Measurement of heritability of myocardial blood flow by positron emission tomography: the Twins Heart Study.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the heritability of myocardial blood flow (MBF) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) measured with positron emission tomography (PET).


METHODS
Cross-sectional twin study.


METHODS
General clinical research centre of a university hospital at Atlanta, USA.


METHODS
A sample of 180 middle-aged (mean±SD 55±2.9 years) male twins, including 107 monozygotic and 73 dizygotic twins.


METHODS
All twins underwent imaging of MBF with PET (13)NH(3) at rest and after adenosine stress during a single imaging session. Structural equation modelling was used to estimate the heritability of MBF at rest and during adenosine stress, as well as of CFR.


RESULTS
The basal MBF (mean±SD) was 0.69±0.20 ml/min/g, and the MBF during adenosine stress was 1.70±0.49 ml/min/g; the CFR was 2.62±0.99. There was substantial heritability for MBF both at rest (0.48, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.64) and during adenosine stress (0.51, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.68), as well as CFR (0.48, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.65).


CONCLUSIONS
For the first time, a substantial genetic contribution to the interindividual variation in MBF and CFR measured with PET in middle-aged men has been demonstrated. The data suggest that a fruitful direction for future work would be the identification of genetic variants for early atherosclerotic stages assessed by PET imaging.
Georgia Prevention Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Georgia Health Sciences University, School of Medicine, Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Shaoyong
S
Su
John
J
Votaw
Tracy
T
Faber
Durreshahwar
D
Khan
J Douglas
JD
Bremner
Jack
J
Goldberg
Ken
K
Nichols
Andrew
A
Van Tosh
Viola
V
Vaccarino
D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000235:genetics*; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic