GST M1 Polymorphism Associates with DNA Oxidative Damage and Mortality among Hemodialysis Patients
Yi-Sheng Lin*,
Szu-Chun Hung,
Yau-Huei Wei and
Der-Cherng Tarng,||,¶
* Division of Nephrology, Taipei City Hospital Zhongxiao Branch, Division of Nephrology, Buddhist Tzu Chi Hospital Taipei Branch, and ¶ Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and Department and Institute of Physiology, || Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Department of Biochemistry and Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Correspondence: Dr. Der-Cherng Tarng, Department and Institute of Physiology, National Yang-Ming University and Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan. Phone: +886-2-2826-7080; Fax: +886-2-2826-4049; E-mail: dctarng{at}vghtpe.gov.tw
Received for publication February 25, 2008.
Accepted for publication August 26, 2008.
Leukocyte 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is a surrogatemarker of oxidant-induced DNA damage in patients undergoingmaintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Glutathione S-transferase M1(GST M1) is a member of the GST family of proteins, which protectcellular DNA against oxidative damage. This study tested theassociation of a common GST M1 gene polymorphism [GST M1(–)],known to produce a dysfunctional enzyme, with levels of 8-OHdGin peripheral blood leukocytes and all-cause mortality amongMHD patients. Among 488 MHD patients and 372 gender-matchedhealthy subjects, the frequency of the GST M1(–) genotypewas 63.1 and 60.2%, respectively. The GST M1(–) genotypewas associated with significantly higher levels of leukocyte8-OHdG compared with the GST M1(+) genotype, even after adjustmentfor potential confounders (P < 0.001). Moreover, GST M1(–)patients who also had a common polymorphism in the DNA repairenzyme 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 or who underwent dialysiswith a bioincompatible cellulose membrane had the highest medianlevels of leukocyte 8-OHdG. Multivariate Cox regression revealedthat among MHD patients, GST M1(–) genotype approximatelydoubled the risk for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 2.24;95% confidence interval 1.30 to 4.51) during the mean follow-upof 34 mo. In conclusion, patients without GST M1 activity aremore vulnerable to oxidative stress and are at greater riskfor death compared with those who possess GST M1 activity.
Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis ofinflammatory disease, atherosclerosis, cancer, and aging.1–3There is mounting evidence for the presence of disordered oxidativeand glycoxidative chemistry in patients who undergo maintenancehemodialysis (MHD)4–9 that may contribute to poor cardiovascularand global outcome.10 DNA, in particular, is more susceptibleto attack by reactive oxygen species (ROS) than proteins andmembrane lipids, which are protected against oxidation by lowmolecular weight antioxidants as well as antioxidant enzymes.Among the many types of oxidative DNA damage, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine(8-OHdG) is one of the most abundant oxidative products of cellularDNA.2 Our previous work demonstrated that peripheral blood leukocytesof MHD patients are suitable for monitoring 8-OHdG in cellularDNA because they are not only the source but also the targetof endogenous ROS.4,5 We further found that leukocyte 8-OHdGlevels are highest among MHD patients, which is followed bypatients who have chronic kidney disease and have not yet receiveddialysis and then by healthy subjects.4 Furthermore, leukocyte8-OHdG levels are also higher in patients who undergo dialysisusing cellulose membranes compared with those ho undergo dialysisusing synthetic membranes or vitamin E–bonded membranes4,5;therefore, leukocyte 8-OHdG seems to act as a surrogate markerof oxidant-induced DNA damage among MHD patients.
