Difference in angiotensinogen haplotype frequencies between chronic heart failure and advanced atherosclerosis patients - new prognostic factor?

Numerous association studies have been involved in studying the angiotensinogen (AGT) variants, AGT plasma levels and relations to cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease. To investigate a role of AGT G(-6)A and M235T genetic variants for chronic heart failure (CHF) and advanced atherosclerosis (AA), a total of 240 patients with CHF and 200 patients with AA of the Czech origin were evaluated for the study. The study shows the role of polymorphism AGT G(-6)A in genetic background among advanced atherosclerosis patients and chronic heart failure patients (Pg=0.001). This difference was also observed in comparison of AA patients with subgroup of CHF with dilated cardiomyopathy (Pg=0.02; Pa=0.009), and ischemic heart disease (Pg=0.007). The greatest difference between triple-vessel disease and chronic heart failure groups was observed in frequency of GT haplotype (P<0.001) and GGMT associated genotype (P<0.001). Retrospectively, we found the same trend when the subgroups of CHF were compared to AA group (AA vs. IHD with CHF P<0.001; AA vs. DCM P<0.001). These results suggest AGT genetic variants as a risk factor for chronic heart failure compared to advanced atherosclerosis disease without heart failure, with a strong difference between IHD patients and chronic heart failure patients with ischemic heart disease, especially in haplotypes and associated genotypes.

The C766T low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein polymorphism and coronary artery disease, plasma lipoproteins, and longevity in the Czech population.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein (LRP) is a multifunctional endocytic receptor involved in various biological processes including the regulation of the coagulation-fibrinolysis balance, the lipoprotein metabolism, and cellular migration, all of which relate to the development of atherosclerosis. Polymorphisms affecting the function or expression of LRP may thus influence the individual risk of atherosclerosis development. This study investigated the association between the C766T LRP polymorphism, coronary artery disease (CAD), and plasma lipoprotein levels in a large sample of Caucasian subjects of Czech nationality. In addition, the 4G/5G promoter polymorphism of the gene coding for plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), the known ligand of LRP with strong antifibrinolytic potential, was ascertained to investigate its possible association with CAD. Both polymorphisms were studied using polymerase chain reaction analysis in 654 patients with angiographically confirmed CAD and in 525 controls. No statistically significant differences in allele frequencies of the polymorphisms studied were detected between patients and controls, even when men, women, hypertonic, and type II diabetic subjects were compared separately. However, the frequency of the T allele of the LRP polymorphism was significantly higher in patients than controls when only subjects with the 5G/5G PAI-1 genotype were analyzed. In addition, the T LRP allele frequency was significantly lower in subjects aged 60 years or over than in those who were younger in both groups. No significant association was observed between the LRP or PAI-1 polymorphisms and plasma lipoprotein levels in the CAD patients. Our results demonstrate that the T allele of the C766T LRP polymorphism is negatively related to longevity, and that it increases the risk of CAD development in subjects with the 5G/5G PAI-1 genotype.

Association of 3 gene polymorphisms with atopic diseases.

BACKGROUND: Various peptidases, including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), inactivate some inflammatory peptides that are considered to influence the pathogenesis of atopic diseases. This enzyme is also involved in the conversion or activation of 2 bronchoconstriction mediators: angiotensin II from angiotensinogen and endothelin (ET), respectively. OBJECTIVE: We tested a hypothesis that asthma or other atopic diseases are associated with insertion/deletion ACE, M235T angiotensinogen, and TaqI ET-1 gene polymorphisms. METHODS: A case-control approach was used in the study. Healthy subjects (141 persons) were used as control subjects, and 231 patients with histories of atopic asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, or a combination thereof were studied. ACE genotype was determined by PCR, angiotensinogen M235T and ET-1 by PCR, and restriction analysis by AspI and TaqI, respectively. RESULTS: We found the significant association of the insertion/deletion polymorphism of the ACE, as well as that of M235T polymorphism of the angiotensinogen genes, with the group of patients with atopic diseases ( P =.0025 and P =.0204, respectively). No difference was proved for the intron 4 (position 8000) polymorphism in the ET-1 gene when comparing the atopic patients with the control group (P =.1774). A significant difference was found between groups of patients with both asthma and rhinitis and patients without both respiratory atopic diseases (P =.0033). CONCLUSION: It follows that the examined polymorphisms in the genes for ACE, angiotensinogen, and ET-1 could participate in the etiopathogenesis of atopic diseases.

[Clinico-immunologic examinations of foreign nationals with parasitic diseases]. / Klinicko-immunologické vysetrenia cudzích státnych príslusníkov s parazitárnymi ochoreniami.

Clinical and laboratory parameters were studied in a randomly selected series of East Asian population. A total of 31 subjects, whose ages ranged from 18 to 20 years and who came to Czechoslovakia for a long term study of working stay, were examined. The series represented healthy population. On examination marked infestation with intestinal helminths was established. Trichuris trichiura was found in 70.9% of probands, Ascaris lumbricoides in 43.3%, while both parasites were present in 25.8%. HBsAg positivity was recorded in 38.7% of probands and as many as 75% these had markedly increased serum transaminase values. Besides mildly increased IgG levels, immunological examination yielded significantly raised IgE levels which decreased after deparasitation. Although expected, eosinophilia failed to be present.