β-adrenergic receptor polymorphisms in susceptibility, response to treatment and prognosis in heart failure: implication of ethnicity

Non‑synonymous polymorphisms in the HRC and ADRB1 genes may be associated with all‑cause death in patients with non‑ischemic heart failure

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is an unpredictable and common mode of death in patients with heart failure (HF). Alterations in calcium handling may lead to malignant arrhythmias, resulting in SCD, and variants in calcium signaling-related genes have a significant association with SCD. Therefore, the aim of the present retrospective cohort study was to investigate the association of Ser96Ala [histidine-rich calcium-binding protein (HRC)], Ser49Gly [β1-adrenergic receptor (ADRB1)], Arg389Gly (ADRB1) and Gly1886Ser [ryanodine receptor 2 (RYR2)] polymorphisms with serious arrhythmic events and overall mortality in patients with HF with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction of non-ischemic etiology. In total, 136 patients with HF underwent physical examination, routine laboratory tests, non-invasive assessment of cardiac function and an invasive electrophysiological study. The primary outcome was the occurrence of serious arrhythmic events, set as either SCD or appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy, and the secondary outcome was all-cause death. During a median follow-up of 37 months, arrhythmic events occurred in 26 patients (19%) and 41 patients (30%) died. Patients carrying the Ser allele of the Ser96Ala polymorphism in HRC had worse survival than those with the Ala/Ala genotype (log-rank P=0.043). Despite the difference in survival time, the Ala/Ala genotype was not associated with all-cause death in the regression analysis [unadjusted hazard ratio (HR)=0.17; 95% CI, 0.02-1.21]. Regarding the Ser49Gly and Arg389Gly polymorphisms in ADRB1, homozygosity for the major alleles at both sites (Ser49Ser and Arg389Arg) was associated with a two-fold increased risk of all-cause death compared with the other genotype combinations (unadjusted HR=1.98; 95% CI, 1.02-3.82). However, this association was lost after controlling for clinical covariates. No association was observed for the Gly1886Ser polymorphism in RYR2. Overall, the present findings are concurrent with the hypothesis that the Ser96Ala (HRC), Ser49Gly (ADRB1) and Arg389Gly (ADRB1) polymorphisms may be associated with HF prognosis. In particular, the Ser96Ala polymorphism might aid in risk stratification and patient selection for ICD implantation.

Influence of ADRB1, ADRB2, and COMT Genetic Polymorphisms on Postoperative Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Cardiac Valve Surgery

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to prospectively investigate the influence of ADRB and COMT gene polymorphisms on postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included 223 patients undergoing elective cardiac valve surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass. Demographic information, intraoperative data, postoperative data, and blood samples were collected. Patients were genotyped for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ADRB1 rs1801253, ADRB2 rs1042713, and COMT rs4680. Major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) were used as the primary outcome to evaluate the postoperative prognosis of patients. Secondary outcomes included the duration of mechanical ventilatory support, intensive care unit stay, postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative need of inotropic or vasoactive agents.

FINDINGS

The overall incidence of MACCEs was 15.2%. Among 3 SNP loci, only different genotyped carriers of ADRB2 rs1042713 had statistically significant differences in the incidence of MACCEs (P = 0.005), especially for acute kidney injury (P = 0.023). The proportions of postoperative norepinephrine demand of patients carrying the AA genotype of ADRB2 rs1042713 (P = 0.016) and the AG genotype of COMT rs4680 (P = 0.018) were low. The duration of mechanical ventilatory support (P = 0.034) and postoperative hospital stay (P = 0.045) of patients carrying the AG genotype of COMT rs4680 was shortest. After multiple logistic regression analysis, we found that the G allele carriers of ADRB2 rs1042713 had a higher risk of MACCEs (AG vs AA genotype: odds ratio [OR] = 4.348; 95% CI, 1.529-12.359, P = 0.006; GG vs AA genotype: OR = 3.722; 95% CI, 1.060-13.071; P = 0.040), in particular with acute kidney injury (AG vs AA genotype: OR = 5.273; 95% CI, 1.093-25.451; P = 0.038; GG vs AA genotype: OR = 7.533; 95% CI, 1.275-44.522; P = 0.026). There was no SNP-SNP interaction found among the 3 SNPs with multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis.

IMPLICATION

The ADRB2 rs1042713 polymorphism might be related to prognosis of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Patients carrying the G allele of ADRB2 rs1042713 had a higher risk of developing MACCEs, especially acute kidney injury. chictr.org.com identifier: ChiCTR1800015105.

