APOL1 Gene Variants and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

Introduction: The association of APOL1 risk variants with cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in observational and clinical trials has had inconsistent results. We aim to assess the relationship between the presence of APOL1 risk variants and the CVD risk in Afro-descendant patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Methods: We performed an observational, cross-sectional study of Afro-descendant adult patients with ESRD who were on the waitlist for a kidney transplant. Associations of APOL1 genotypes (high-risk [HR] = 2 alleles; low-risk [LR] = 0 or 1 allele) with cardiovascular risk were the primary clinical endpoint. The relation was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: We enrolled a total of 102 patients with ESRD; 37% (38 patients) had APOL1 HR status with two alleles in homozygous (G1/G1 = 21 and G2/G2 = 3) or compound heterozygote (G1/G2 = 14) form and 63% (64 patients) had APOL1 LR status. No significant association was found between HR APOL1 genotypes and high cardiovascular risk (in adjusted Colombia Framingham Risk Score). APOL1 HR versus LR variants were not independently associated with left ventricular hypertrophy or systolic dysfunction. No cardiovascular deaths occurred during the follow-up. Conclusion: In Afro-descendent patients with ESRD, APOL1 HR status is not associated with the increase in cardiovascular risk profile and metabolic disturbances.