The association of vascular endothelial growth factor related SNPs and circulating iron levels might depend on body mass index

Abstract

Background and objectives: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is an essential regulator of vascular biology. In addition to the well-established role in angiogenesis, circulating VEGF levels were found elevated in severely anemic patients, pointing out that anemia might affect the progression of angiogenesis in malignant and benign diseases through the alteration of VEGF levels. Ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in VEGFA and other loci were shown to explain more than 50% of its circulating levels. This study investigated the association of those ten VEGF-related SNPs with serum iron levels in a general Lebanese population free of chronic diseases (N = 460). Result: We found that the rs10738760 and the body mass index (BMI) were associated with decreased Iron levels (p = 0.002, and p < 0.001, respectively). When taken together, both variables, rs10738760 and BMI, interacted to reduce iron levels (p < 0.001). According to obesity status, the stratification revealed that the effect of rs10738760 was more pronounced in obese than nonobese individuals (p = 0.025). Conclusion: The intergenic SNP rs10738760 is associated with circulating iron levels, and this association depends on BMI status. Although of interest, these results need replication in larger populations from different ancestries.

Associations of VEGF-A-Related Variants with Adolescent Cardiometabolic and Dietary Parameters

“…It was further demonstrated that the presence of the same A allele can significantly interact with even favorable dietary components (e.g., PUFAs) in ultimately elevating the risk for worse glycemic and lipidemic profile and, thus, metabolic syndrome [16]. Taking it one step further, Chedid et al showed a significant association between BMI and the rs10738760 polymorphism in decreasing iron levels, an effect shown to be more prominent in individuals with obesity [18]. Finally, a different relation concerned the observed associations between the presence of the 9-SNP-uGRS rs6921438 and rs6993770 included SNPs and micronutrient contents, namely high manganese, low zinc, and low iron intakes in patients with metabolic syndrome [46][47][48].…”

“…In addition, the interplay between VEGF-A SNPs and dietary components has also been associated with multiple metabolic syndrome determinants [16,17]. An example of the importance of the interplay between VEGF-A, anthropometric indices and dietary compounds was recently highlighted in the finding that the effect of VEGF-A variants on circulating iron levels might depend on anthropometric indices [(i.e., Body Mass Index (BMI)] [18].…”

Twenty-five Years at the Frontiers of Knowledge: A Quarter-century of “Frontiers in Bioscience”

“…These papers cover a wide range of studies on different species, from insects to amphibians, fish, pigs, rats and humans, originating from many different countries (the US, the UK, Spain, Australia, Italy, China, Korea, Germany, Canada, France etc, but also from low and medium income countries such as Lebanon and Bangladesh). Of the 22 papers, half are original research on highly diverse topics including a detailed analysis of signaling pathways in insect heart development [1], stress management in breast cancer patients [2], regulation of myelopoiesis in zebrafish [3], an analysis of heat shock protein expression in human glioblastomas [4], a new method for screening for human topoisomerase inhibitors using genetically-modified yeast [5], genetic influences on systemic iron levels in humans [6], transcriptomics studies on frog development [7], clinical studies on malnourished children with diarrhoea [8], a theoretical investigation of approaches to characterizing logic operations in model neurons, synapses, and neural circuits [9], the effects of methionine-restricted diets on the growth of pigs [10], and the effects of iron on kidney disease in rats [11]. The other half of the papers are reviews on an equally diverse range of topics, including drugs for Alzheimer's Disease [12], spheroid cell cultures [13], bioactive polyphenols [14], ribosome evolution [15], purinergic signaling in bone cancer [16], spontaneous regressions in cancer [17], genetic analyses of pituitary cancers [18], pharmacological chaperones [19], drug targeting for SARS-CoV-2 infection [20], calcium signaling in mesenchymal stem cells [21], and relationships between the control of circadian rhythm and neurodegeneration [22].…”