Single nuclear polymorphism Val66Met (rs6265) of brain derived neurotrophic factor gene in prognostication of outcomes after ST segment elevation myocardial infarction

The aim – to investigate associations between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Val66Met of the brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) gene and conventional predictive biomarkers and combined 6-month clinical end points in post-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Materials and methods. Two hundred and fifty six acute STEMI patients after successful percutaneous coronary intervention with TIMI III blood flow restoring. Single nuclear polymorphism Val66Met of BDNF gene was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Observation behind the patients has been performed during 6-month period. Results and discussion. The combined clinical end point (MACEs and hospitalization) after 6 month was determined in 61 (23.8 %) post-STEMI patients; 195 (7.2 %) patients did not meet the events. The frequency of Val66Met polymorphous genotypes of BDNF gene in STEMI patients was the following: Val66Val – 74.2 % (n=190), Val66Met + Met66Met – 25.8 % (n=66). Unadjusted multivariate linear regressions has shown that peak TnI levels, NT-proBNP, SYNTAX score, TIMI score, and Val66Met+Met66Met genotype of BDNF gene, remained independent predictors for combined clinical end point. After adjustment for SYNTAX score and TIMI score, genotype Val66Met+Met66Met of BDNF gene (OR 1.5476, 95 % CI 1.1277–4.1426, р=0.0246) and NT-proBNP (OR 1.7546, 95 % CI 1.0219–3.1002, р=0.046) were independent predictors for combined clinical end point. Kaplan – Meier curves demonstrated that post-STEMI patients having Val66Val genotype of BDNF gene had the lowest accumulation of combined end point when compared with those who had the combination of Va66lMet and Met66Met genotypes (Cox-criterion, p=0.019; log-rang criterion, p=0.03). Сonclusions. The Val66Met polymorphism of BDNF gene was found as an independent predictor for combined 6-month clinical end points amid post-STEMI patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

Identification of Marbling Gene Loci in Commercial Pigs in Canadian Herds

We examined the amount of marbling and tested the genome of boars from 5 breeds of Duroc, Iberian, Lacombe, Berkshire and Pietrian that were commercially available for a swine herd in Canada. The marbling was ranked according to the amount of intramuscular fat % obtained in loin chops consisting of the longissimus dorsi muscle. The genetics were analysed by genome wide association study using 80,000 single nuclear polymorphism (SNP) microarrays. Our samples had pork that achieved > 7 % IMF from 110kg animals. Meta-analysis revealed SNP markers that were associated with the highest marbled pork chops on chromosomes 5, 7, and 16. Using the susScr 11.1 map, we determined that the nearest genes were SSNP, Rh glycoprotein and EGFLAM. We tested a sub-population of Duroc sired animals and found a different set of markers close to GRLB and KCNJ3 on chromosomes 8 and 15. Based on our sample, we can achieve pork with good marbling from animals conventionally raised to standard market weights of 110kg. The choice of a good marbling line of pig is not necessarily breed specific.