Ser49Gly Beta1-Adrenergic Receptor Genetic Polymorphism as a Death Predictor in Brazilian Patients with Heart Failure

Background The role of Ser49Gly beta1-adrenergic receptor genetic polymorphism (ADBR1-GP-Ser49Gly) as a predictor of death in heart failure (HF) is not established for the Brazilian population. Objectives To evaluate the association between ADBR1-GP-Ser49Gly and clinical outcomes in individuals with HF with reduced ejection fraction. Methods Secondary analysis of medical records of 178 patients and genotypes of GPRβ1-Ser49Gly variants, classified as Ser-Ser, Ser-Gly and Gly-Gly. To evaluate their association with clinical outcome. A significance level of 5% was adopted. Results Cohort means were: clinical follow-up 6.7 years, age 63.5 years, 64.6% of men and 55.1% of whites. HF etiologies were predominantly ischemic (31.5%), idiopathic (23.6%) and hypertensive (15.7%). The genetic profile was distributed as follows: 122 Ser-Ser (68.5%), 52 Ser-Gly (28.7%) and 5 Gly-Gly (2.8%). There was a significant association between these genotypes and mean NYHA functional class at the end of follow-up (p = 0.014) with Gly-Gly being associated with less advanced NYHA. In relation to the clinical outcomes, there was a significant association (p = 0.026) between mortality and GPRβ1-Ser49Gly: the number of deaths in patients with Ser-Gly (12) or Gly-Gly (1) was lower than in those with Ser-Ser (54). The Gly allele had an independent protective effect maintained after multivariate analysis and was associated with a reduction of 63% in the risk of death (p = 0.03; Odds Ratio 0.37 - CI 0.15-0.91). Conclusion The presence of β1-AR-GP Gly-Gly was associated with better clinical outcome evaluated by NYHA functional class and was a predictor of lower risk of mortality, regardless of other factors, in a 6.7-year of follow-up. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 114(4):613-615).

Adrenergic Polymorphisms and Survival in African Americans With Heart Failure: Results From A-HeFT

BACKGROUND

Polymorphisms in adrenergic signaling affect the molecular function of adrenergic receptors and related proteins. The β1 adrenergic receptor (ADRB1) Arg389Gly, G-protein receptor kinase type 5 (GRK5) Gln41Leu, G-protein β-3 subunit (GNB3) 825 C/T, and α2c deletion affect adrenergic tone, impact heart failure outcomes and differ in prevalence by ethnicity. Their combined effect within black cohorts remains unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analyzed subjects from the African American Heart Failure Trial (A-HeFT) by assessing event-free survival, quality of life, and gene coinheritance. Significant coinheritance effects on survival included GRK5 Leu41 among subjects co-inheriting GNB3 825 C alleles (n = 166, 90.4% vs 69.0%, P < 0.001). By contrast, the impact of ADRB1 Arg389Arg genotype was magnified among subjects with GNB3 825 TT genotype (n = 181, 66.3% vs 85.7%, P = .002). The lack of the α2c deletion (ie, insertion) led to a greater impact of the ARG389Arg genotype (n = 289, 76.4% vs 86.1%, P = .007).

CONCLUSIONS

Polymorphisms in adrenergic signaling affects outcomes in black subjects with heart failure. Coinheritance patterns in genetic variation may help determine heart failure survival.

Androgen Deprivation Therapy Use Increases the Risk of Heart Failure in Patients With Prostate Cancer: A Population-Based Cohort Study

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between androgen deprivation therapy and heart failure among prostate cancer patients. This cohort study used the data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. In the full cohort study, we identified 1244 prostate cancer patients who had received androgen deprivation therapy as the study cohort and 1806 prostate cancer patients who did not receive androgen deprivation therapy as the comparison cohort. To eliminate potential bias, we performed a propensity score-matched cohort study. Each prostate cancer patient was tracked for 1 year from the index date to ascertain whether they were subsequently diagnosed with heart failure. In the full cohort study, incidence rates of heart failure per 100 person-years within the 1-year follow-up period were 4.00 (95%CI, 2.95-5.30) and 1.89 (95%CI, 1.30-2.66) for androgen deprivation therapy users and nonusers, respectively. In addition, the multivariable Cox regression indicated that the hazard ratio (HR) of heart failure among androgen deprivation therapy users was 1.72 (95%CI, 1.08-2.73) compared with those androgen deprivation therapy nonusers. In the propensity score-matched cohort study, the adjusted HR for heart failure among androgen deprivation therapy users was 1.92 (95%CI, 1.15-3.18) compared with propensity score-matched nonusers. In conclusion, this study found that androgen deprivation therapy users had a higher risk of heart failure than nonusers among prostate cancer patients in both the full cohort study and the propensity score-matched study.

