Short stature-related single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) activates endothelial repair activity in elderly Japanese

Progression of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Partly Indicates the Prevention of Hypertension among Older Individuals in the General Population

Structural atherosclerosis, as evaluated by carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), is reported to be positively associated with hypertension. However, angiogenesis, which plays an important role in the progression of structural atherosclerosis, prevents hypertension by reducing peripheral vascular resistance. These associations evoke a contradiction: characteristics associated with the progression of structural atherosclerosis, which is related to hypertension, might prevent hypertension. To clarify novel mechanisms underlying the association between structural atherosclerosis and hypertension, multifaceted analyses are necessary. We performed several epidemiological studies based on this concept. This study summarizes those epidemiological studies and adds some discussion. Studies focusing on circulating CD34-positive cells, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), SNPs in BRACA1-associated protein (BRAP), platelets, human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), and SNPs in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) have shown that active endothelial repair, which leads to the progression of structural atherosclerosis, helps prevent hypertension. These associations indicate that the progression of structural atherosclerosis could act as a marker of angiogenesis, which reduces peripheral vascular resistance. In general, a positive association between structural atherosclerosis and hypertension has been reported. However, the progression of structural atherosclerosis could act as a marker of activity that prevents hypertension via reductions in peripheral vascular resistance.

Height and Active Arterial Wall Thickening in Relation to Thyroid Cysts Status among Elderly Japanese: A Prospective Study

Height is inversely associated with inflammation that stimulates endothelial repair. In our previous study involving elderly men aged 60-69 years, we found that active arterial wall thickening, which is known as the process of endothelial repair, requires CD34-positive cells. As thyroid hormone regulates CD34-positive cell production and as the absence of thyroid cysts might indicate latent damage in the thyroid, the status of thyroid cysts possibly influences the association between height and active arterial wall thickening. We conducted a 2-year follow-up study of Japanese aged 60-69 years. For participants with thyroid cysts, height was significantly inversely associated with active arterial wall thickening (thyroid function and baseline CIMT adjusted odds ratio of active arterial wall thickening for one increment of standard deviation of height (5.7 cm for men and 4.8 cm for women), 0.66 [0.49, 0.89]), while for those without thyroid cysts, a positive tendency between the two parameters was observed (1.19 [0.96, 1.50]). An inverse association between height and active arterial wall thickening was observed only for elderly participants with thyroid cysts possibly because of a supportive role of thyroid hormone, as the absence of thyroid cysts might indicate latent damage in the thyroid.

Analysis of risk factors and construction of a prediction model for short stature in children

BACKGROUND

Short stature in children is an important global health issue. This study aimed to analyze the risk factors associated with short stature and to construct a clinical prediction model and risk classification system for short stature.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 12,504 children aged 6-14 years of age from 13 primary and secondary schools in Pingshan District, Shenzhen. A physical examination was performed to measure the height and weight of the children. Questionnaires were used to obtain information about children and their parents, including sex, age, family environment, social environment, maternal conditions during pregnancy, birth and feeding, and lifestyle. The age confounding variable was adjusted through a 1 : 1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis and 1,076 children were selected for risk factor analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of short stature in children aged 6-14 years was 4.3% in the Pingshan District, Shenzhen. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that the influencing factors for short stature were father's height, mother's height, annual family income, father's level of education and parents' concern for their children's height in the future (P < 0.05). Based on the short stature multivariate logistic regression model, a short stature nomogram prediction model was constructed. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.748, indicating a good degree of discrimination of the nomogram. According to the calibration curve, the Hosmer-Lemesio test value was 0.917, and the model was considered to be accurate. Based on a risk classification system derived from the nomogram prediction model, the total score of the nomogram was 127.5, which is considered the cutoff point to divides all children into low-risk and high-risk groups.

CONCLUSION

This study analyzed the risk factors for short stature in children and constructed a nomogram prediction model and a risk classification system based on these risk factors, as well as providing short stature screening and assessment individually.

Influence of height on endothelial maintenance activity: a narrative review

Recent studies have revealed an inverse association between height and cardiovascular disease. However, the background mechanism of this association has not yet been clarified. Height has also been reported to be positively associated with cancer. Therefore, well-known cardiovascular risk factors, such as increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, are not the best explanations for this inverse association because these risk factors are also related to cancer. However, impaired blood flow is the main pathological problem in cardiovascular disease, while glowing feeding vessels (angiogenesis) are the main characteristic of cancer pathologies. Therefore, endothelial maintenance activity, especially for the productivity of hematopoietic stem cells such as CD34-positive cells, could be associated with the height of an individual because this cell contributes not only to the progression of atherosclerosis but also to the development of angiogenesis. In addition, recent studies have also revealed a close connection between bone marrow activity and endothelial maintenance; bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells contribute towards endothelial maintenance. Since the absolute volume of bone marrow is positively associated with height, height could influence endothelial maintenance activity. Based on these hypotheses, we performed several studies. The aim of this review is not only to discuss the association between height and bone marrow activity, but also to describe the potential mechanism underlying endothelial maintenance. In addition, this review also aims to explain some of the reasons that implicate hypertension as a major risk factor for stroke among the Japanese population. The review also aims to clarify the anthropological reasons behind the high risk of atherosclerosis progression in Japanese individuals with acquired genetic characteristics.