A number of mechanisms have evolved in various organisms tominimize the accumulation of 8-OHdG.5,11 Once formed, 8-OHdGlesions are subject to DNA repair primarily through the baseexcision repair pathway.12 Oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1),encoded by human OGG1 gene, is the representative repair enzymethat acts on 8-OHdG lesions.13,14 Genetic factors that modulatethe effectiveness of DNA repair in MHD patients were extensivelyinvestigated in our previous study,15 and the results showedthat there was an association with the hOGG1 gene polymorphisms,particularly the CG transition at nucleotide 1245. GlutathioneS-transferase (GST) M1 is a member of the GST family, whichare proteins involved in the detoxification of several chemicalcarcinogens; this involves conjugating glutathione or bindingto them directly.16 In addition to the base excision repairpathway for oxidized DNA lesions, the safe elimination of toxinsvia GST pathways has been shown to protect cellular DNA againstROS-induced damage.17 The GST M1 gene is located on chromosome1p13, a region showing frequent loss of heterozygosity in humanlung and bladder cancers. Approximately half of all people fromdifferent racial groups lack GST enzyme activity, which hasa polymorphic expression, and deficiency is due to an homozygousdeletion for a 15-kb allele of GST M1 gene.18 The GST M1 nullallele [GST M1(–)] has attracted much attention in theepidemiologic studies as a result of risk linkage with lungand bladder cancer19,20 and of increased susceptibility to coronaryheart disease among current smokers.21,22 An association ofGST M1(–) genotype with a shorter survival among patientswith lung cancer was also investigated by Sweeney et al.23 Upto the present, only overexpression of GST in red blood cellshas been noted among MHD patients.24 Because GST are able todetoxify numerous toxic compounds and reduce ROS, it is possiblethat the GST M1 genotype may modify during dialysis the capacityto invoke a response to oxidative stress; however, the roleof GST M1(–) genotype in increased oxidant-induced DNAdamage and the outcome among MHD patients has not been wellestablished. This has prompted us to assess whether the GSTM1 polymorphism is predictive of 8-OHdG levels in leukocyteDNA and all-cause mortality among the MHD patients. On the basisof our previous findings,4,5,15 we further appraised the effectsof interaction between the genetic variants of GST M1 and hOGG11245CG gene polymorphism as well as with dialyzer membrane typeused on the leukocyte 8-OHdG level.
GST M1 and hOGG1 Gene Polymorphisms
The distributions of genotype for the GST M1 and hOGG1 genepolymorphisms are summarized in Table 1. The frequency of GSTM1(–) in MHD patients (63.1%) was similar to that of thehealthy control subjects (60.2%; P > 0.05, 2 test). Similarly,the distribution of the hOGG1 genotypes, namely CC, CG, andGG, was not significantly different between the two groups (P> 0.05, 2 test). The allelic frequency of hOGG1 1245G was63.9% among MHD patients and 65.7% among healthy individuals.The hOGG1 variant was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium; this wasnot assessed for the GST M1 variant because the frequency ofthe heterozygous deletion could not be determined by the currentgenotyping techniques. There were no differences in the genotypedistributions of the GST M1 and hOGG1 polymorphisms with regardto the dialyzer membrane type (P > 0.05, 2 test) or renalfailure cause (P > 0.05, 2 test) among the MHD patients.
Table 1. Genotypes of the GST M1 and hOGG1 1245CG polymorphisms and characteristics of the MHD patients and healthy individualsa
Baseline Characteristics of Patients Stratified by GST M1 Genotype
Compared with the age-, gender-, and genotype-matched healthyindividuals, the MHD patients showed increased oxidative DNAdamage in their leukocytes, an impaired antioxidant defense,an increased iron storage and saturation, and decreased hemoglobinand albumin values (Table 1). Among the MHD patients, we observedthat the two groups of patients, GST M1(+) and GST M1(–),were similar with respect to gender distribution, the percentageof patients with diabetes, current smoker status, dialysis vintage,lipid profile, and iron status (P > 0.05; Table 2); however,GST M1(–) patients were characterized by being older andhaving an impaired antioxidant capacity with a lower serum ascorbatelevel and a whole-blood reduced glutathione (GSH) level; furthermore,they had a lower hemoglobin concentration and needed administrationof a higher dosage of epoetin. Serum albumin was modestly loweramong the GST M1(–) group, but this did not reach statisticalsignificance (P = 0.052). Leukocyte 8-OHdG content was higheramong GST M1(–) patients than GST M1(+) patients (P <0.001; Table 2); however, no similar significant differencewas found between the healthy subjects with the two genotypes(7.9 [6.2 to 10.5]/106 dG for GST M1(–) versus 6.8 [4.5to 8.1]/106 dG for GST M1(+); P > 0.05).