G protein, phosphorylated-GATA4 and VEGF expression in the hearts of transgenic mice overexpressing β1- and β2-adrenergic receptors

β₁- and β₂-adrenergic receptors (ARs) regulate cardiac contractility, calcium handling and protein phosphorylation. The present study aimed to examine the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and several G proteins, and the phosphorylation of transcription factor GATA binding protein 4 (GATA4), by western blot analysis, using isolated hearts from 6 month-old transgenic (TG) mice that overexpress β₁AR or β₂AR. Cardiac contractility/relaxation and heart rate was increased in both β₁AR TG and β₂AR TG mouse hearts compared with wild type; however, no significant differences were observed between the β₁- and β₂AR TG mouse hearts. Protein expression levels of inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding protein (Gi) 2, Gi3 and G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 were upregulated in both TG mice, although the upregulation of Gi2 was more prominent in the β₂AR TG mice. VEGF-A expression levels were also increased in both TG mice, and were highest in the β₁AR TG mice. In addition, the levels of phosphorylated-GATA4 expression were increased in β₁- and β₂AR TG mice. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that cardiac contractility/relaxation and heart rate is increased in β₁AR TG and β₂AR TG mice, and indicated that this increase may be related to the overexpression of G proteins and G-protein-associated proteins.

Pharmacogenomics of heart failure: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) and multiple HF-related phenotypes are heritable. Genes implicated in the HF pathophysiology would be expected to influence the response to treatment.

METHODS

We conducted a series of systematic literature searches on the pharmacogenetics of HF therapy to assess the current knowledge on this field.

RESULTS

Existing data related to HF pharmacogenomics are still limited. The ADRB1 gene is a likely candidate to predict response to β-blockers. Moreover, the cytochrome P450 2D6 coding gene (CYP2D6) clearly affects the pharmacokinetics of metoprolol, although the clinical impact of this association remains to be established.

CONCLUSION

Given the rising prevalence of HF and related costs, a more personalized use of HF drugs could have a remarkable benefit for patients, caregivers and healthcare systems.

Practical Pharmacogenomic Approaches to Heart Failure Therapeutics

OPINION STATEMENT

The major challenge in applying pharmacogenomics to everyday clinical practice in heart failure (HF) is based on (1) a lack of robust clinical evidence for the differential utilization of neurohormonal antagonists in the management of HF in different subgroups, (2) inconsistent results regarding appropriate subgroups that may potentially benefit from an alternative strategy based on pharmacogenomic analyses, and (3) a lack of clinical trials that focused on testing gene-guided treatment in HF. To date, all pharmacogenomic analyses in HF have been conducted as post hoc retrospective analyses of clinical trial data or of observational patient series studies. This is in direct contrast with the guideline-directed HF therapies that have demonstrated their safety and efficacy in the absence of pharmacogenomic guidance. Therefore, the future of clinical applications of pharmacogenomic testing will largely depend on our ability to incorporate gene-drug interactions into the prescribing process, requiring that preemptive and cost-effective testing be paired with decision-support tools in a value-based care approach.

Genomic ancestry as a predictor of haemodynamic profile in heart failure

Objective

The aim of this study is to assess the association between genetic ancestry, self-declared race and haemodynamic parameters in patients with chronic heart failure (HF).

Methods

Observational, cross-sectional study. Eligible participants were aged between 18 and 80 years; ejection fraction was ≤50%. Patients underwent genetic analysis of ancestry informative markers, echocardiography and impedance cardiography (ICG). Race was determined by self-classification into two groups: white and non-white. Genomic ancestry was estimated using a panel of 101 348 polymorphic markers and three continental reference populations (European, African and Native American).

Results

Our study included 362 patients with HF between August 2012 and August 2014. 123 patients with HF declared themselves as white and 234 patients declared themselves as non-white. No statistically significant differences were found regarding the ICG parameters according to self-declared race. The Amerindian ancestry was positively correlated with systolic time ratio (r=0.109, p<0.05). The thoracic fluid content index (r=0.124. p<0.05), E wave peak (r=0.127. p<0.05) and E/e′ ratio (r=0.197. p<0.01) were correlated positively with African ancestry. In multiple linear regression, African ancestry remained associated with the E/e′ ratio, even after adjustment to risk factors.

Conclusions

The African genetic ancestry was associated with worse parameters of diastolic function; the Amerindian ancestry correlated with a worse pattern of ventricular contractility, while self-declared colour was not helpful to infer haemodynamic profiles in HF.

