title: Biochemical and genetic role of apelin in essential hypertension and acute coronary syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Apelin-APJ pathway has emerged as a potent regulator of blood pressure (BP) and blood flow in vasculature and heart. Variants in apelin gene may affect the vascular tone in peripheral circulation or heart, thereby predisposing to cardiovascular diseases. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of two apelin gene polymorphisms rs3761581 and rs2235312, and apelin levels in patients with essential hypertension (EH) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised of three groups namely, (1) 118 healthy control subjects, (2) 92 EH patients, and (3) 60 ACS patients. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes and genotyping was performed by SNaPshot method. Plasma apelin 13 levels were estimated using ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EH and ACS patients had a significantly lower level of apelin 13, regardless of gender (p=0.003, p=0.017, respectively). Interestingly, the female EH and ACS patients had lower levels of apelin 13 than their male counterparts. The G allele of rs3761581 was more apparent in patients especially in ACS than the controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduced apelin levels may enhance vasoconstriction to influence high BP and heart's workload in EH and ACS. Genetic involvement of apelin needs to be established in well-defined larger sample size.
authors.affiliation: GB Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, New Delhi, India. Electronic address: drmohitgupta@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mohit D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: GB Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Girish
authors.affiliation: GB Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Dhaval
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Manjari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rain
authors.affiliation: GB Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Vimal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: GB Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tyagi
authors.affiliation: GB Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trehan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Qadar
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Pasha
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D000073861:Apelin; D001794:Blood Pressure; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D000075222:Essential Hypertension; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: C115436:APLN protein, human; D000073861:Apelin; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D004247:DNA
keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; Apelin; Cardiomyocytes; Essential hypertension; Polymorphism