Wang, T.J.

Common variants in 22 loci are associated with QRS duration and cardiac ventricular conduction (Article)

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

The QRS interval, from the beginning of the Q wave to the end of the S wave on an electrocardiogram, reflects ventricular depolarization and conduction time and is a risk factor for mortality, sudden death and heart failure. We performed a genome-wide association meta-analysis in 40,407 individuals of European descent from 14 studies, with further genotyping in 7,170 additional Europeans, and we identified 22 loci associated with QRS duration (P < 5 × 10 -8). These loci map in or near genes in pathways with established roles in ventricular conduction such as sodium channels, transcription factors and calcium-handling proteins, but also point to previously unidentified biologic processes, such as kinase inhibitors and genes related to tumorigenesis. We demonstrate that SCN10A, a candidate gene at the most significantly associated locus in this study, is expressed in the mouse ventricular conduction system, and treatment with a selective SCN10A blocker prolongs QRS duration. These findings extend our current knowledge of ventricular depolarization and conduction.

Association of genome-wide variation with the risk of incident heart failure in adults of European and African ancestry : A prospective meta-analysis from the cohorts for heart and aging research in genomic epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium (Article)

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

Background-Although genetic factors contribute to the onset of heart failure (HF), no large-scale genome-wide investigation of HF risk has been published to date. We have investigated the association of 2 478 304 single-nucleotide polymorphisms with incident HF by meta-analyzing data from 4 community-based prospective cohorts: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, the Cardiovascular Health Study, the Framingham Heart Study, and the Rotterdam Study. Methods and Results-Eligible participants for these analyses were of European or African ancestry and free of clinical HF at baseline. Each study independently conducted genome-wide scans and imputed data to the ≈2.5 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms in HapMap. Within each study, Cox proportional hazards regression models provided age- and sex-adjusted estimates of the association between each variant and time to incident HF. Fixed-effect meta-analyses combined results for each single-nucleotide polymorphism from the 4 cohorts to produce an overall association estimate and P value. A genome-wide significance P value threshold was set a priori at 5.0×10-7. During a mean follow-up of 11.5 years, 2526 incident HF events (12%) occurred in 20 926 European-ancestry participants. The meta-analysis identified a genome-wide significant locus at chromosomal position 15q22 (1.4×10-8), which was 58.8 kb from USP3. Among 2895 African-ancestry participants, 466 incident HF events (16%) occurred during a mean follow-up of 13.7 years. One genome-wide significant locus was identified at 12q14 (6.7×10-8), which was 6.3 kb from LRIG3. Conclusions-We identified 2 loci that were associated with incident HF and exceeded genome-wide significance. The findings merit replication in other community-based settings of incident HF.

Genomic variation associated with mortality among adults of European and African ancestry with heart failure: The cohorts for heart and aging research in genomic epidemiology consortium (Article)

2010-06-01T00:00:00Z

Background-Prognosis and survival are significant concerns for individuals with heart failure (HF). To better understand the pathophysiology of HF prognosis, the association between 2 366 858 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and all-cause mortality was evaluated among individuals with incident HF from 4 community-based prospective cohorts: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, the Cardiovascular Health Study, the Framingham Heart Study, and the Rotterdam Study. Methods and Results-Participants were 2526 individuals of European ancestry and 466 individuals of African ancestry who experienced an incident HF event during follow-up in the respective cohorts. Within each study, the association between genetic variants and time to mortality among individuals with HF was assessed by Cox proportional hazards models that included adjustment for sex and age at the time of the HF event. Prospective fixed-effect meta-analyses were conducted for the 4 study populations of European ancestry (N=1645 deaths) and for the 2 populations of African ancestry (N=281 deaths). Genome-wide significance was set at P=5.0×10-7.Meta-analytic findings among individuals of European ancestry revealed 1 genome-wide significant locus on chromosome 3p22 in an intron of CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing 7 (CMTM7, P=3.20×10-7). Eight additional loci in individuals of European ancestry and 4 loci in individuals of African ancestry were identified by high-signal SNPs (P<1.0×10-5) but did not meet genome-wide significance. Conclusions-This study identified a novel locus associated with all-cause mortality among individuals of European ancestry with HF. This finding warrants additional investigation, including replication, in other studies of HF.