Genetic interactions in the β-adrenoceptor/G-protein signal transduction pathway and survival after coronary artery bypass grafting: A pilot study

Abstract

Background. In heart failure, β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) stimulation desensitizes the receptor, uncouples the downstream Gαs protein, and diminishes signal transduction. We tested the hypotheses that haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (htSNPs) within the Gαs gene (GNAS) (i) are functionally active and alter Gαs expression, (ii) influence survival after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and (iii) interact with βAR SNPs. Methods. Amplification of GNAS intron 1 was followed by cloning, reporter assays, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and western blots. In a pilot study, 185 patients on βAR blockade undergoing CABG were studied prospectively. The primary endpoint was cardiac-related mortality at 1 yr. Results. Two htSNPs defined three common haplotypes with altered reporter activity, allele-specific transcription factor binding, and Gαs protein expression (highest in *3 carriers followed by *2 and *1 haplotypes, P=0.013). After CABG, mortality was GNAS diplotype-dependent: *3/*3: 0%; *3/*2: 2.4%; *3/*1: 2.9%; *2/*2: 4.5%; *2/*1: 9.1%; and *1/*1: 20.0% (P=0.004). While β1AR SNPs were not associated with mortality, β2AR Arg16 allele carriers were at higher risk than Gly16 allele carriers (P=0.008). Genegene interaction using gene-related risk alleles demonstrated the number of risk alleles to be independently associated with death (hazard ratio 2.3; 95% confidence interval: 1.5-3.5; P=0.0003). Carriers of the no-risk allele had higher maximum isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activities than risk allele carriers (P=0.003). Conclusions. Interactions in the βAR/Gαs pathway may be associated with altered mortality after CABG. This could reconcile previously inconclusive data regarding the effects of βAR SNPs on cardiovascular prognosis. © The Author [2011]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved.