Cystic
Fibrosis-Nitric oxide synthase 1 as a potential modifier gene of decline
in lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis
Bác Sĩ Ðinh-Xuân Anh-Tuấn Và Các Ðồng Nghiệp
J Texereau1, S Marullo2, D Hubert3, J Coste4, D J Dusser3, J Dall’Ava-Santucci1
and A T Dinh-Xuan1
1 Service de Physiologie-Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Cochin,
AP-HP, Université Paris 5, Paris, France
2 Department of Cell Biology, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
3 Service de Pneumologie, Hôpital Cochin, AP-HP, Université Paris 5, Paris,
France
4 Service d’Informatique Médicale et de Biostatistiques, Hôpital Cochin,
AP-HP, Université Paris 5, Paris, France
Correspondence to: Professor A T Dinh-Xuan
Service de Physiologie-Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Cochin, 27
rue du faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris, France; anh-tuan.dinh-xuan@cch.ap-hop-paris.fr
ABSTRACT
Background: The severity of lung disease varies widely in patients with
cystic fibrosis (CF) who have the same type of mutations of the cystic
fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene, suggesting involvement of
"modifier" genes. The nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) gene is
a candidate for this role because exhaled nitric oxide (NO) is reduced
in patients with CF and NOS1 activity contributes to transepithelial ionic
transport, immune defence, and non-specific inflammation of the airways.
Methods: Dinucleotide GT repeat polymorphism was studied in the 5' untranslated
region of the NOS1 gene, immediately upstream from the transcription initiation
site, in 59 patients with CF and 59 healthy controls.
Results: Nineteen alleles of the NOS1 gene were identified according to
the number of GT repeats (from 18 to 36) in the 5 untranslated region.
Exhaled NO levels were significantly correlated with the number of GT
repeats. Patients with CF who had the NOS1 genotype associated with high
NO production had a slower decline in lung function during the 5 year
follow up period. There was no confounding effect of age, chronic bacterial
colonisation of the airway, or CFTR genotype.
Conclusions: These data suggest a possible link between the NOS1 gene
locus and the rate of decline in lung function in patients with CF.
Keywords: polymorphism; nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) gene; genetics;
cystic fibrosis; lung function
Group Ltd & British Thoracic Society
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