Background: Beta adrenergic receptors (AR) are highly polymorphic and important regulators of cardiovascular homeostasis. Among these, beta1 and beta2 AR regulate cardiac contractility and frequency and are important pharmacological targets.
Aim: To evaluate genotype and gene-gene interaction between beta1-AR Arg389Gly and beta2-AR Arg16Gly, Gln27Glu and Thr164Ile polymorphisms, as risk factors for HF.
Material and methods: Eighty chronic HF patients and eighty-eight controls matched by age and sex were genotyped for beta1-AR Arg389Gly, beta2-AR Arg16Gly, Gln27Glu and Thr164Ile polymorphisms.
Results: The presence of beta2-AR Glu allele was a risk predictor for HF (odds ratio (OR) = 2.81; 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.49-5.31). Interactions that increased the risk for HF were found in patients carrying at least one of the beta2-AR Glu and beta2-AR Gly allele (OR = 3.81; 95% CI = 1.50-0.70) and beta2-AR Glu and beta1-AR Gly allele combination (OR = 5.51; 95% CI = 2.19-13.86). Furthermore, the frequency of beta2-AR Glu allele was higher among patients with a history of acute myocardial infarction (with infarction: 0.534, without: 0.313, p = 0.01).
Conclusions: Beta2-AR Glu allele could be a risk predictorfor HF. This risk could be enhanced by the additional presence of beta2-AR Gly16 or beta1-AR Arg389 alleles. The frequency of beta2-AR Gln27 Glu allele was higher among patients with a history of myocardial infarction.