Abstract
BACKGROUDS: Angiopoietin-2 (ANGPT2) is a potent regulator of vascular permeability and inflammation in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Genetic variants in the ANGPT2 gene are associated with increased risk of ARDS. The aim of this study was to investigate whether genetic variants of ANGPT2 are associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and its survival.
METHODS: A total of 75 patients with IPF (42 German and 33 Japanese) and 85 healthy volunteers (35 German and 50 Japanese) were enrolled. DNA was extracted from peripheral whole blood samples using the phenol-chloroform extraction and ethanol precipitation methods. The ANGPT2 rs2515475 genotype was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The correlation between ANGPT2 polymorphisms and survival in IPF was also evaluated.
RESULTS: In the Japanese cohort, no significant difference was observed in the distribution of ANGPT2 rs2515475 polymorphism between IPF patients and healthy volunteers (p=0.31). In the German cohort, however, the distribution of ANGPT2 rs2515475 polymorphism between IPF patients and healthy volunteers was significantly different (p=0.048). The C/C polymorphism in ANGPT2 rs2515475 was significantly associated with increased risk of death (p=0.014). In the multivariate analysis, the C/C polymorphism in ANGPT2 gene was an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio=3.85; p=0.010).
CONCLUSIONS: A polymorphism in the ANGPT2 gene appears to be an independent risk factor for poor overall survival in Caucasian patients with IPF.
- © 2014 ERS