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NOS3 gene intron 4 a/b polymorphism is associated with ESRD in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease patients

Abstract

Introduction:

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) genes have been implicated in renal hemodynamics as potent regulators of vascular tone and blood pressure. It has been linked to a reduction in plasma nitric oxide levels. Several studies have recently been conducted to investigate the role of NOS3 gene polymorphisms and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, the results are still unclear and the mechanisms are not fully defined. As a result, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the relationship between NOS3 gene polymorphism and ESRD in autosomal polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patients.

Methods:

To assess the relationship between NOS3 gene polymorphism and ESRD, relevant studies published between September 2002 and December 2020 were retrieved from the PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a fixed-effect model. To assess the heterogeneity of studies, we used Cochrane’s Q test and the Higgins and Thompson I2 statistics.

Results:

Our meta-analysis of 13 studies showed that the presence of the two NOS3 gene polymorphisms significantly increased ESRD risk in ADPKD patients with 4a/b gene polymorphism (aa+ab vs. bb: OR=1.95, 95% CI=1.24-3.09, p=0.004). In addition, no significant association was found between the NOS3 894G>T (Glu298Asp) polymorphism and the risk of ESRD in ADPKD patients (GT+TT vs. GG: OR=1.21, 95% CI=0.93-1.58, p=0.157). There was no evidence of publication bias.

Conclusions:

The findings of the current meta-analysis suggest that NOS3 intron 4a/b polymorphism plays a vital role in the increasing risk of ESRD in ADPKD patients.

Keywords:
Polycystic Kidney; Autosomal Dominant; Polymorphism; Genetic; Kidney Failure; Chronic

Resumo

Introdução:

Genes da óxido nítrico sintase endotelial (eNOS) têm sido implicados na hemodinâmica renal como potentes reguladores do tônus vascular e pressão arterial. Tem sido vinculado a uma redução nos níveis plasmáticos de óxido nítrico. Realizou-se recentemente vários estudos para investigar o papel de polimorfismos do gene NOS3 e doença renal em estágio terminal (DRET). Entretanto, os resultados ainda não são claros e os mecanismos não estão totalmente definidos. Como resultado, realizamos meta-análise para examinar a relação entre polimorfismo do gene NOS3 e DRET em pacientes com doença renal policística autossômica dominante (DRPAD).

Métodos:

Para avaliar a relação entre polimorfismo do gene NOS3 e DRET, recuperou-se estudos relevantes publicados entre Setembro-2002 e Dezembro-2020 dos bancos de dados PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, Google Scholar, Web of Science. Calculamos odds ratio (OR) e intervalo de confiança (IC) de 95% utilizando modelo de efeitos fixos. Para avaliar a heterogeneidade dos estudos, utilizamos teste Q de Cochrane e estatísticas I2 de Higgins e Thompson.

Resultados:

Nossa meta-análise de 13 estudos mostrou que a presença dos dois polimorfismos do gene NOS3 aumentou significativamente o risco de DRET em pacientes com DRPAD com polimorfismo do gene 4a/b (aa+ab vs. bb: OR=1,95; IC 95%=1,24-3,09; p=0,004). Ademais, não encontramos associação significativa entre polimorfismo 894G>T NOS3 (Glu298Asp) e risco de DRET em pacientes com DRPAD (GT+TT vs. GG: OR=1,21; IC 95%=0,93-1,58; p=0,157). Não houve evidência de viés de publicação.

Conclusões:

Achados da meta-análise atual sugerem que o polimorfismo intron 4a/b do NOS3 desempenha papel vital no aumento do risco de DRET em pacientes com DRPAD.

