Vascular endothelial growth factor and the risk of smoking-related COPD.
OBJECTIVE
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling may be required for maintenance of the alveolar structures, and alveolar septal cell apoptosis could contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD presenting emphysematous changes; however, the common mutation at position 936 in the 3' untranslated region of the VEGF gene, a C to T substitution (the C allele was denoted as 1, and the T allele as 2), VEGF936*2, has been reported to be associated with significantly lower VEGF plasma levels. Based on these concepts, we hypothesized that VEGF936*1/2 polymorphism may be linked to the development of COPD.


METHODS
The differences in VEGF936*1/2 allele frequency were examined in 113 patients with smoking-related COPD and two control groups (101 smoker/ex-smoker control subjects and 102 population control subjects) using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique.


RESULTS
VEGF936*1/2 allele frequencies did not differ among the groups: 0.792/0.208 in COPD patients, 0.822/0.178 in smoker/ex-smoker control subjects, and 0.842/0.152 in population control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
The 936 C/T polymorphism of the VEGF gene (including both homozygous and heterozygous) was not associated with the development of COPD (odds ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.760 to 1.995).
Sakao
Seiichiro
S
Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
Tatsumi
Koichiro
K
Hashimoto
Tomohiro
T
Igari
Hidetoshi
H
Shino
Yuji
Y
Shirasawa
Hiroshi
H
Kuriyama
Takayuki
T
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000209:etiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors