Abstract
BACKGROUND: Prior studies in animal models showed that increased cardiac expression of TRIB3 has a pathogenic role in inducing left ventricular mass (LVM). Whether alterations in TRIB3 expression or function have a pathogenic role in inducing LVM increase also in humans is still unsettled. In order to address this issue, we took advantage of a nonsynonymous TRIB3 Q84R polymorphism (rs2295490), a gain-of-function amino acid substitution impairing insulin signalling, and action in primary human endothelial cells which has been associated with insulin resistance, and early vascular atherosclerosis. METHODS: SNP rs2295490 was genotyped in 2426 White adults in whom LVM index (LVMI) was assessed by validated echocardiography-derived measures. RESULTS: After adjusting for age and sex, LVMI progressively and significantly increased from 108 to 113, to 125 g/m(2) in Q84Q, Q84R, and R84R individuals, respectively (Q84R vs. Q84Q, P = 0.03; R84R vs. Q84Q, P < 0.0001). The association between LVMI and the Q84R and R84R genotype remained significant after adjusting for blood pressure, smoking habit, fasting glucose levels, glucose tolerance status, anti-hypertensive treatments, and lipid-lowering therapy (Q84R vs. Q84Q, P = 0.01; R84R vs. Q84Q, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the gain-of-function TRIB3 Q84R variant is significantly associated with left ventricular mass in a large sample of White nondiabetic individual of European ancestry.