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Semin Thromb Hemost 2008; 34(6): 562-568
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1103367
© Thieme Medical Publishers

Genetic Architecture of Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1

Folkert W. Asselbergs1 , 2 , Kristine Pattin3 , Harold Snieder2 , Hans L. Hillege1 , Wiek H. van Gilst1 , 4 , Jason H. Moore3
  • 1Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
  • 2Unit of Genetic Epidemiology and Bioinformatics, Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
  • 3Departments of Genetics and Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, New Hampshire
  • 4Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Publication History

Publication Date:
28 November 2008 (online)

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ABSTRACT

Important biochemical constituents of the fibrinolytic system include tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). In the current review, we aim to describe the genetic architecture of t-PA and PAI-1. Several genetic polymorphisms in the t-PA and PAI-1 gene have been found to be associated with t-PA and PAI-1 levels in different patient cohorts. However, these genetic variations explain only a minor part of the heritability of t-PA and PAI-1, suggesting that genes in other pathways may influence t-PA and PAI-1 levels, and that epistasis and gene-environment interactions may play an important role in determining plasma levels of t-PA and PAI-1. Several studies reported that interindividual variation in plasma levels of t-PA and PAI-1 are significantly influenced by common polymorphisms in genes from the renin-angiotensin and bradykinin systems. In addition, we and others documented several gene-environment interactions and epistatic effects of genetic polymorphisms in the renin-angiotensin, bradykinin, and fibrinolytic systems on plasma t-PA and PAI-1 levels. In future studies, we need to consider high-order interactions and additional polymorphisms in genes from other (unknown) pathways detected by genome-wide association studies to fully understand the complex genetic architecture of these important intermediate quantitative traits and thereby thrombosis.

KEYWORDS

PAI-1 - t-PA - plasminogen - gene - polymorphism - genetic architecture

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Dr. Folkert W Asselbergs

Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen

P.O. Box 30001, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands

Email: fwasselbergs@hotmail.com