Descritores:
Rim Policístico Autossômico Dominante; Polimorfismo Genético; Falência Renal Crônica

Introduction

Renal cysts can have various etiologies, broadly classified into genetic and non-genetic disorders. The most common and widely accepted genetic cause of renal cystic disease in humans is autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), and juvenile nephronophthisis, for which genes or chromosomal locations have been identified11 Bergmann C. Genetics of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease and its differential diagnoses. Front Pediatr. 2018 Feb;5:221.. Among all renal cystic diseases, ADPKD is genetically heterogeneous and affects all racial groups worldwide, associated with liver, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and genital abnormalities, with an estimated frequency between 1:400 and 1:1,00022 Bergmann C, Guay-Woodford LM, Harris PC, Horie S, Peters DJM, Torres VE. Polycystic kidney disease. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2018 Dec;4(1):50.. ADPKD may be caused by mutations in one of the two genes, namely polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1), mapped to 16p13.3, and polycystic kidney disease 2 (PKD2) gene on chromosome 4q2133 Bitarafan F, Garshasbi M. Molecular genetic analysis of polycystic kidney disease 1 and polycystic kidney disease 2 mutations in pedigrees with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. J Res Med Sci. 2019 May;24:44.. The frequency of mutations of PKD1gene is much higher and the gene is responsible for 85% of ADPKD cases, while 15% is caused by the PKD2 gene. Additionally, elderly patients have more cases of PKD2 mutations than of PKD1 mutations. Renal disease involves hypertension, urinary tract infections (UTI), hematuria, renal pain, and renal insufficiency, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) occurs in approximately 50% of ADPKD patients in their late forties44 Lanktree MB, Haghighi A, Di Bari I, Song X, Pei Y. Insights into autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease from genetic studies. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2021 May;16(5):790-9..

ESRD is a multifactorial disease and has been shown to be more significant in many aspects of this genetic factor. Previous evidence has proven that impaired nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) contributes to vascular endothelial dysfunction, and blood endothelial cells are suggested to play a vital role in the pathogenesis of ESRD55 Kuricová K, Tanhäuserová V, Pácal L, Bartáková V, Brožová L, Jarkovský J, et al. NOS3 894G>T polymorphism is associated with progression of kidney disease and cardiovascular morbidity in type 2 diabetic patients: NOS3 as a modifier gene for diabetic nephropathy? Kidney Blood Press Res. 2013;38(1):92-8.. NOS3 is a dimeric cellular signaling molecule with significant regulatory activities such as glomerular vasodilatation, which is essential for controlling the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). In this perspective, NOS3 in ADPKD was considered a possible candidate gene for ESRD66 Ramanathan G, Elumalai R, Periyasamy S, Lakkakula B. Role of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system gene polymorphisms and hypertension-induced end-stage renal disease in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Iran J Kidney Dis. 2014 Jul;8(4):265-77.. The NOS3 gene was mapped to a chromosome of 7q36 consisting of 26 exons. Several polymorphic variants have been associated to modified NO synthesis, including promoter-786 T > C, 894 G > T, and intron 4 variable tandem repeats a / b (VNTR) polymorphisms. Among these, the 27-base pair (bp) (VNTR) intron-4 of NOS3 is known to alter eNOS expression and cause impaired NO synthesis77 Elumalai R, Periasamy S, Ramanathan G, Lakkakula BVKS. Role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase VNTR (intron 4 a/b) polymorphism on the progression of renal disease in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. J Renal Inj Prev. 2014;3(3):69-73.. The genotypes and haplotypes of NOS3 tagSNPs were not associated with the disease66 Ramanathan G, Elumalai R, Periyasamy S, Lakkakula B. Role of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system gene polymorphisms and hypertension-induced end-stage renal disease in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Iran J Kidney Dis. 2014 Jul;8(4):265-77..

Although many researchers examined the association between NOS3 gene polymorphisms and ESRD in ADPKD, the findings were inconsistent77 Elumalai R, Periasamy S, Ramanathan G, Lakkakula BVKS. Role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase VNTR (intron 4 a/b) polymorphism on the progression of renal disease in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. J Renal Inj Prev. 2014;3(3):69-73.

8 Stefanakis N, Ziroyiannis P, Trygonis S, Lamnissou K. Modifier effect of the Glu298Asp polymorphism of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease. Nephron Clin Pract. 2008;110(2):c101-6.

9 Lamnissou K, Zirogiannis P, Trygonis S, Demetriou K, Pierides A, Koptides M, et al. Evidence for association of endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphism with earlier progression to end-stage renal disease in a cohort of Hellens from Greece and Cyprus. Genet Test. 2004;8(3):319-24.

