Association of the Common Genetic Polymorphisms and Haplotypes of the Chymase Gene with Left Ventricular Mass in Male Patients with Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis

We investigated the association between polymorphisms and haplotypes of the chymase 1 gene (CMA1) and the left ventricular mass index (LVM/BSA) in a large cohort of patients with aortic stenosis (AS). Additionally, the gender differences in cardiac remodeling and hypertrophy were analyzed. The genetic background may affect the myocardial response to pressure overload. In human cardiac tissue, CMA1 is involved in angiotensin II production and TGF-β activation, which are two major players in the pathogenesis of hypertrophy and fibrosis. Preoperative echocardiographic data from 648 patients with significant symptomatic AS were used. The LVM/BSA was significantly lower (p<0.0001), but relative wall thickness (RWT) was significantly higher (p = 0.0009) in the women compared with the men. The haplotypes were reconstructed using six genotyped polymorphisms: rs5248, rs4519248, rs1956932, rs17184822, rs1956923, and rs1800875. The haplotype h1.ACAGGA was associated with higher LVM/BSA (p = 9.84 × 10(-5)), and the haplotype h2.ATAGAG was associated with lower LVM/BSA (p = 0.0061) in men, and no significant differences were found in women. Two polymorphisms within the promoter region of the CMA1 gene, namely rs1800875 (p = 0.0067) and rs1956923 (p = 0.0015), influenced the value of the LVM/BSA in males. The polymorphisms and haplotypes of the CMA1 locus are associated with cardiac hypertrophy in male patients with symptomatic AS. Appropriate methods for the indexation of heart dimensions revealed substantial sex-related differences in the myocardial response to pressure overload.