Association of Gene-Gene Interactions with Venous Thromboembolism (VTE): A Pathway-Directed Candidate-Gene Case-Control Study.

While bivariate interactions between Factor V Leiden, prothrombin G20201A and hereditary deficiency of antithrombin, protein C and protein S compound VTE risk, whether other gene-gene interactions are associated with VTE is largely unknown.

To test gene-gene interactions for an association with VTE.

Cases (n=1004) were Mayo Clinic European-American patients of non-Hispanic ancestry with objectively-diagnosed VTE in the absence of active cancer, venous catheter or antiphospholipid antibodies. Controls (n=1066) were Mayo Clinic outpatients without VTE who were frequency-matched on case age, gender, race, MI/stroke status and state of residence. We selected candidate genes relevant to the anticoagulant, procoagulant, fibrinolytic and innate immunity pathways, focusing on platelet, monocyte, neutrophil and endothelial cell agonists, receptors, ligands, signal transduction and adhesion molecules, granule contents and effectors; plasma proteases and inhibitors; matrix metalloproteases; inflammatory cytokines and receptors; estrogen, progesterone and androgen receptors; co-regulators and enzymes related to estrogen metabolism; important enzymes for catechol, homocysteine, thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin biosynthesis and metabolism; and HMG CoA reductase. For these genes (n=780), we selected all non-synonymous coding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with minor allele frequency ≥0.5%; the remaining SNPs were selected using an LD tagging algorithm (Carlson et al. AJHG 2004); 558 ancestry-informative markers were also included (total n=13,237 SNPs). Leukocyte genomic DNA was genotyped using a custom Illumina Infinium iSelect chemistry and platform, including appropriate controls. For these analyses, all pairwise SNP-SNP interactions for 12,313 SNPs were tested using logistic regression. In addition, we tested all Factor V Leiden -, prothrombin G20210A - and ABO non-O blood group - SNP interactions.

The mean ± SD case and control ages were 55.3 ± 16.4 and 56.5 ± 15.9 years, respectively, and 51% were female. Analysis of ancestry-informative markers gave no evidence of population stratification. Among almost 76 million pairwise interactions tested, 504, 44 and 8 SNP-SNP interactions reached p-values ≤ 1E-5, 1E-6, and 1E-7 respectively; none reached the Bonferroni statistical significance threshold (≤ 6.6E-10). The gene-gene pairwise interactions with p-values ≤ 1E-7 included: Leptin receptor - Estrogen receptor 1, α1 Antichymotrypsin - β2 glycoprotein 1, CRADD(caspace) - B1 Bradykinin receptor, ILF10 - Prolactin receptor and GFRA2(TGFβ neurotrophic factor receptor) - Bactericidal permeability-increasing protein. Gene-gene pairwise interactions with the lowest p-value for Factor V Leiden -, prothrombin G20210A - and ABO non-group O - were Protein kinase C beta (2.1E-5), von Willebrand Factor (7.6E-4) and Phospholipase C gamma-2 (6.7E-4), respectively.

Pairwise gene-gene interaction analyses suggest potential associations between VTE and novel genes and gene pathways. These potential associations require confirmation in future replication studies.

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.