Common Variant in AMPD1 Gene Predicts Improved Clinical Outcome in Patients With Heart Failure

Abstract
Background —This study was undertaken to identify gene(s) that may be associated with improved clinical outcome in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The adenosine monophosphate deaminase locus (AMPD1) was selected for study. We hypothesized that inheritance of the mutant AMPD1 allele is associated with increased probability of survival without cardiac transplantation in patients with CHF. Methods and Results —AMPD1 genotype was determined in 132 patients with advanced CHF and 91 control reference subjects by use of a polymerase chain reaction–based, allele-specific oligonucleotide detection assay. In patients with CHF, those heterozygous (n=20) or homozygous (n=1) for the mutant AMPD1 allele (AMPD1 +/− or −/−, respectively) experienced a significantly longer duration of heart failure symptoms before referral for transplantation evaluation than CHF patients homozygous for the wild-type allele (AMPD1 +/+; n=111; 7.6±6.5 versus 3.2±3.6 years; P Conclusions —After the onset of CHF symptoms, the mutant AMPD1 allele is associated with prolonged probability of survival without cardiac transplantation. The mechanism by which the presence of the mutant AMPD1 allele may modify the clinical phenotype of heart failure remains to be determined.