10 Dasar N, Ghaderian SMH, Azargashb E. Human evaluation of the Glu298Asp polymorphism in NOS3 gene and its relationship with onset age of ESRD in Iranian patients suffering from ADPKD. Int J Mol Cell Med. 2012;1(2):105-12.

11 Ramanathan G, Periyasamy S, Lakkakula BV. NOS3 tagSNPs does not modify the chronic kidney disease progression in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Nephrology (Carlton). 2014 Sep;19(9):537-41.
-1212 Pandita S, Ramachandran V, Verma J, Kohli S, Saxena R, Verma IC. NOS3 gene Glu298Asp polymorphism and severity of disease in patients of ADPKD from North India. Meta Gene. 2017;11:75-80.. In view of the clinical heterogeneity of ADPKD, this study aimed to quantitatively summarize the association between NOS3 polymorphisms (894G>T intron 4 VNTR a / b polymorphism) and ESRD risk in ADPKD by conducting a comprehensive meta-analysis of all eligible case-control studies.

Materials and methods

Identification of eligibility studies

Articles published between September 2002 to December 2020 on the associations of the NOS3 gene polymorphism and ESRD were identified. All case-control studies considering the association in ADPKD patients published in English languages were selected and organized according to the PRISMA guidelines1313 Liberati A, Altman DG, Tetzlaff J, Mulrow C, Gøtzsche PC, Ioannidis JPA, et al. The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate healthcare interventions: explanation and elaboration. BMJ. 2009 Jul;339:b2700..

A comprehensive search was conducted in electronic databases including PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Web of Science with the combination of the following keywords and subheadings: “endothelial nitric oxide synthase”, “eNOS”, “NOS3”, “ESRD”, “intron 4 VNTR”, “meta-analysis”, “case-control”, “894G>T (Glu298Asp; rs1799983)”. The last search was carried out on 30 February 2021.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

To conduct a more robust meta-analysis, two authors collected data from all relevant articles independently. Our selection criteria were: (1) case-control studies on the association between NOS3 polymorphisms and risk of ESRD in ADPKD, (2) available full-text articles, (3) written in English, and (4) original data and complete genotype allele count for both the case and control groups were available. Studies were excluded if they (1) had overlapping/duplicate data, (2) had no control group, (3) did not have clear genotype data, and (4) were case reports and review articles. All information about the selection of studies in ADPKD patients with or without ESRD was arranged.

Statistical analysis

The genotype data of case and control groups were recorded. The comparison group already included a selection, but NOS3 genotypes were not tested for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). The meta-analysis was carried out using the web tool MetaGenyo. For each study, the strength of association between ESRD risk in ADPKD and NOS3 gene polymorphisms (894G>T and intron 4 VNTR) was assessed by the summary odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) in the dominant model. To assess the between-study heterogeneity, we used Q and I2 statistics in all studies. To assess the robustness of findings, sensitivity analysis was performed using a “leave-one-out” meta-analysis. Egger’s test and Begg’s funnel plot were used to assess publication bias. All statistical analyses were done using the Comprehensive Meta-analysis software. A P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Characteristics of the studies

Using the aforementioned search strategy, 82 ar­ticles were identified. From these, 22 duplicate and irrelevant articles were excluded. After reading the abstracts and titles, 31 articles that did not assess the association between NOS3 894G>T and intron 4a/b polymorphisms and ESRD risk were excluded. Twenty-nine articles were fully reviewed, of which 9 papers with 520 ADPKD patients with ESRD and 563 ADPKD patients without ESRD for the NOS3 894G>T polymorphism88 Stefanakis N, Ziroyiannis P, Trygonis S, Lamnissou K. Modifier effect of the Glu298Asp polymorphism of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease. Nephron Clin Pract. 2008;110(2):c101-6.,1010 Dasar N, Ghaderian SMH, Azargashb E. Human evaluation of the Glu298Asp polymorphism in NOS3 gene and its relationship with onset age of ESRD in Iranian patients suffering from ADPKD. Int J Mol Cell Med. 2012;1(2):105-12.

