Heritability and major gene effects on left ventricular mass in the Chinese population: a family study.
BACKGROUND
Genetic components controlling for echocardiographically determined left ventricular (LV) mass are still unclear in the Chinese population.


METHODS
We conducted a family study from the Chin-San community, Taiwan, and a total of 368 families, 1145 subjects, were recruited to undergo echocardiography to measure LV mass. Commingling analysis, familial correlation, and complex segregation analysis were applied to detect component distributions and the mode of inheritance.


RESULTS
The two-component distribution model was the best-fitting model to describe the distribution of LV mass. The highest familial correlation coefficients were mother-son (0.379, P < .0001) and father-son (0.356, P < .0001). Genetic heritability (h2) of LV mass was estimated as 0.268 +/- 0.061 (P < .0001); it decreased to 0.153 +/- 0.052 (P = .0009) after systolic blood pressure adjustment. Major gene effects with polygenic components were the best-fitting model to explain the inheritance mode of LV mass. The estimated allele frequency of the gene was 0.089.


CONCLUSIONS
There were significant familial correlations, heritability and a major gene effect on LV mass in the population-based families.
Chien
Kuo-Liong
KL
Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. klchien@ha.mc.ntu.edu.tw
Hsu
Hsiu-Ching
HC
Su
Ta-Chen
TC
Chen
Ming-Fong
MF
Lee
Yuan-Teh
YT
D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005828:Genetics, Population / Q000379:methods; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009929:Organ Size; D010290:Parents; D035781:Siblings; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014463:Ultrasonography