Contribution of VEGF polymorphism rs3025020 to short stature and hypertension in elderly Japanese individuals: a cross-sectional study

Background

Recently, short stature has been revealed to be positively associated with hypertension, possibly because this indicates lower activity of vascular maintenance, such as angiogenesis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphism (rs3025020) plays an important role in the progression of angiogenesis and may be associated with both hypertension and hypertension-associated short stature.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of 1377 elderly Japanese individuals aged 60–89 years was conducted. Short stature was defined as the lowest tertile of height (< 160.8 cm for men and < 148.7 cm for women). Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg and/or antihypertensive medication use.

Results

Independent of known cardiovascular risk factors, short stature was found to be positively associated with hypertension; the fully adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for hypertension were 1.51 (1.17, 1.96). With the reference group of carriers of the major allele of rs3025020, TT-homozygotes showed significantly lower OR for hypertension and short stature; the fully adjusted ORs (and 95% CIs) were 0.60 (0.41, 0.90) for hypertension and 0.59 (0.38, 0.91) for short stature, respectively.

Conclusions

Angiogenesis-related genetic factor (rs3025020) is associated with hypertension and short stature, whereas short stature is positively associated with hypertension. Further investigation is necessary in this regard; the capacity for angiogenesis might partly explain the mechanism underlying the inverse association between height and hypertension.

Possible mechanisms underlying the association between human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and hypertension in elderly Japanese population

Background

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) activates inflammatory cascades by activating the NF-κB pathway. The minor allele of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in breast cancer suppressor BRCA1-associated protein (BRAP), which has a common etiology with HTLV-1 infection, has been reported to be positively associated with carotid atherosclerosis, but inversely associated with hypertension. Therefore, HTLV-1 infection may be inversely associated with hypertension by activating endothelial maintenance, including atherosclerosis. To clarify these associations, a cross-sectional study was conducted using 2989 Japanese individuals aged 60–99 years participating in a general health check-up.

Methods

Logistic regression models were used to clarify the association between HTLV-1 and hypertension. Platelet levels stratified analyses were also performed since platelet production, which plays a crucial role in endothelium maintenance, can be stimulated by activating the NF-κB pathway.

Results

HTLV-1 infection was found to be significantly inversely associated with hypertension, particularly in subjects with high platelet levels (≥ second tertiles of platelet levels); the fully adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were 0.75 (0.62, 0.92) for total and 0.64 (0.50, 0.82) for high platelet levels, respectively. Further analysis of the non-hypertensive subjects demonstrated that HTLV-1 infection was significantly positively associated with atherosclerosis in subjects with the highest tertile of platelet levels (2.11 [1.15, 3.86]) but not in subjects with low platelet levels (first and second tertiles of platelet level) (0.89 [0.57, 1.39]).

Conclusion

Asymptomatic HTLV-1 infection is inversely associated with hypertension, possibly by activating endothelial maintenance, including atherosclerosis progression.

Potential mechanisms underlying the association between single nucleotide polymorphism (BRAP and ALDH2) and hypertension among elderly Japanese population

Minor allele frequency (MAF) of rs3782886 (BRAP) and rs671 (ALDH2) are reported to be inversely associated with blood pressure. Another study revealed that hematopoietic activity which is evaluated by reticulocytes could influenced on hypertension status partly by indicating activity of endothelial maintenance. Therefore, to evaluate the association between genetic factor and hypertension, influence of hematopoietic activity should be considered. A multi-faced analysis was performed in a simple general elderly population model (1,313 older Japanese aged 60–98 years). Participants were stratified by median values of reticulocytes (5.21 × 10⁴ cells/μL for men and 4.65 × 10⁴ cells/μL for women). Independent of known cardiovascular risk factors, MAF of rs3782886 and rs671 are significantly inversely associated with hypertension for participants with high hematopoietic activity (high reticulocytes level) (fully adjusted odds ratio (ORs) were 0.72 (0.55, 0.96) for rs3782886 and 0.72 (0.54, 0.96) for rs671) but not for low reticulocytes count (the corresponding values were 1.05 (0.79, 1.39) and 1.08 (0.81, 1.45), respectively). Hematopoietic activity evaluated by reticulocytes levels could influence on the association between single nucleotide polymorphism (rs3782886 and rs671) and hypertension. Those results were efficient tool to clarify the part of the mechanism that underlying the association between genetic factor and hypertension.