CD31/PECAM-1 genotyping and haplotype analyses show population diversity

Association of PECAM-1 Gene Polymorphisms with Kawasaki Disease in Chinese Children

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis complicated by development of coronary artery lesions. PECAM-1 is a kind of cell adhesion molecule, which plays an important role in coronary artery disease. The relationship between PECAM-1 gene polymorphisms and their susceptibility to Kawasaki diseases (KD) is still unclear. In our study, we examined the PECAM-1 gene polymorphisms in 44 KD patients and 59 healthy children and revealed the correlation of PECAM-1 gene polymorphisms in KD children with and without coronary artery lesions (CAL).

Asn563Ser polymorphism of CD31/PECAM-1 is associated with atherosclerotic cerebral infarction in a southern Han population

BACKGROUND

CD31, also called platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), is thought to play a role in the pathological mechanisms of atherosclerosis. Leu125Val polymorphism and elevated plasma levels of soluble PECAM-1 (sPECAM-1) were found to be associated with cerebral infarction. Our aim was to investigate the association between the Asn563Ser polymorphism of CD31/PECAM-1, plasma level of sPECAM-1, and the risk of atherosclerotic cerebral infarction (ACI) in the southern Han population of the People's Republic of China.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 147 subjects with ACI and 114 controls were enrolled in the study. The Asn563Ser CD31/PECAM-1 polymorphism was detected using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The plasma spECAM-1 level was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.

RESULTS

In this study, statistically significant differences in Asn563Ser genotype and allele distribution were found between the cases and controls (P<0.05). Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed that the GG genotype is associated with increase in ACI risk (odds ratio =4.862, P<0.001). The plasma level of sPECAM-1 was associated with ACI (odds ratio =1.431, P=0.038). In both the ACI and the control groups, the plasma sPECAM-1 level in subjects with the GG genotype was higher than that in subjects carrying the AA or GA genotype (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that the Asn563Ser polymorphism of CD31/PECAM-1 gene and elevated plasma sPECAM-1 level are related to ACI risk in the southern Han population of People's Republic of China.

Minor histocompatibility antigens in Tunisians: could platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 marker be one of them?

Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1/CD31) is one of the human minor histocompatibility antigens that are the main targets of alloreactive T-cells after hematopoietic stem cells or solid organs transplantation. In order to investigate its polymorphism in Tunisians, three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs668, rs12953 and rs1131012) were selected to perform an allele and haplotype analysis. Hundred-and-forty-two healthy and unrelated subjects were enrolled in this survey. Genomic DNAs were extracted using salting out method. SNP genotyping assays were performed with home-designed sequence-specific primers polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR). As a result, molecular analysis showed that PECAM-1 is one of the most polymorphic markers in the Tunisian population because minor allele frequency was 0.3, and minimum haplotype frequency was 0.03. A low linkage disequilibrium (D' = 0.45) between rs12953 and rs1131012 was noticed, although all other loci were in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (minimum P value = 0.07). The frequencies were close to those reported in African-American and Caucasian groups.

Investigation of the effect of donor platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 polymorphism on the graft-vs.-host disease occurrence in Tunisian recipients of hematopoietic stem cells

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of donor PECAM-1 alleles and haplotypes for the SNPs L98V, S536N, and R643G on the occurrence of GVHD in Tunisian recipients of HSCs.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This study enrolled 102 patients and their 102 respective HLA-identical sibling donors of HSCs. The PECAM-1 SNPs genotyping assay was performed using sets of sequence specific primers (SSP-PCR).

RESULTS

The single marker association analysis showed that the L98 allele, in a recessive genetic model, may be a potential risk factor only for acute GVHD (p=0.036, OR=2.580, 95% C.I. = 1.053-6.326). However, the haplotype analysis showed a lack of association between donor's PECAM-1 SNPs and GVHD incidence in recipient.

CONCLUSION

The homozygosity state for donor PECAM-1L98 allele may be a significant risk factor for acute GVHD. This is probably due to its action on the function of donor leukocytes especially during the extravasation process.