Table 2. Characteristics of patients on MHD in terms of GST M1 genotypes
Interaction between the GST M1 and hOGG1 Gene Polymorphisms Figure 1 demonstrates a gene–gene interaction in MHD patients,as shown by an additive effect for the GST M1(–) on thehOGG1 1245CG polymorphism in terms of modulation of the amountof leukocyte 8-OHdG. The median leukocyte 8-OHdG level in patientswith the 1245GG or CG genotype was significantly higher thanamong patients with the 1245CC genotype. GST M1(–) patientshad a higher leukocyte 8-OHdG level than GST M1(+) patientsfor each corresponding hOGG1 genotype (P < 0.001). Moreover,the median leukocyte 8-OHdG level among patients with the GSTM1(–) and 1245GG genotypes was the highest among the sixgroups made up by combinations of the GST M1 and hOGG1 genotypes(F = 18.2, P < 0.001 by ANOVA assessing GST M1xhOGG1 genotypeinteraction).
Figure 1. Whisker plots showing the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile distribution of the leukocyte DNA 8-OHdG levels. Differences among hemodialysis patients with the hOGG1 1245CC, CG, and GG genotypes and between patients with GST M1(+) () and GST M1(–) (
) in each hOGG1 genotypes. aP < 0.05 and bP < 0.001 GST M1 (–) versusGST M1 (+) with each corresponding hOGG1 genotype; *P < 0.005 and **P < 0.001 hOGG1 1245 CG or GG genotype versus CC genotype in patients with GST M1(+) or GST M1(–). n, number of patients in each category.
Interaction between the GST M1 Polymorphism and Dialyzer Membrane
In Figure 2, analysis of GST M1 is extended to include the typesof dialysis membrane used. Post hoc analysis demonstrated thatthe median leukocyte 8-OHdG level in patients treated with cellulosemembranes were significantly higher than in patients undergoingdialysis with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polysulfone (PS),or vitamin E–bonded membranes. Furthermore, GST M1(–)patients had a significant higher median leukocyte 8-OHdG contentthan those with the GST M1(+) genotype for each correspondingdialyzer membrane group (P < 0.001). Median leukocyte 8-OHdGlevel in the GST M1(–) patients dialyzed with cellulosemembranes was the highest among the eight groups made up bycombinations of GST M1 genotype and dialyzer membrane type (F= 11.4, P < 0.001 by ANOVA assessing the GST M1xdialyzermembrane interaction).
Figure 2. Whisker plots of leukocyte DNA 8-OHdG levels in HD patients using cellulose, PMMA, PS, and vitamin E–bonded membranes. Differences between patients with GST M1(+) () and GST M1(–) (
) for each dialyzer membrane. aP < 0.001 GST M1(–) versusGST M1(+) patients with each corresponding dialyzer membrane; *P < 0.001 and **P < 0.001 PMMA, PS, or vitamin E–bonded membranes versus cellulose membranes for patients with GST M1(+) and GST M1(–), respectively. n, number of patients in each category.
Predictors of Leukocyte 8-OHdG Level
Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed a distinct effectof the GST M1 and hOGG1 gene polymorphisms together with dialyzermembrane type on the leukocyte 8-OHdG levels among the 488 MHDpatients while adjusting simultaneously for clinically significantvariables (Table 3). In addition to the genotype and dialyzermembrane type, the following variables were found to be independentpredictors of leukocyte 8-OHdG level: Plasma ascorbate; whole-bloodGSH adjusted for hematocrit, age, current smoker status, anddiabetes status; and -tocopherol level adjusted for cholesterollevel and serum ferritin (Table 3). This model accounts forapproximately 49% of the variation in 8-OHdG content in leukocyteDNA among all MHD patients (R2 = 0.494, P < 0.001). The findingsindicate that lower levels of plasma vitamins C and E and whole-bloodGSH and higher levels of serum ferritin are associated withgreater oxidative damage to leukocyte DNA.
