CKD and cardiovascular disease.

Risk given by AGT polymorphisms in inducing susceptibility to essential hypertension among isolated populations from a remote region of China: A case-control study among the isolated populations

INTRODUCTION

Hypertension is a serious risk factor affecting up to 30% of the world's population with a heritability of more than 30-50%. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of the polymorphisms localized in the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene, a main component of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, in inducing the susceptibility to essential hypertension (EH) among isolated populations (Yi and Hani minorities) with low prevalence rate from the remote region of Yunnan in China.

METHODS

A case-control association study was performed, and all subjects were genotyped for the seven single nucleotide polymorphisms localized in the AGT region by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

RESULTS

Three polymorphisms, i.e. rs5046, rs5049, and rs2478544, were significantly associated with EH among the Hani minority. The associations, found in the Yi minority, did not reach a conclusive level of statistical significance. The polymorphisms of rs2478544 and rs5046 caused the transformations of exonic splicing enhancer sites and transcription factor binding sites, respectively, in the bioinformatic analyses. The haplotype-rs5046T, rs5049A, rs11568020G, rs3789679C, rs2478544C was susceptible for EH among the Hani minority.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggested that the AGT polymorphisms have played a vital role in determining an individual's susceptibility to EH among the isolated population, which would be helpful for EH management in the remote mountainous region of Yunnan in China.