Gene–gene interactions in the NAMPT pathway, plasma visfatin/NAMPT levels, and antihypertensive therapy responsiveness in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

M. Luizon, A. Palei, V. Belo, L. Amaral, R. Lacchini, G. Duarte, R. Cavalli, V. Sandrim, J. Tanus-Santos

The Pharmacogenomics Journal, 2017

Nicotinamide phosphorybosil transferase (NAMPT) polymorphisms affect visfatin/NAMPT levels and may affect the responsiveness to therapy in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. We examined whether NAMPT polymorphisms (rs1319501 T>C and rs3801266 A>G), or haplotypes, and gene–gene interactions in the NAMPT pathway affect plasma visfatin/NAMPT levels and the response to antihypertensive therapy in 205 patients with preeclampsia (PE) and 174 patients with gestational hypertension. We also studied 207 healthy pregnant controls. Plasma visfatin/NAMPT levels were measured by ELISA. Non-responsive PE patients with the TC+CC genotypes for the rs1319501 T>C, and with the AG+GG genotypes for the rs3801266 A>G polymorphism had lower and higher visfatin/NAMPT levels, respectively. The ‘C, A’ haplotype was associated with response to antihypertensive therapy, and with lower visfatin/NAMPT levels in PE. Interactions among NAMPT, TIMP-1 and MMP-2 genotypes were associated with PE and with lack of response to antihypertensive therapy in PE. Our results suggest that NAMPT polymorphisms affect plasma visfatin/NAMPT levels in nonresponsive PE patients, and that gene–gene interactions in the NAMPT pathway not only promote PE but also decrease the response to antihypertensive therapy in PE.

Cited by 12 publications.

Field of study: Medicine

10.1038/tpj.2016.35