Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 2 (CSPG2) gene polymorphisms rs173686 and rs251124 are not associated with intracranial aneurysms in Chinese Han nationality

Association between polymorphisms of DNA repair genes and intracranial aneurysms: A systematic review and meta‑analysis

Intracranial aneurysms (IAs) are present in ~2% of the general population, and genetic factors cannot be excluded for the risk of their development. The gene factors that result in the changes in the vascular extracellular matrix (ECM) may also be a key reason for IAs being hereditary. The VCAN gene [also known as chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 2 (CSPG2)] plays various roles in maintaining ECM functions. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate all eligible articles involving IAs on the association with germ line SNPs of DNA repair genes (up to January, 2024). The total number of patients was 2,308 [987 cases (poor outcomes) and 1,321 controls (good outcomes)]. The results revealed that rs2287926 G/G genotype and G allele and rs251124 T/T genotype and minor allele T increased the risk of developing IAs. However, further studies are required to examine these gene polymorphisms as screening markers for IAs.

Association of Versican Gene Polymorphisms with Intracranial Aneurysm Susceptibility in the Eastern Chinese Population

OBJECTIVE

The proteoglycan versican (VCAN) plays an important role in extracellular matrix (ECM) assembly, and diminished maintenance of the ECM has been increasingly regarded as an important factor in the development of intracranial aneurysms (IAs). Previous studies have revealed that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the VCAN gene are associated with susceptibility to IAs in European or Japanese populations. However, the association between IA susceptibility and VCAN SNPs in the Eastern Chinese population remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations of the SNPs rs251124, rs2287926, and rs173686 with IA susceptibility in the Eastern Chinese population.

METHODS

A total of 162 patients with IA and 182 controls were enrolled in this study. The study was conducted between January 2017 and December 2020. SNP genotyping for rs251124, rs2287926, and rs173686 was performed using Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) after DNA extraction. The SNP data were analysed with CFX Manager Software version 3.1 (Bio-Rad).

RESULTS

rs251124 and rs173686 were significantly associated with susceptibility to IA. The frequency of rs251124-TT in IA was higher than in controls (OR =1.26, 95% CI: 1.07-1.49; P<0.01), and its risk mainly came from the T allele. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed that the T/T genotype and T allele of rs251124 were independent risk factors for IA (OR=1.726, 95% CI: 1.136-2.263; P=0.011). Moreover, the G/G genotype and G allele of rs173686 were associated with increased IA susceptibility (OR=2.52, 95% CI: 1.261-5.037; P=0.009).

CONCLUSION

The SNPs rs251124 and rs173686 were strongly associated with genetic susceptibility to IA in the Eastern Chinese population; however, no such association was found in the SNP rs2287926 of VCAN. Our findings suggest that the VCAN gene is an IA susceptible gene that should be further studied as a screening marker for IAs.

Genetic Risk Factors for Intracranial Aneurysm in the Kazakh Population

An intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a weak or thin area on a blood vessel in the brain that balloons as it fills with blood. Genetic factors can influence the risk of developing an aneurism. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and IA in Kazakh population. The patients were genotyped for 60 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Genotyping was performed on the QuantStudio 12K Flex (Life Technologies). A linear regression analysis found 13 SNPs' significant association with development and rupture of IA: the rs1800956 polymorphism of the ENG gene, rs1756 46 polymorphism of the JDP2 gene, variant rs1800255 of the COL3A1, rs4667622 of the UBR3, rs2374513 of the c12orf75, rs3742321 polymorphism of the StAR, the rs3782356 polymorphism of MLL2 gene, rs3932338 to 214 kilobases downstream of PRDM9, rs7550260 polymorphism of the ARHGEF, rs1504749 polymorphism of the SOX17, the rs173686 polymorphism of CSPG2 gene, rs6460071 located on LIMK1 gene, and the rs4934 polymorphism of SERPINA3. A total of 13 SNPs were identified as potential genetic markers for the development and risk of rupture of aneurysms in the Kazakh population. Similar results were obtained after adjusting for the confounding factors of arterial hypertension and age.