Table 3. Stepwise multiple regression analysis of the major determinants of leukocyte DNA 8-OHdG level in 488 hemodialysis patientsa
Patient Survival in Relation to GST M1 Gene Polymorphism
There were 92 deaths during the follow-up. The causes of deathamong our study cohort included cardiovascular disease (CVD;n = 49), infection and sepsis (n = 24), neoplasm (n = 5), gastrointestinalbleeding (n = 5), hepatic failure (n = 4), chronic obstructivelung disease (n = 3), and cachexia (n = 2). The mortality ofthe GST M1(+) and GST M1(–) patients was 11.1 and 23.4%,respectively. Survival was compared between the two groups usingKaplan-Meier analysis (Figure 3). The GST M1(–) grouphad a significantly higher risk for death than the GST M1(+)group (P = 0.002). Multivariate Cox regression analysis wasused to determine the independent effect of GST M1 gene polymorphismon predicting all-cause mortality and included eight other variables(Table 4). The presence of the GST M1(–) genotype wasan independent predictor of a higher risk for overall mortalityamong MHD patients with a hazard ratio of 2.24 (95% confidenceinterval [CI] 1.30 to 4.51; P < 0.001). Significant interactiveeffects existed between GST M1(–) and the hOGG1 genotypeas well as with the dialysis membrane type used, suggestingthat the last two variables may have a confounding influenceon the association between GST M1(–) genotype and mortality;however, hOGG1 genotype and dialysis membrane type were NS predictorsof all-cause mortality in the multivariate model, mainly becauseof a lack of a significant colinear relationship with GST M1genotype. Other significant and independent predictors for mortalityincluded leukocyte 8-OHdG, age, the presence of diabetes, plasmaascorbate level, and serum albumin level. Every 10/106-dG increasein leukocyte 8-OHdG level was independently predictive of an88% increase in all-cause mortality (95% CI 1.15 to 3.08; P< 0.001) among MHD patients.
Table 4. Significant predictors for all-cause mortality among 488 MHD patients after a mean follow-up of 34 mo by Cox proportional hazards regression analysisa
The GST M1 locus has been found to be entirely deleted in 30to 50% of white individuals18,25; however, a degree of variationin the prevalence of the GST M1(–) genotype has been reportedamong various ethnic groups, especially a lower frequency amongblack individuals (17.5%).22 In this study, the prevalence (60to 63%) of the GST M1(–) genotype among MHD patients andhealthy subjects is close to that of a Chinese population (58.7%)26and slightly higher than the upper limits of the range for whiteindividuals. One study identified an association of GST M1(–)homozygotes with Balkan endemic nephropathy27; however, no similarrelationship between GST M1(–) genotype and the causeof renal failure was observed in our patients.
Previous studies demonstrated that vitamin C in plasma and GSHin whole blood are good markers for evaluating oxidative stressin patients undergoing MHD.4,5,28 In this study, we found that,among MHD patients, the GST M1(–) genotype was associatedwith a significantly lower antioxidant capacity in terms ofplasma ascorbate and whole-blood GSH compared with GST M1(+)genotype. Glutathione is a major intracellular antioxidant,and a decrease in the whole-blood level provides insight intoa defective cellular redox status. In MHD patients, plasma ascorbatelevel is reduced in part as a result of uremia-associated metabolicderangement and a loss of ascorbate during hemodialysis. Inaddition, we infer that the lack of GST enzyme activity contributesto the augmented oxidative stress and that this subsequentlyleads to a further decrease in the levels of plasma ascorbateand whole-blood GSH among MHD patients.
GST M1, which participates in the metabolism of a number ofgenotoxic epoxides, is particularly involved in the protectionof DNA from oxidative damage.29 This study provides evidencefor the first time that leukocyte DNA damage, when evaluatedin terms of 8-OHdG levels, was more intense in MHD patientshaving the GST M1(–) genotype (Table 2). The observeddifference cannot be completely accounted for by the differencesin the major confounders that may affect the levels of 8-OHdG,such as age, smoking status, diabetes status, and iron overload.2,30,31Moreover, multivariate regression analysis validated the independenteffect of the GST M1(–) genotype on leukocyte 8-OHdG content(Table 3). Our findings confirm similar results presented inthe previous reports in which, in human leukocytes and lungtissue, GST M1 null individuals showed detectable DNA adducts,whereas GST M1 active individuals did not.32–34 Our studyis also consistent with those of Chen et al.35 and Izzotti etal.,36 who showed a positive association between GST M1(–)genotype and 8-OHdG levels in the DNA of sperm of varicocelepatients or smooth muscle cells in atherosclerotic lesions ofhuman abdominal aorta.