11 Ramanathan G, Periyasamy S, Lakkakula BV. NOS3 tagSNPs does not modify the chronic kidney disease progression in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Nephrology (Carlton). 2014 Sep;19(9):537-41.
-1212 Pandita S, Ramachandran V, Verma J, Kohli S, Saxena R, Verma IC. NOS3 gene Glu298Asp polymorphism and severity of disease in patients of ADPKD from North India. Meta Gene. 2017;11:75-80.,1414 Lee JG, Ahn C, Yoon SC, Park JH, No JJ, Moon CS, et al. The Glu/Asp polymorphism of ecNOS gene and the renal progression in Korean autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patients. Korean J Genet. 2002 Sep;24(3):241-6.

15 Walker D, Consugar M, Slezak J, Rossetti S, Torres VE, Winearls CG, et al. The ENOS polymorphism is not associated with severity of renal disease in polycystic kidney disease 1. Am J Kidney Dis. 2003 Jan;41(1):90-4.

16 Reiterová J, Miroslav M, Stekrová J, Kohoutová M, Tesar V, Kmentová D, et al. The influence of G-protein beta3-subunit gene and endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in exon 7 polymorphisms on progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Ren Fail. 2004;26(2):119-25.

17 Kocyigit I, Eroglu E, Gungor O. Clinical problems in hemodialysis patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Semin Dial. 2018 May;31(3):268-77.
-1818 Malakoutian T, Madadi B, Ebrahimi A. Evaluation of common polymorphisms of eNOS gene and ACE gene in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease patients and their association with HTN and renal failure. J Renal Inj Prev. 2021;10(1):e04. and 5 papers with 185 ADPKD patients with ESRD and 223 ADPKD patients without ESRD for NOS3 intron 4a/b polymorphism77 Elumalai R, Periasamy S, Ramanathan G, Lakkakula BVKS. Role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase VNTR (intron 4 a/b) polymorphism on the progression of renal disease in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. J Renal Inj Prev. 2014;3(3):69-73.,99 Lamnissou K, Zirogiannis P, Trygonis S, Demetriou K, Pierides A, Koptides M, et al. Evidence for association of endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphism with earlier progression to end-stage renal disease in a cohort of Hellens from Greece and Cyprus. Genet Test. 2004;8(3):319-24.,1111 Ramanathan G, Periyasamy S, Lakkakula BV. NOS3 tagSNPs does not modify the chronic kidney disease progression in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Nephrology (Carlton). 2014 Sep;19(9):537-41.,1919 Merta M, Reiterová J, Tesař V, Štekrová J, Viklický O. Influence of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase polymorphism on the progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and IgA nephropathy. Ren Fail. 2002 Jul;24(4):467-75.,2020 Reiterová J, Merta M, Tesař V, Štekrová J. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase affects the progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Kidney Blood Press Res. 2002;25(2):87-90. that had sufficient data were included in the present meta-analysis. The process of selecting papers is depicted in Figure 1. The characteristics of all included studies are listed in Table 1.

Figure 1
Flow diagram depicting the detailed process of literature search.

TABLE 1
Characteristics of the studies on the 894G>T and intron 4 VNTR A/B polymorphisms included in the meta-analysis

Meta-analysis of NOS3 gene polymorphisms and esrd risk in ADPKD

The association between NOS3 polymorphism variants and ESRD risk in ADPKD was assessed in a dominant model (Figure 2). Overall, the pooled analyses showed that the eNOS 4a/b polymorphism is significantly associated with increased risk of ESRD in the fixed-effect model (aa+ab vs. bb: OR=1.95, 95% CI=1.24-3.09, p=0.004) (Figure 2B). However, there was no significant association between NOS3 894G>T polymorphism and the risk of ESRD in ADPKD patients (GT+TT vs. GG: OR=1.21, 95% CI=0.93-1.58, p=0.157, fixed-effect model) (Figure 2A).

Figure 2
Forest plot of the meta-analysis for the association between NOS3 gene polymorphisms and risk of ESRD in ADPKD patients.