Association of Versican (VCAN) gene polymorphisms rs251124 and rs2287926 (G428D), with intracranial aneurysm

Intracranial aneurysm (IA) accounts for 85% of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH) and is mainly caused due to the weakening of arterial wall. The structural integrity of the intracranial arteries is mainly influenced by the extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. The Proteoglycan Versican plays an important role in extracellular matrix assembly and plays a major role in the pathogenesis of IA. The linkage studies also indicated VCAN as a putative candidate gene for IA in the 5q22-31 region. Using a case-control study design, we tested the hypothesis whether the variants in VCAN gene, nonsynonymous variants in the coding region of Glycosaminoglycan α (GAG-α) and GAG-β and two reported SNPs involved in splicing rs251124 and rs173686 can increase the risk of aSAH among South Indian patients, either independently, or by interacting with other risk factors of the disease. We selected 200 radiologically confirmed aneurysmal cases and 250 ethnically, age and sex matched controls from the Dravidian Malayalam speaking population of South India. The present study reiterated the earlier association of rs251124 with intracranial aneurysm (P = 0.0002) and also found a novel association with rs2287926 (G428D) in exon 7 coding for GAG-α with intracranial aneurysm (P = 0.0015). Interestingly, both these SNPs contributed to higher risk for aneurysm in males. In-silico analysis predicted this SNP to have the highest functional relevance in the gene which might have a potentially altered regulatory role in transcription and splicing. Using meta-analysis with available literature rs251124 was found to be the strongest intracranial aneurysm marker for global ethnicities. This study with a novel functional SNP rs2287926 (G428D) further substantiates the potential role of VCAN in the pathogenesis of IA.

Genetic risk factors for intracranial aneurysms: a meta-analysis in more than 116,000 individuals

OBJECTIVE

There is an urgent need to identify risk factors for sporadic intracranial aneurysm (IA) development and rupture. A genetic component has long been recognized, but firm conclusions have been elusive given the generally small sample sizes and lack of replication. Genome-wide association studies have overcome some limitations, but the number of robust genetic risk factors for IA remains uncertain.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of all genetic association studies (including genome-wide association studies) of sporadic IA, conducted according to Strengthening the Reporting of Genetic Association Studies and Human Genome Epidemiology Network guidelines. We tested the robustness of associations using random-effects and sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS

Sixty-one studies including 32,887 IA cases and 83,683 controls were included. We identified 19 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with IA. The strongest associations, robust to sensitivity analyses for statistical heterogeneity and ethnicity, were found for the following single nucleotide polymorphisms: on chromosome 9 within the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B antisense inhibitor gene (rs10757278: odds ratio [OR] 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-1.38; and rs1333040: OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.20-1.29), on chromosome 8 near the SOX17 transcription regulator gene (rs9298506: OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.15-1.27; and rs10958409: OR 1.19; 95% CI 1.13-1.26), and on chromosome 4 near the endothelin receptor A gene (rs6841581: OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.14-1.31).

CONCLUSIONS

Our comprehensive meta-analysis confirms a substantial genetic contribution to sporadic IA, implicating multiple pathophysiologic pathways, mainly relating to vascular endothelial maintenance. However, the limited data for IA compared with other complex diseases necessitates large-scale replication studies in a full spectrum of populations, with investigation of how genetic variants relate to phenotype (e.g., IA size, location, and rupture status).

Genetic screening for mutations in the chip gene in intracranial aneurysm patients of Chinese Han nationality

We performed a case-control study to investigate whether SNPs of CHIP might affect the development of IA in Chinese Han nationality. We believe we are the first to have screened IA patients for mutations in the CHIP gene to determine the association with these variants. The study group comprised 224 Chinese Han nationality patients with at least one intracranial aneurysm and 238 unrelated healthy Han nationality controls. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood leukocytes. The entire coding regions of CHIP were genotyped by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. Differences in genotype and allele frequencies between patients and controls were tested by the chi-square method. Genotype and allele frequencies of the SNP rs116166850 was demonstrated to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No significant difference in genotype or allele frequencies between case and control groups was detected at the SNP. Our data do not support the hypothesis of a major role for the CHIP gene in IA development in the Chinese Han population.