title: Polymorphisms of steroid 5-alpha-reductase type I (SRD5A1) gene are associated to peripheral arterial disease.
abstract: Although animal studies support the hypothesis that androgenic biological actions may affect experimental atherosclerosis progression, evidence for a relationship between androgen effects and peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a common clinical form of atherosclerosis, is weak or contradictory. Testosterone, the main androgen hormone, is converted in a 5alpha-reduced form by enzymatic activities in the target cells and some specific actions are mediated by such metabolites. Steroid 5-alpha reductase isoenzymes (SRD5A1 and SRD5A2) catalyze the conversion to the bioactive potent androgen dihydrotestosterone and other reduced metabolites and represent relevant regulators of local hormonal actions. In the present study we tested for the association of selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of SRD5A1 and SRD5A2 with symptomatic PAD patients. Two different SNP in the SRD5A1 were significantly associated which the PAD phenotype (p<0.03, odds ratio 1.73), while no association was found between PAD phenotypes and SRD5A2. Since the examined SRDA1 gene variant was previously associated with a low enzymatic activity, we suggest that a decreased local enzymatic conversion of testosterone may contribute to PAD genetic susceptibility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Systemic Disease, Medical Angiology Section, Faculty of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. ssignore@unict.it
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Signorelli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barresi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Musso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anzaldi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Croce
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Condorelli
mesh_terms: D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000502:physiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase