Jan Pitha1, Ivana Králová Lesná2, Jaroslav A Hubáček2, Alena Sekerková3, Věra Lánská4, Věra Adámková5, Maria Dorobantu6, Rodica Nicolescu7, Robert Steiner8, Vedrana Ivić9, Attila Borbely10, Zoltan Papp10, Sandor G Vari11. 1. Center for Experimental Medicine, Laboratory for Atherosclerosis Research, Institute for Clinical & Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic. Electronic address: japi@medicon.cz. 2. Center for Experimental Medicine, Laboratory for Atherosclerosis Research, Institute for Clinical & Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic. 3. Department of Clinical and Transplant Immunology, Institute of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic. 4. Medicine Statistic Unit, Institute of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic. 5. Department of Preventive Cardiology, Institute of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic. 6. University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila" Bucharest, Romania Emergency Clinical Hospital of Bucharest, Cardiology Dept., Romania. 7. Emergency Clinical Hospital of Bucharest, Cardiology Dept., Romania. 8. Department of Cardiovascular Disease and Intensive Care, Osijek University Hospital, Osijek, Croatia. 9. Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia. 10. Regional Cooperation for Health, Science and Technology (RECOOP HST) Association, Debrecen, Hungary. 11. Regional Cooperation for Health, Science and Technology (RECOOP HST) Association, Debrecen, Hungary; International Research and Innovation Management Program, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The connexin 37 (Cx37) gene is considered to be a candidate gene for ischemic heart disease (IHD). We analyzed the association between the C1019 > T (Pro319 > Ser) variant of the Cx37 gene and IHD in patients in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary and Romania with regard to the presence/absence of selected cardiovascular risk factors (RF). In a complementary study, we analyzed the association between the Cx37 gene and circulating stem and endothelial progenitor cells in healthy women. METHODS: The study population comprised 2396 patients (663 women) with IHD. The control population comprised 2476 subjects (1, 337 women). Additionally, in 662 healthy women, the association between the Cx37 gene and circulating stem and endothelial progenitor cells was analyzed. RESULTS: The strongest protective effect of the Cx37 T allele was detected in non-smoking patients without diabetes mellitus and hypertension (OR 0.610, 95% CI 0.377-0.990); a similar effect was found in non-smoking men (OR 0.781, 95% CI 0.628-0.971); weaker effect was found in non-smoking women (OR 0.768, 95% CI 0.560-1.050). In non-smoking healthy women, stem cells were significantly higher in TT than in CT and CC carriers (p for trend 0.011). Additionally, non-smoking TT carriers had significantly higher number of stem cells than past and current smoking TT carriers (p for trend = 0.006); no such trend was found in CT and CC carriers. CONCLUSIONS: The protective effect of the T allele of the Cx37 gene might be strongly modified by smoking; in women, this effect could be mediated through stem cells.
BACKGROUND: The connexin 37 (Cx37) gene is considered to be a candidate gene for ischemic heart disease (IHD). We analyzed the association between the C1019 > T (Pro319 > Ser) variant of the Cx37 gene and IHD in patients in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary and Romania with regard to the presence/absence of selected cardiovascular risk factors (RF). In a complementary study, we analyzed the association between the Cx37 gene and circulating stem and endothelial progenitor cells in healthy women. METHODS: The study population comprised 2396 patients (663 women) with IHD. The control population comprised 2476 subjects (1, 337 women). Additionally, in 662 healthy women, the association between the Cx37 gene and circulating stem and endothelial progenitor cells was analyzed. RESULTS: The strongest protective effect of the Cx37 T allele was detected in non-smoking patients without diabetes mellitus and hypertension (OR 0.610, 95% CI 0.377-0.990); a similar effect was found in non-smoking men (OR 0.781, 95% CI 0.628-0.971); weaker effect was found in non-smoking women (OR 0.768, 95% CI 0.560-1.050). In non-smoking healthy women, stem cells were significantly higher in TT than in CT and CC carriers (p for trend 0.011). Additionally, non-smoking TT carriers had significantly higher number of stem cells than past and current smoking TT carriers (p for trend = 0.006); no such trend was found in CT and CC carriers. CONCLUSIONS: The protective effect of the T allele of the Cx37 gene might be strongly modified by smoking; in women, this effect could be mediated through stem cells.
Authors: Jan Pitha; Martina Huttl; Hana Malinska; Denisa Miklankova; Hana Bartuskova; Tomas Hlinka; Irena Markova Journal: Int J Mol Sci Date: 2022-03-04 Impact factor: 5.923