Acute graft-vs.-host disease correlates with the disparity for the PECAM-1 S536N polymorphism only in the HLA-B44-like positive Tunisian recipients of HSCs

GVHD is the major cause of mortality after HLA-identical HSCT. Such complication has been widely linked to donor/recipient disparity for minor histocompatibility antigens (MiHAgs). PECAM-1 is one of potential human MiHAgs but its effect on the GVHD occurrence remains not clear. In order to examine such association in the Tunisian cohort of HSCs recipients, we performed a retrospective study on patients who undergone HLA-identical HSCT between 2000 and 2009. Genotyping of the three selected PECAM-1 polymorphisms (rs668, rs12953 and rs1131012) was performed with SSP-PCR method. Univariate analyses showed that grades II-IV acute GVHD were considerably linked to the non-identity for rs12953 only in HLA-B44-like positive patients (p=0.010, OR=10.000). Multivariate analysis for chronic GVHD showed that this outcome may be affected only by the adulthood and the conditioning regimen. Our findings support the previously reported data suggesting a significant association between the PECAM-1 disparity and the risk of acute GVHD.

Platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 gene polymorphism and its soluble level are associated with ischemic stroke

Inflammation, characterized by the recruitment and adhesion of circulating leukocytes by cellular adhesion molecules, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Genetic analyses of platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), a key adhesion molecule in the progression of atherosclerosis, have provided conflicting results regarding the role of variation within the PECAM-1 gene and risk for coronary heart disease. No studies have examined the association of this polymorphism with ischemic stroke. Therefore, we investigated that PECAM-1 gene polymorphism and its soluble level are associated with ischemic stroke in Chinese population. We analyzed single-nucleotide polymorphisms of PECAM-1 gene Leu125Val, Asn563Ser, and Gly670Arg in 265 patients with ischemic stroke and 280 age- and sex-matched controls, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing method, while soluble PECAM-1 (sPECAM-1) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. There were significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies of PECAM-1 gene Leu125Val polymorphism between the group of patients with ischemic stroke and the control group (p < 0.05). sPECAM-1 levels were increased in patients with ischemic stroke compared with controls (p < 0.01). Moreover, genotypes carrying the PECAM-1 125Val variant allele were associated with increased PECAM-1 levels compared to the homozygous wild-type genotype in patients with ischemic stroke. The Leu125Val polymorphism of PECAM-1 and its sPECAM-1 levels are associated with ischemic stroke in Chinese population. Our data suggest that the PECAM-1 gene may play a role in the development of ischemic stroke.

Genetic polymorphisms of adhesion molecules and kidney transplant survival

BACKGROUND.: Adhesion molecules play a key role in the recruitment of leukocytes to sites of inflammation. Genetic polymorphisms of adhesion molecules may alter their expression or function and may thereby influence the process of leukocyte infiltration in the transplanted organ. It has also been suggested that polymorphic adhesion molecules may act as minor histocompatibility antigens. METHODS.: In two randomly selected cohorts (954 and 1002 kidney transplants), the effect of L-selectin/CD62L (codon 206 and 213), platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1/CD31; codon 125, 563, and 670), and activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM/CD166; codon 258) single nucleotide polymorphisms on 5-yr allograft survival was investigated. DNA samples and clinical data were provided by the Collaborative Transplant Study. Recipients and donors were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primer. A multivariate analysis was performed using a Cox regression model. RESULTS.: Incompatibility for L-selectin at codon 213 was significantly associated with better graft survival in the first cohort, but the effect could not be replicated in the second cohort. Polymorphisms of PECAM-1 and ALCAM had no impact on graft outcome. CONCLUSIONS.: This is the first comprehensive and large-scale study on the relevance of L-selectin, PECAM-1, and ALCAM genetic polymorphisms in kidney transplantation, showing no significant associations of recipient or donor genotypes with allograft survival. Because the effect of L-selectin mismatch was not reproducible, a putative role of adhesion molecules as minor histocompatibility antigens cannot be confirmed. Our results demonstrate the importance of testing large sample sizes and of performing confirmation studies to validate genetic associations.