This study provides an opportunity to explore the possible effectsof gene–gene or gene–environment interaction onoxidative DNA damage for MHD patients. With GST M1 enzyme deficiencyand impairment of DNA repair activity, leukocyte 8-OHdG levelswere the highest in the GST M1(–) patients who had thehOGG1 1245GG genotype compared with other combinations. Theresults indicate that GST M1(–) and hOGG1 1245GG genotypesseem to be host factors that can modulate 8-OHdG levels in leukocyteDNA. The blood–membrane interaction during hemodialysistriggers circulating neutrophils to produce significant ROS,which is subject to GST M1 metabolism.29 Our previous work demonstratedthat the production of ROS is further exaggerated by dialysiswith cellulose membranes compared with the use of biocompatiblemembranes such as PMMA, PS, and vitamin E–bonded membranes.4,5Increased ROS in conjunction with reduced GST activity may leadto more intense oxidative DNA damage in the peripheral bloodleukocytes. This increase is greater when GST M1(–) patientsundergo dialysis with cellulose membranes, indicating that membranebioincompatibility, as an environmental factor, synergisticallycontributes to a higher oxidant-induced DNA damage in MHD patients.
As compared with the general population, patients undergoingMHD are known to have a higher annual mortality rate from ischemicheart disease and cancer; these diseases account for >40%of mortality.37,38 Oxidative stress–mediated carcinogenesisand atherosclerosis are extremely complex; however, this approachmay be one way of investigating the gene's moderating effecton such disorders in the context that there is direct or indirectmetabolic activity by the gene. Several lines of evidence indicatean association between the GST M1 polymorphism and certain cancersas well as CVD among current smokers, suggesting that the nullallele confers increased risk.19–22 A prospective Netherlandsstudy confirmed an increased rate in the progression of atherosclerosisamong smokers lacking the detoxifying enzyme GST M1.39 Specifically,de Waart et al.39 demonstrated that male smokers with the GSTM1(–) genotype had a higher mean 2-yr progression of thecommon carotid artery intima-media thickness compared with thosewith GST M1(+). An observational cohort study showed that theGST M1(–) genotype is associated with a shorter survivalfor patients with lung cancer.23 We have demonstrated for thefirst time that, in this large MHD population, the GST M1(–)genotype has a powerful impact on dialysis-related death risk.Patients homozygous for the GST M1 null allele are at a two-foldgreater risk for death from any cause compared with those whopossess GST M1 activity. This common variant of the GST M1 genemay therefore have health implications for MHD patients becauseof their higher exposure to dialysis-related oxidant stress.
Because of the limitation with the genotyping assay, in whichonly the presence or absence of the GST M1 gene was detected,gene dosage effects cannot be assessed in this study. Anotherpossible limitation is that other oxidative stress and inflammatorymarkers were not measured in our study. The GST M1(–)genotype is predictive of leukocyte 8-OHdG, a biomarker of oxidativestress, and both are independent predictors of mortality inthe multivariate model (Table 4). It might be inferred thatGST M1(–) could be a surrogate for unmeasured oxidativestress markers, or it may act through nonoxidative stress–relatedmechanisms, such as inflammation.40 A recent study demonstratedan association between the GST M1(–) genotype and increasedplasma malondialdehyde levels in patients with epilepsy.41 Oxidizedlipids are GST substrates that are thought to play a role inboth atherosclerosis and tumorigenesis.42 Miller et al.21 observedthat heavy smokers with the GST M1(–) genotype had increasedlevels of C-reactive protein, intercellular adhesion molecule1, and vascular cellular adhesion molecule 1 and decreased levelsof albumin. The results provide evidence that the GST M1 polymorphismdoes seem to modify inflammation and endothelial function amongindividuals who smoke in addition to oxidative stress.
