The Relationship Between a Genetic Variant in the HSPB1 Gene and a Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases: The Results of the MASHAD Cohort Study

Abstract

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of death, highlighting the importance of risk stratification and prognostic biomarkers in CHD. There is a growing body of evidence supporting the potential value of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Here, we explored the relationship between serum anti-HSP27 levels and a genetic variant, rs2868371, in the HSB1 gene in the Stroke and Heart Atherosclerotic Disorders (MASHAD) cohort study carried out in Mashhad. A total of 8776 subjects were recruited. Anti-HSP27 levels were measured using an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), followed by genotyping using a TaqMan® probe-based assay. Demographic, biochemical, and hematological characteristics of the population were evaluated in all subjects. Kaplan-Meier curves were utilized, while logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between genotypic frequencies and clinical characteristics of the population. No significant difference in anti-HSP27 levels was demonstrated between subjects with and without CHD. The frequencies of the CC, CG, and GG genotypes were 68%, 26.8%, and 5.2%, respectively. CAD patients with GG and GC genotypes had a lower risk of myocardial infarction (MI) compared with the reference group after adjusting for confounding factors [OR=0.27 (95% CI=0.08-0.94), P=0.040]. Our data revealed a relationship between the genetic variant in the HSB1 gene and the risk of developing CHD, supporting further research on the potential value of this emerging marker in predicting cardiovascular disease.