SCN5A gene variants as potential markers of the progression of chronic chagasic cardiac alterations

Abstract

Host genetic factors have been proposed as determinants of the variable progression of Chagas disease (ChD). Two polymorphisms, H558R and A572D, of the voltage-gated sodium channel α-subunit SCN5A gene were studied in chagasic patients in order to determine their contribution to the susceptibility to the development and/or to the progression of the cardiovascular disease. A total of 104 patients were classified as seronegative or seropositive for Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies. Clinical evaluation, electrocardiograms (ECG) and echocardiograms (Echo) were performed to detect any conduction and/or structural alteration. Patients were classified into: G1: without ECG and/or Echo alterations, G2: with ECG alterations and G3: with ECG and Echo alterations. H558R and A572D polymorphisms were detected by PCR. Cardiac alterations were more frequent in G2 + G3 seropositive patients. For H558R polymorphism, the C allele was significantly increased in seropositive G2 + G3 patients (P = 0.049. OR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.12–4.33). When comparing the disease cardiac progression (G2 vs G3), the genotypes from the H558R polymorphism were associated to more intense cardiac alterations (P = 0.018). For A572D polymorphism, no associations were found. The results suggest a possible involvement of SCN5A polymorphisms in the susceptibility to chronic ChD and the disease progression, contributing to the elucidation of the molecular mechanism underlying this complex myocardiopathy. In this regard, this is the first work that studies this gene in the context of chagasic cardiomyopathy.