The influence of genotype on vascular endothelial growth factor and regulation of myocardial collateral blood flow in patients with acute and chronic coronary heart disease.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that mutations in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene are associated with plasma concentration of VEGF and subsequently the ability to influence coronary collateral arteries in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).


METHODS
Blood samples from patients with chronic ischemic heart disease (n=53) and acute coronary syndrome (n=61) were analysed. Coronary collaterals were scored from diagnostic biplane coronary angiograms.


RESULTS
The plasma concentration of VEGF was increased in patients with acute compared to chronic CHD (p=0.01). The genotype frequencies differed significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in three of 15 examined loci. Four new mutations in addition to the already described were identified. The VEGF haplotype did not seem to predict plasma VEGF concentration (p=0.5). There was an association between the genotype in locus VEGF-1154 and coronary collateral size (p=0.03) and a significant association between the VEGF plasma concentration and the collateral size (p=0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
VEGF plasma concentration seems related to coronary collateral function in patients with CHD. The results did not support the hypothesis that polymorphisms in the untranslated region of the VEGF gene were associated with the concentration of circulating VEGF. Increased understanding of VEGF in the regulation of myocardial collateral flow may lead to new therapies in CHD.
Ripa
Rasmus Sejersten
RS
Department of Cardiology, The Heart Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. rasmus.ripa@frh.regionh.dk
Jørgensen
Erik
E
Baldazzi
Federica
F
Frikke-Schmidt
Ruth
R
Wang
Yongzhong
Y
Tybjaerg-Hansen
Anne
A
Kastrup
Jens
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003097:Collateral Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D010641:Phenotype; D012307:Risk Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A