Test of heterogeneity, sensitivity, and publication BIAS

The estimated effect sizes for both NOS3 gene polymorphisms (894G>T: I2 = 11.3 %, p-heterogeneity =0.341; and intron 4a/b polymorphism: I2 = 15.6 %, p-heterogeneity =0.315) showed significant heterogeneity. Sensitivity analyses were performed by excluding studies one at a time and conducted the analysis after each omission. There were no statistically significant differences in polymorphism data, indicating that the analysis was statistically reliable and consistent (Figure 3A).

Figure 3
Sensitivity analysis of the association between NOS3 gene polymorphisms and risk of ESRD in ADPKD patients.

The analysis of the intron 4a/b polymorphism in two studies1919 Merta M, Reiterová J, Tesař V, Štekrová J, Viklický O. Influence of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase polymorphism on the progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and IgA nephropathy. Ren Fail. 2002 Jul;24(4):467-75.,2020 Reiterová J, Merta M, Tesař V, Štekrová J. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase affects the progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Kidney Blood Press Res. 2002;25(2):87-90. demonstrated that the pooled ORs increased when each study was omitted (Figure 3B). Begg’s funnel plot and Egger’s test were used to assess the publication bias of the literature. The shape of the funnel plot was asymmetric for both the 894G>T and intron 4a/b polymorphisms. In support of this, the Egger test revealed no evidence of significant publication bias (Figure 4A and 4B). Furthermore, Egger’s linear regression test also revealed no publication bias for studies on the 894G>T (P = 0.915) and intron 4 a/b polymorphisms (P = 0.159).

Figure 4
Egger’s funnel plot of publication bias for the NOS3 gene polymorphisms and risk of ESRD in ADPKD patients.

Discussion

We included 13 published studies in this meta-analysis that revealed that NOS3 4a/b polymorphisms were significantly associated with various vascular complications, which are a cause of ESRD in ADPKD patients. Our study also showed that there is no heterogeneity or publication bias in the included studies. However, the results of the sensitivity analysis in each study group indicated that the pooled OR estimates were not changed quantitatively after each omission. Although the study suggests that nitric oxide may play a role in ADPKD pathophysiology, the NOS3 894G>T polymorphism failed to demonstrate an association with susceptibility to ESRD in ADPKD patients. The findings are consistent with a previous meta-analysis that found that the NOS3 intron 4a/b polymorphism increased the risk of ESRD in ADPKD patients2121 Xue C, Zhou CC, Sun LJ, He LL, Xu CG, Dai B, et al. Effects of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene on end stage renal disease progression in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Nephrology. 2014 Oct;19(10):630-7..

The NO synthases (NOS) are a family of enzymes that catalyze the production of nitric oxide (NO) from L-arginine in vascular endothelial cells2222 Förstermann U, Sessa WC. Nitric oxide synthases: regulation and function. Eur Heart J. 2012 Apr;33(7):829-37d.. It is well known that NO is highly reactive due to its short half-life and potent regulator of vascular tone and hemorheology via the activation of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent pathway2323 Ghanta M, Panchanathan E, Lakkakula BV. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase i stimulators and activators are therapeutic alternatives for sickle cell disease. Turk J Haematol. 2018 Mar;35(1):77-8.. Besides, it has directly involved in the vascular endothelium, complex cellular interactions, and global inflammation-mediated cell activation2424 Verma H, Mishra H, Khodiar PK, Patra PK, Bhaskar LV. NOS3 27-bp and IL4 70-bp VNTR polymorphisms do not contribute to the risk of sickle cell crisis. Turk J Haematol. 2016 Dec;33(4):365-6.. Generally, NO inhibits NaCl absorption along the nephron. Several studies have shown that NOS inhibitors such as nitro-L-arginine and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) have a tonic influence, especially on medullary circulation2525 Rath M, Müller I, Kropf P, Closs EI, Munder M. Metabolism via arginase or nitric oxide synthase: two competing arginine pathways in macrophages. Front Immunol. 2014 Oct;5:532.. Despite this, renal NO synthesis is involved in the acute and chronic regulation of sodium balance.

