title: G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 polymorphism and Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is an increasingly reported clinical syndrome that mimics acute myocardial infarction without obstructive coronary artery disease and is characterized by transient systolic dysfunction of the apical and/or mid-segments of the left ventricle. The syndrome mainly occurs in postmenopausal women with high adrenergic state conditions. Nowadays, the pathophysiology of TTC is not yet known and the possibility of a genetic predisposition is controversial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the genetic susceptibility to TTC through analysis of the L41Q polymorphism of the G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 (GRK5).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a cohort of 20 patients enrolled in two tertiary Italian centers with diagnosis of TTC, accordingly to the commonly accepted Mayo Clinic criteria and in 22 healthy individuals (control) we have evaluated the polymorphism in GRK5 gene. The TTC patients had a mean age of 65 ± 9 years and 19 of 20 were women. The presence of one or two L41 alleles of GRK5 was significantly more frequent in TTC group than in the control group (40 vs. 8%, P = 0.0372).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, we have found a significant difference in the frequency of GRK5 polymorphism between TTC patients and controls, supporting a genetic predisposition to this cardiac syndrome.
authors.affiliation: aDivision of Cardiology, A.O. Policlinico 'P. Giaccone', University of Palermo bDivision of Cardiology, 'G.F. Ingrassia' Hospital cDepartment of Biopathology and Medical and Forensic Biotechnology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novo
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giambanco
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guglielmo
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arvigo
authors.forename: Maria R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sutera
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giambanco
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Evola
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vaccarino
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bova
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lio
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Assennato
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Novo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D054774:G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 5 / Q000235:genetics*; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D054549:Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D054774:G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 5; C517898:GRK5 protein, human