Relationship between serine/threonine kinase 39 gene polymorphisms with some cardiac biomarkers in hypertensive patients

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the association between STK39 SNP rs35929607 and some cardiovascular risk factors in hypertension patients in holy Kerbala city, Iraq

Materials and Methods: We included 74 hypertensive patients with no signs and symptoms of renal impairment and another 30 control subjects. The links between genotype and hypertension were examined. Then, the SNP related variances in the blood pressure and remaining cardiovascular risk factors were studied

Results: There is no significant association between STK39 rs35929607 and hypertension in current study. However Allele A showed a significant association in hypertensive patient compared with control group particularly in female gender. The hypertensive patients showed a significant higher result in age, BMI, FBS, total cholesterol, and STG, LDL-C and lower level in HDL-C

Conclusion: The association between the SNP rs35929607ofSTK3 and hypertension was not significant in current study in Kerbala population of Iraq. Furthermore, only Allele A showed a significant association with hypertension in females group. Further studies needed to clarify the effect of other STK39 variants on these cardiovascular risk factors

Role of Apo-lipoprotein A1 as cardiac biomarker for severity of coronary atherosclerosis

Objective: Coronary heart disease [CAD] is the most prevalent chronic disease and the main leading cause of death in the world, with more than half a million newly diagnosed CAD patients each year. The development of atherosclerosis involves the interaction of multiple metabolic and cellular processes. Central to this are disorders of lipoprotein metabolism. Apolipoprotein A-I is the major protein component of high-density lipoprotein [HDL] in plasma. Chylomicrons secreted from the intestinal enterocyte also contain Apo A-I, but it is quickly transferred to HDL in the blood stream. The aim of this study is to determine if Apo-A1 can be used as indicator to severity and extent of CAD

Methods: This study was conducted in cardiac catheterisation unit at Al Hussein Medical city from November 2014 to September 2015. It included 76 patients [49 males and 27 females] who presented with signs and symptoms of CAD and have undergone angiography. Control group consisted of 20 healthy subjects [14 males and 6 females] matched for age and BMI. Serum levels of Apo-A1 were measured in both groups. After coronary angiography was done for all patients, the extent and severity of CAD was correlated with serum levels of Apo-A1. The extent of CAD was determined by angiography, according to number of coronary arteries involved and degree of narrowing in coronary artery diameter

Results: The angiographic finding in patient group was normal in 22 patients [28.9%], single vessel involvement in 15 patients [19.7%], two vessels disease in 15 patients [19.7%] and three vessels disease in 18 patients [23.8%]. The left main stem disease [LMD] was found in 6 patients [7.9%]. There was no significant difference in the serum level of Apo-A1 between patient with CAD and control group [P = 0.147]. There was no significant correlation between serum level of Apo-A1 and the extent CAD [r = 0.004, P = 0.975]

Conclusion: There was no significant difference in serum level of Apo-A1 between the patients group and the control group. Also, there was no significant correlation between serum level of Apo-A1 and the extent of CAD

Alcohol dehydrogenase genotype [ADH2 and ADH3] in alcoholism of Iraqi people

Objective: The polymorphic human liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase [ADH] is responsible for the oxidative metabolism of ethanol. An allele encoding active form of cytosolic enzyme is known to reduce the likelihood of alcoholism in Iraqi men. The polymorphisms of ADH modifies the predisposition to the development of alcoholism. Determination of genotypes ADH2 and ADH3 loci in alcoholic and nonalcoholic Iraqi men

Method: Using leukocyte DNA extraction and then amplifying by polymerase chain reaction [PCR] by using specified primers, then allele specific primer extension and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism [RFLP] methods with another set of primers is employed in order to determine the variants of ADH2 and ADH3, respectively

Results: The Iraqi alcoholics had significantly lower frequencies of ADH2*2 and ADH3*1 alleles than did the non-alcoholic as compared with the general population of East Asians but more than in Caucasians population, suggesting that genetic variation in ADH enzyme modulating the rate of metabolism of ethanol to acetaldehyde influences drinking and the risk of developing alcoholism. The simplest explanation of the significant lower frequency of ADH2*2 and ADH3*1 alleles among Iraqi alcoholic men is that each can produce higher transient level of acetaldehyde, which trigger aversive reactions; these alleles are less likely to become alcoholic

Conclusion: This study suggests that both ADH2 and ADH3 genotypes exert an influence on alcohol metabolic rate, alcohol-flush reaction and susceptibility to develop alcoholism. ADH2 and ADH3 genotypes may have a protective role in the risk for alcoholism in Iraqi alcoholic population