Hypertension is the most frequent complication in ADPKD patients, occurring in approximately 60% of the patients. Miyamoto et al. discovered that the 894G>T (Glu298Asp) missense variant was significantly associated with essential hypertension, suggesting a genetic susceptibility for essential hypertension2626 Miyamoto Y, Saito Y, Kajiyama N, Yoshimura M, Shimasaki Y, Nakayama M, et al. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene is positively associated with essential hypertension. Hypertension. 1998 Jul;32(1):3-8.. Another study found that eNOS expression and eGFR were significantly higher in ADPKD patients without hypertension than in those with hypertension. This demonstrates that eNOS gene expression is independently predictive of hypertension in the ADPKD population2727 Kocyigit I, Taheri S, Sener EF, Unal A, Eroglu E, Öztürk F, et al. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene expression is associated with hypertension in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Cardiorenal Med. 2014 Dec;4(3-4):269-79..

In kidney disease, NO production is reduced by either a decrease in the enzyme substrate (L-arginine) or an increase in the bioavailability of the enzyme inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), which in turn reduces NO synthesis via a feedback mechanism2828 Amador-Martínez I, Pérez-Villalva R, Uribe N, Cortés-González C, Bobadilla NA, Barrera-Chimal J. Reduced endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation contributes to cardiovascular injury during chronic kidney disease progression. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2019 Aug;317(2):F275-F85.. This mechanism has been shown to accelerate the progression of pre-existing kidney disease. Various studies have shown that NO negatively regulates the renin-angiotensin system by inhibiting ACE activity and AT1 receptors2929 Neubauer B, Schrankl J, Steppan D, Neubauer K, Sequeira-Lopez ML, Pan L, et al. Angiotensin II short-loop feedback: is there a role of ang ii for the regulation of the renin system in vivo? Hypertension. 2018 Jun;71(6):1075-82.. The release of NO by endothelial cells plays a major role in regulating the local hemodynamics and systematic blood pressure3030 Ahmad A, Dempsey SK, Daneva Z, Azam M, Li N, Li PL, et al. Role of nitric oxide in the cardiovascular and renal systems. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Sep;19(9):2605.. Decreased production of NO plays a major role in the progression of renal disease2828 Amador-Martínez I, Pérez-Villalva R, Uribe N, Cortés-González C, Bobadilla NA, Barrera-Chimal J. Reduced endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation contributes to cardiovascular injury during chronic kidney disease progression. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2019 Aug;317(2):F275-F85.. A significant decrease in different isoforms of NOS in the cystic epithelium was observed during the growth of a renal cyst in Han: Sprague-Dawley (SPRD) polycystic rats3131 Kahveci AS, Barnatan TT, Kahveci A, Adrian AE, Arroyo J, Eirin A, et al. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial abnormalities contribute to decreased endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression and renal disease progression in early experimental polycystic kidney disease. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Mar;21(6):1994.. Several lines of evidence suggest that ADPKD is characterized by endothelial dysfunction caused by impaired NO release3232 Ratnam S, Nauli SM. Hypertension in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: a clinical and basic science perspective. Int J Nephrol Urol. 2010;2(2):294-308.,3333 Klawitter J, Reed-Gitomer BY, McFann K, Pennington A, Klawitter J, Abebe KZ, et al. Endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress in polycystic kidney disease. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2014 Dec;307(11):F1198-F206..

