MINNEAPOLIS /ST. PAUL (JUNE 14, 2012) – University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers have reported two high-signal genetic markers correlated with coronary artery disease (CAD) that should help define genetic fingerprints that can signal an increased risk of developing the disease.
The results also offer biological and clinical data supporting future research into the genetic markers and their relationship to CAD, a condition that impacts more than 13 million Americans each year.
The research, led by Weihong Tang, Ph.D., M.S., M.D., a genetic epidemiology expert and assistant professor of epidemiology and community health in the University of Minnesota's School of Public, is published online today in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
"Our research looked at two common clinical blood tests used to detect deficiencies in clotting process, the Activated Partial Thromboplastic Time (aPTT) test and the Prothrombin Time (PT) test," said Tang. "Our goal was to see if there were genetic markers or signals within the tests that could indicate which patients were at higher risk for coronary artery disease. What we found was that within our sample, there were some highly expressive genetic markers that indeed signaled an increased risk."
Tang notes that this study focused on only white Americans, and that she and her colleagues would like to expand the survey's reach into minority patients. She hopes that a larger study will confirm the genetic links and make the information more accessible for physicians as they monitor patients for CAD risk factors.
"There is a lot of work still to be done, but our findings should set a foundation for new types of testing that will help physicians find and treat clotting diseases in the general population," said Tang.
About the Study
The population-based study compiled data from various genetic studies to seek out a genetic relationship between the gene expression profiles of aPTT and PT testing and the risk of coronary artery disease. Overall, Tang and her colleagues examined data from more than 75,000 patients. Those records were the result of existing health screening databases and previous surveys addressing genetic markers and cardiovascular disease risk factors. This research compared those markers against aPTT and PT results. They found 10 highly expressive genetic markers, which were then applied against information available through the CARDIoGRAM Study.
The research was performed across several centers using data collected under grants from the National Institutes of Health and other sources. The University of Minnesota and Tang took the lead in coordinating the research of this project.
Tang is partially supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01-HL095603.
For more than 60 years, the University of Minnesota School of Public Health has been among the top accredited schools of public health in the nation. With a mission focused on research, teaching, and service, the school attracts nearly $100 million in sponsored research each year, has more than 100 faculty members and more than 1,300 students, and is engaged in community outreach activities locally, nationally and in dozens of countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.sph.umn.edu. The School's Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach promotes lifelong learning to bridge academic and public health practice communities.
Journal
American Journal of Human Genetics