Trials registration number

NTC02043431.

Race, common genetic variation, and therapeutic response disparities in heart failure

Because of its comparatively recent evolution, Homo sapiens exhibit relatively little within-species genomic diversity. However, because of genome size, a proportionately small amount of variation creates ample opportunities for both rare mutations that may cause disease as well as more common genetic variations that may be important in disease modification or pharmacogenetics. Primarily because of the East African origin of modern humans, individuals of African ancestry (AA) exhibit greater degrees of genetic diversity than more recently established populations, such as those of European ancestry (EA) or Asian ancestry. Those population effects extend to differences in frequency of common gene variants that may be important in heart failure natural history or therapy. For cell-signaling mechanisms important in heart failure, we review and present new data for genetic variation between AA and EA populations. Data indicate that: 1) neurohormonal signaling mechanisms frequently (16 of the 19 investigated polymorphisms) exhibit racial differences in the allele frequencies of variants comprising key constituents; 2) some of these differences in allele frequency may differentially affect the natural history of heart failure in AA compared with EA individuals; and 3) in many cases, these differences likely play a role in observed racial differences in drug or device response.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme genetic polymorphism: its impact on cardiac remodeling

BACKGROUND

The role of angiotensin-converting enzyme genetic polymorphisms as a predictor of echocardiographic outcomes on heart failure is yet to be established. The local profile should be identified so that the impact of those genotypes on the Brazilian population could be identified. This is the first study on exclusively non-ischemic heart failure over a follow-up longer than 5 years.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the distribution of angiotensin-converting enzyme genetic polymorphism variants and their relation with echocardiographic outcome of patients with non-ischemic heart failure.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of the medical records of 111 patients and identification of the angiotensin-converting enzyme genetic polymorphism variants, classified as DD (Deletion/Deletion), DI (Deletion/Insertion) or II (Insertion/Insertion).

RESULTS

The cohort means were as follows: follow-up, 64.9 months; age, 59.5 years; male sex, 60.4%; white skin color, 51.4%; use of beta-blockers, 98.2%; and use of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blocker, 89.2%. The angiotensin-converting enzyme genetic polymorphism distribution was as follows: DD, 51.4%; DI, 44.1%; and II, 4.5%. No difference regarding the clinical characteristics or treatment was observed between the groups. The final left ventricular systolic diameter was the only isolated echocardiographic variable that significantly differed between the angiotensin-converting enzyme genetic polymorphisms: 59.2 ± 1.8 for DD versus 52.3 ± 1.9 for DI versus 59.2 ± 5.2 for II (p = 0.029). Considering the evolutionary behavior, all echocardiographic variables (difference between the left ventricular ejection fraction at the last and first consultation; difference between the left ventricular systolic diameter at the last and first consultation; and difference between the left ventricular diastolic diameter at the last and first consultation) differed between the genotypes (p = 0.024; p = 0.002; and p = 0.021, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The distribution of the angiotensin-converting enzyme genetic polymorphisms differed from that of other studies with a very small number of II. The DD genotype was independently associated with worse echocardiographic outcome, while the DI genotype, with the best echocardiographic profile (increased left ventricular ejection fraction and decreased left ventricular diameters).

Comparison of β-blocker effectiveness in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction versus those with reduced ejection fraction

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to compare the benefit of beta-blockers (BB) in heart failure (HF) with preserved versus reduced ejection fraction (EF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

This was a retrospective study of insured patients who were hospitalized for HF from January 2000 to June 2008. Pharmacy claims were used to estimate BB exposure over 6-month rolling windows. The association between BB exposure and all-cause hospitalization or death was tested with the use of time-updated proportional hazards regression, with adjustment for baseline covariates and other HF medication exposure. The groups were compared by stratification (EF <50% vs ≥50%) and with the use of an EF-group × BB exposure interaction term. A total of 1,835 patients met the inclusion criteria, 741 (40%) with a preserved EF. Median follow-up was 2.1 years. In a fully adjusted multivariable model, BB exposure was associated with a decreased risk of death or hospitalization in both groups (EF <50%: hazard ratio [HR] 0.53 [P < .0001]; EF ≥50%: HR 0.68 [P = .009]). There was no significant difference in this protective association between groups (interaction: P = .32).

CONCLUSIONS

BB exposure was associated with a similar protective effect regarding time to death or hospitalization in HF patients regardless of whether EF was preserved or reduced. An adequately powered randomized trial of BB in HF with preserved EF is warranted.