Blood CSF1 and CXCL12 as Causal Mediators of Coronary Artery Disease

Jennifer Sjaarda; Hertzel Gerstein; Michael Chong; Salim Yusuf; David Meyre; Sonia S Anand; Sibylle Hess; Guillaume Paré

doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2018.04.067

Blood CSF1 and CXCL12 as Causal Mediators of Coronary Artery Disease

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018 Jul 17;72(3):300-310. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.04.067. Epub 2018 Jul 9.

Authors

Jennifer Sjaarda¹, Hertzel Gerstein², Michael Chong³, Salim Yusuf⁴, David Meyre⁵, Sonia S Anand², Sibylle Hess⁶, Guillaume Paré⁷

Affiliations

¹ Population Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
² Population Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
³ Population Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Population Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
⁶ Sanofi Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Research and Development Division, Translational Medicine and Early Development, Biomarkers and Clinical Bioanalyses, Frankfurt, Germany.
⁷ Population Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: pareg@mcmaster.ca.

PMID: 30012324
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.04.067

Abstract

Background: Identification of biomarkers that cause coronary artery disease (CAD) has led to important advances in prevention and treatment. Epidemiological analyses have identified many biomarker-CAD relationships; however, these associations may arise from reverse causation and/or confounding and therefore may not represent true causal associations. Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses overcome these limitations.

Objectives: This study sought to identify causal mediators of CAD through a comprehensive screen of 237 biomarkers using MR.

Methods: MR was performed by identifying genetic determinants of 227 biomarkers in ORIGIN (Outcome Reduction With Initial Glargine Intervention) trial participants (N = 4,147) and combining these with genetic effects on CAD from the CARDIoGRAM consortium (60,801 cases and 123,504 controls). Blood concentrations of novel biomarkers identified by MR were then tested for association with incident major adverse cardiovascular events in ORIGIN.

Results: Six biomarkers were found to be causally linked to CAD after adjustment for multiple hypothesis testing. The causal role of 4 of these is well documented, whereas macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) and stromal cell-derived factor 1 (CXCL12) have not previously been reported, to the best of our knowledge. MR analysis predicted an 18% higher risk of CAD per SD increase in CSF1 (odds ratio: 1.18; 95% confidence interval: 1.08 to 1.30; p = 2.1 × 10^-4) and epidemiological analysis identified a 16% higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events per SD (hazard ratio: 1.16; 95% confidence interval: 1.09 to 1.23; p < 0.001). Elevated CXCL12 levels were also identified as a causal risk factor for CAD with consistent epidemiological results. Furthermore, genetically predicted CSF1 and CXCL12 levels were associated with CAD in the UK Biobank (n = 343,735).

Conclusions: The study identified CSF1 and CXCL12 as causal mediators of CAD in humans. Understanding the mechanism by which these markers mediate CAD will provide novel insights into CAD and could lead to new approaches to prevention. These results support targeting inflammatory processes and macrophages, in particular, to prevent CAD, consistent with the recent CANTOS (Canakinumab Antiinflammatory Thrombosis Outcome Study). (Outcome Reduction With Initial Glargine Intervention [ORIGIN]; NCT00069784).

Keywords: CSF1; CXCL12; Mendelian randomization; biomarker; coronary artery disease; genetics.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biomarkers / blood
Chemokine CXCL12* / blood
Chemokine CXCL12* / genetics
Coronary Artery Disease* / blood
Coronary Artery Disease* / epidemiology
Coronary Artery Disease* / genetics
Female
Genetic Variation
Genome-Wide Association Study
Humans
Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor* / blood
Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor* / genetics
Male
Mendelian Randomization Analysis
Middle Aged
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Risk Factors

Substances

Biomarkers
CSF1 protein, human
CXCL12 protein, human
Chemokine CXCL12
Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00069784

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Associated data

Grants and funding