NFE2L2 pathway polymorphisms and lung function decline in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Andrew J. Sandford, Deepti Malhotra, H. Marike Boezen, Mateusz Siedlinski, Dirkje S. Postma, Vivien Wong, Loubna Akhabir, Jian Qing He, John E. Connett, Nicholas R. Anthonisen, Peter D. Paré, Shyam Biswal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

An oxidant-antioxidant imbalance in the lung contributes to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that is caused by a complex interaction of genetic and environmental risk factors. Nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NFE2L2 or NRF2) is a critical molecule in the lung's defense mechanism against oxidants. We investigated whether polymorphisms in the NFE2L2 pathway affected the rate of decline of lung function in smokers from the Lung Health Study (LHS)(n = 547) and in a replication set, the Vlagtwedde-Vlaardingen cohort (n = 533). We selected polymorphisms in NFE2L2 in genes that positively or negatively regulate NFE2L2 transcriptional activity and in genes that are regulated by NFE2L2. Polymorphisms in 11 genes were significantly associated with rate of lung function decline in the LHS. One of these polymorphisms, rs11085735 in the KEAP1 gene, was previously shown to be associated with the level of lung function in the Vlagtwedde-Vlaardingen cohort but not with decline of lung function. Of the 23 associated polymorphisms in the LHS, only rs634534 in the FOSL1 gene showed a significant association in the Vlagtwedde-Vlaardingen cohort with rate of lung function decline, but the direction of the association was not consistent with that in the LHS. In summary, despite finding several nominally significant polymorphisms in the LHS, none of these associations were replicated in the Vlagtwedde-Vlaardingen cohort, indicating lack of effect of polymorphisms in the NFE2L2 pathway on the rate of decline of lung function.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)754-763
Number of pages10
JournalPhysiological Genomics
Volume44
Issue number15
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1 2012

Keywords

  • Forced expiratory volume in one second
  • Genetic polymorphism
  • Nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Genetics

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