Sortilin 1 Gene Shows Positive Association with Coronary Artery Disease

Rajiv Narang

Previous genome-wide association studies have shown the sortilin 1 (SORT1) gene expression to affect lipid metabolism, identifying it as a risk gene for coronary artery disease (CAD), but little is known about its expression in patients with CAD.

Led by Rajiv Narang, Department of Cardiology, All India Institute of Medical Science, a team of investigators analyzed the expression of SORT1 gene at mRNA and protein level in patients with CAD, observing the differential expression of sortilin throughout different stages of CAD could be a useful biomarker for the disease.

The study was presented at the The Metabolic Institute of America (TMIOA) 2021 World Congress Insulin Resistance Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease (WCIRDC) Meeting.

Study Methods

Narang and colleagues noted the target sample size was 150 patients with various clinical and subclinical stages of CAD  and 150 healthy control patients. In these patients, quantitative real time PCR and western blotting influenced the expression of SORT1 at mRNA and protein levels.

They drew the peripheral venous blood from the study subjects. Additionally, extracted RNA was used for the cDNA synthesis and Real time quantitative PCR analysis for the SORT1 gene.

Then, total protein was extracted from the plasma samples and SDS PAGE and western blotting experiments measured expression for Sortilin protein. The plasma level of sortilin was found through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Findings

Data show the relative expression of the SORT1 gene was upregulated by 4.438 fold in patients with CAD, compared to the control samples.

Additionally, SORT1 gene expression level was significantly upregulated by 3.4 fold in single vessel disease patients, 4.7 fold in double vessel disease patients and 6.09 fold in triple vessel disease patients, when compared to healthy control.

There were significant differences in average delta-CT value in SORT gene, with higher circulating levels of sortilin proteins observed in CAD patients with and without diabetes.

The team observed the expression level of SORT1 gene was significantly higher in patients with STEMI compared to NSTEMI and patients with stable angina. Moreover, the expression level of SORT1 gene had a positive association with percentage stenosis in patients with CAD.

Further, they found the difference in expression of the SORT1 gene in patients with angina, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, CAD with diabetes, while the highest expression was observed in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Takeaways

The study noted quantitative real time analysis of the SORT1 gene indicated the upregulation of its expression in patients with CAD, compared to control.

“The circulating Sortilin levels in patients with coronary artery disease is higher as compared to healthy individuals,” investigators wrote. “Therefore, there is a positive association of SORT1 gene with Coronary artery disease.”

“Role of SORT1 gene in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease,” was published online by WCIRDC.