Rare Copy Number Variants Identified Suggest the Regulating Pathways in Hypertension-Related Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

PLoS One. 2016 Mar 1;11(3):e0148755. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148755. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and a powerful predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in the hypertensive patients. It has complex multifactorial and polygenic basis for its pathogenesis. We hypothesized that rare copy number variants (CNVs) contribute to the LVH pathogenesis in hypertensive patients. Copy number variants (CNV) were identified in 258 hypertensive patients, 95 of whom had LVH, after genotyping with a high resolution SNP array. Following stringent filtering criteria, we identified 208 rare, or private CNVs that were only present in our patients with hypertension related LVH. Preliminary findings from Gene Ontology and pathway analysis of this study confirmed the involvement of the genes known to be functionally involved in cardiac development and phenotypes, in line with previously reported transcriptomic studies. Network enrichment analyses suggested that the gene-set was, directly or indirectly, involved in the transcription factors regulating the "foetal cardiac gene programme" which triggered the hypertrophic cascade, confirming previous reports. These findings suggest that multiple, individually rare copy number variants altering genes may contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension-related LVH. In summary, we have provided further supporting evidence that rare CNV could potentially impact this common and complex disease susceptibility with lower heritability.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Case-Control Studies
  • DNA Copy Number Variations*
  • Female
  • Gene Frequency
  • Gene Ontology
  • Gene Regulatory Networks
  • Genetic Association Studies
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / complications
  • Hypertension / genetics*
  • Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / etiology
  • Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / genetics*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Signal Transduction

Grants and funding

This study is supported by the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) of Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia in 2007 (211501080005 [ST FRGS 1342]) and 2010 (600-RMI/ST/FRGS 5/3 Fst [61/2010]), 100-IRDC/BIOTEK 16/6/2 (13/2007) and 600-RMI/LRGS 5/3 (2/2011). BP Hoh was awarded with Dr Ranjeet Bhagwan Singh International Fellowship (Academy of Science Malaysia). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.