Genetic variation at the human tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) locus: haplotypes and analysis of association to plasma levels of tPA.
Journal article, 2003

Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) plays a key role in thrombus dissolution and plasma levels of tPA have been associated with cardiovascular disease. We have previously resequenced regulatory and coding regions of the human tPA gene (PLAT) and identified eight single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In a small experimental study, four common variants were associated with invasively determined vascular tPA release rates. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether there is an association between genetic variants at this locus and plasma levels of tPA. To this end, 240 Swedish individuals without cardiovascular disease were typed for the eight SNPs and an Alu insertion polymorphism at the PLAT locus, as well as for a polymorphism in the plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) promoter (PAI-1 -675 4G>5G). Stepwise regression analysis, with established predictors of plasma tPA including plasma PAI-1 and genetic variants, showed that neither genotypes nor haplotypes were major contributors to plasma tPA. The results also showed that the level of linkage disequilibrium was high at the PLAT locus, as demonstrated by the fact that only three haplotypes had a frequency above 5%. In conclusion, in the present study neither genetic variation at the PLAT locus nor the PAI-1 -675 4G>5G polymorphism was strong predictors of plasma tPA levels, which suggests that variations in other genes contribute to the heritability of this phenotype. The results also show that three haplotypes at the PLAT locus accounted for nearly 90% of the chromosomes and that they could be defined by typing only two SNPs.

Linkage Disequilibrium

genetics

Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1

Polymorphism

Variation (Genetics)

Base Sequence

Genetic

Tissue Plasminogen Activator

Polymorphism

Male

Single Nucleotide

Gene Frequency

blood

genetics

Humans

Haplotypes

Female

Middle Aged

Author

Per Ladenvall

University of Gothenburg

Staffan Nilsson

University of Gothenburg

Chalmers, Department of Mathematical Statistics

Katarina Jood

University of Gothenburg

Annika Rosengren

University of Gothenburg

Christian Blomstrand

University of Gothenburg

Christina Jern

University of Gothenburg

European Journal of Human Genetics

1018-4813 (ISSN) 1476-5438 (eISSN)

Vol. 11 8 603-10

Subject Categories

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES

DOI

10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201011

PubMed

12891381

More information

Created

10/6/2017