Animal models and clinical trials have demonstrated the importance of NOS in polycystic kidney disease3434 Wiwanitkit V. Nitric oxide synthase and polycystic kidney disease. J Nephropharmacol. 2015;4(2):85-7.. ADPKD patients with the 4a allele progressed to ESRD more slowly in Belgium and France, whereas Hellen’s patients from Greece and Cyprus progressed faster3535 Persu A, Stoenoiu MS, Messiaen T, Davila S, Robino C, El-Khattabi O, et al. Modifier effect of ENOS in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Hum Mol Genet. 2002 Feb;11(3):229-41.,3636 Lamnissou K, Zirogiannis P, Trygonis S, Demetriou K, Pierides A, Koptides M, et al. Evidence for association of endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphism with earlier progression to end-stage renal disease in a cohort of Hellens from Greece and Cyprus. Genet Test. 2004;8(3):319-24.. However, some studies suggested that this locus was not linked with ESRD of different etiologies3636 Lamnissou K, Zirogiannis P, Trygonis S, Demetriou K, Pierides A, Koptides M, et al. Evidence for association of endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphism with earlier progression to end-stage renal disease in a cohort of Hellens from Greece and Cyprus. Genet Test. 2004;8(3):319-24.,3737 Noiri E, Satoh H, Taguchi J, Brodsky SV, Nakao A, Ogawa Y, et al. Association of eNOS Glu298Asp polymorphism with end-stage renal disease. Hypertension. 2002 Oct;40(4):535-40.. The substitution of aspartic acid for glutamate affects the domain of the oxidase enzyme that serves as a binding site for BH4 and the amino acid L-arginine. The change causes an enzyme variation, making it more susceptible to proteolytic cleavage in position D238-P239. Further, it produces a shorter form of the enzyme, resulting in less NO production3838 Dias RG, Negrão CE, Krieger MH. Nitric oxide and the cardiovascular system: cell activation, vascular reactivity and genetic variant. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2011 Jan;96(1):68-75.. However, the relationship between 894G>T polymorphism and the age of onset of ESRD in ADPKD patients also yielded inconsistent results1515 Walker D, Consugar M, Slezak J, Rossetti S, Torres VE, Winearls CG, et al. The ENOS polymorphism is not associated with severity of renal disease in polycystic kidney disease 1. Am J Kidney Dis. 2003 Jan;41(1):90-4.,1616 Reiterová J, Miroslav M, Stekrová J, Kohoutová M, Tesar V, Kmentová D, et al. The influence of G-protein beta3-subunit gene and endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in exon 7 polymorphisms on progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Ren Fail. 2004;26(2):119-25.,3737 Noiri E, Satoh H, Taguchi J, Brodsky SV, Nakao A, Ogawa Y, et al. Association of eNOS Glu298Asp polymorphism with end-stage renal disease. Hypertension. 2002 Oct;40(4):535-40.. While the-786T>C (rs2070744) polymorphism has a functional effect, it is linked to the replication protein A1 (RPA1), which binds to the NOS3 promoter with high affinity when the C allele is present, resulting in reduced NOS3 transcription3939 Miyamoto Y, Saito Y, Nakayama M, Shimasaki Y, Yoshimura T, Yoshimura M, et al. Replication protein A1 reduces transcription of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene containing a-786T→ C mutation associated with coronary spastic angina. Hum Mol Genet. 2000 Nov;9(18):2629-37..

No significant findings were observed regarding the promoter-786 T>C polymorphism with ESRD progression in patients with type 1 ADPKD3535 Persu A, Stoenoiu MS, Messiaen T, Davila S, Robino C, El-Khattabi O, et al. Modifier effect of ENOS in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Hum Mol Genet. 2002 Feb;11(3):229-41.,4040 Tazón-Vega B, Vilardell M, Perez-Oller L, Ars E, Ruiz P, Devuyst O, et al. Study of candidate genes affecting the progression of renal disease in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease type 1. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2007 Jun;22(6):1567-77.. Our findings were inconclusive in terms of ethnicity-specific associations between NOS3 gene polymorphisms and ESRD in ADPKD patients. This is possibly due to differences in the allele frequencies of the NOS3 gene among populations. Individual studies investigating the link between NOS3 polymorphisms and ESRD complications have also been conducted. Still, these studies may have been imbalanced due to the inability of individual components to identify the desired impact of these polymorphisms.

Certain limitations and biases of the study have to be considered and resutls should be interpreted with caution. Our meta-analysis indicated that the NOS3 intron 4a/b polymorphism, but not the G894T polymorphism, seems to increase the risk of ESRD in ADPKD patients. More high-quality studies are needed to investigate the complexities of the associations between NOS3 gene polymorphisms and the therapeutic implications of ESRD in ADPKD patients.

References

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    31 Jan 2022
  • Date of issue
    Apr-Jun 2022

History

  • Received
    04 Apr 2021
  • Accepted
    24 Nov 2021
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