Effect of the Asp298 variant of endothelial nitric oxide synthase on survival for patients with congestive heart failure.
BACKGROUND
Significant variation exists within the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) gene that may influence cardiovascular risk. The Asp298 variant of NOS3 has a shorter half-life in endothelial cells. Given the importance of nitric oxide in the heart failure syndrome, we evaluated the effect of this variant on event-free survival in a population with systolic dysfunction.


RESULTS
Four hundred sixty-nine patients (72% male, 49% ischemic; mean age, 56+/-12 years) with systolic dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction < or =0.45) were enrolled in a study of Genetic Risk Assessment of Cardiac Events (GRACE). The polymorphism in exon 7 of NOS3, a G-T transition at position 894 that results in a Glu to Asp amino acid substitution for codon 298, was genotyped and subjects were followed prospectively to the end point of death or heart transplantation. Event-free survival was compared on the basis of the presence (group 1, n=266) or absence (group 2, n=203) of the Asp298 variant. Event-free survival was significantly poorer in patients with the Asp298 variant (percent event-free survival group 1 at 1/2/3 years=78/65/54; group 2=82/72/64, P=0.03). In subset analysis, the adverse impact of the Asp298 variant was primarily in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (group 1=82/73/63; group 2=87/79/71, P=0.03) and was not apparent among patients with ischemic heart disease (group 1=75/59/47; group 2=74/62/54, P=0.71).


CONCLUSIONS
For patients with heart failure caused by systolic function, the Asp298 variant of NOS3 is associated with poorer event-free survival, particularly in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy.
McNamara
Dennis M
DM
Heart Failure Section, Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 558 Scaife Hall, 200 Lothrop St, Pittsburgh, Pa 15213, USA. mcnamaradm@msx.upmc.edu
Holubkov
Richard
R
Postava
Lisa
L
Ramani
Ravi
R
Janosko
Karen
K
Mathier
Michael
M
MacGowan
Guy A
GA
Murali
Srinivas
S
Feldman
Arthur M
AM
London
Barry
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000235:genetics*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011446:Prospective Studies
D001224:Aspartic Acid; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III