The typical characteristics of this population are racial homogeneity(all were Chinese), an older age (mean 60 yr), a high prevalenceof diabetes (35%), a decreased plasma ascorbate, and a highmedian leukocyte 8-OHdG. In our statistical analysis, age, presenceof diabetes, low plasma ascorbate, and low serum albumin werethe independent predictors of mortality in MHD patients. Thesefindings are in general agreement with other reports, whichhave analyzed risk factors and causes of death among MHD patients.43,44We have shown that a single time point measurement of leukocyte8-OHdG is predictive of overall mortality even after a prolongedperiod of follow-up. Our recent study31 reported that the biomarkeris relatively stable in MHD patients because there is high concordancefor leukocyte 8-OHdG when measured at baseline and 3 mo later.This may explain in part the intriguing finding that a singlemeasurement of 8-OHdG in leukocyte DNA carries long-term outcomeinformation. CVD (53%) is the main cause of death in our study.Some lines of evidence have shown that the levels of 8-OHdG36or DNA adducts45 found in atherosclerotic lesions are exceptionallyhigh, which supports the view that part of atherogenic lesionsmay be initiated by mutational events in arterial smooth musclecells and the plaques may progress through an initiation-promotionprocess, rather like a benign tumor.46 Accordingly, Cox regressionanalysis in this study showed that leukocyte 8-OHdG was a significantindependent predictor of mortality, suggesting that 8-OHdG isnot simply an innocent bystander but rather may directly contributeto a fatal outcome, perhaps by aggravating the adverse effectof accelerated CVD in MHD patients.
DNA damage and clinical outcome among MHD patients are affectedby the interplay between the polymorphic status and environmentalexposure. Among these factors, genetic aspects, specificallyin the case that is the GST M1 polymorphism, are permanent andirreversible. Other contributors, such as membrane bioincompatibilityand decreased antioxidant capacity, are remediable. The useof antioxidants might be of value only to patients who havea particular genotype and are under a high oxidant load; however,interventional antioxidant trials of patients at the highestrisk for developing premature CVD and mortality are rare. Arandomized, placebo-controlled study showed that GST M1(–)smokers who took vitamin E (400 IU/d) for 2 yr had half therate of increase in common carotid artery intima-media thicknesscompared with GST M1(–) smokers who did not taking vitaminE.39 The Secondary Prevention with Antioxidants of CardiovascularDisease in End-stage Renal Disease (SPACE) study included patientswho had ESRD with apparent CVD and demonstrated a significantreduction in the primary composite CVD end point and a decreasedrate of myocardial infarction with vitamin E (800 IU/d).47 Albeitthe fact that antioxidant supplementation has not been borneout by large trials, for patients with the GST M1(–) genotype,supplementation with vitamins C and E or glutathione,21,48,49and dialysis with a more biocompatible membrane4,5 might betreatment options that are able to attenuate oxidant-inducedDNA damage and improve outcomes closely related to oxidant stress.
In conclusion, our study demonstrates the association of theGST M1 polymorphism with oxidative DNA damage and all-causemortality among MHD patients. MHD patients with the GST M1(–)genotype are more vulnerable to oxidative stress and have higher8-OHdG levels in their peripheral blood leukocytes. Patientshomozygous for the GST M1 null allele are at a greater riskfor death from any cause compared with those who possess GSTM1 activity. Further prospective, randomized, controlled studiesare needed to determine the beneficial effects of antioxidanttherapy, if any, in the reduction of overall mortality amongMHD patients. Furthermore, research on this gene–environmentinteraction might help to improve targeting of therapy to individualswho are more susceptible to disease and mortality.
Study Population
For determination of the genotype frequency of GST M1(–)and its effect on the 8-OHdG level of leukocyte DNA, a totalof 612 patients undergoing MHD at five dialysis facilities inthe Taipei metropolitan area, between January 2003 and December2005, were eligible to participate in the case-control study.Only clinically stable patients with age >20 yr and HD vintage>3 mo before the study were included. Exclusion criteriawere weekly dialysis time of <12 h, urea Kt/V of <1.2,comorbidity with malignancy or inflammatory or infectious diseases,supplementation with vitamin C or E, and medications such asoral or intravenous iron supplements and angiotensin convertingenzyme inhibitors up to 3 mo before enrollment. Finally, thestudy population consisted of 488 patients (228 men and 260women; mean age 60 yr). The causes of ESRD were diabetic nephropathy(n = 164), glomerulonephritis (n = 168), interstitial nephritis(n = 45), nephrosclerosis (n = 31), polycystic kidney disease(n = 18), miscellaneous nephropathies (n = 25), and shrunkenkidneys resulting from unknown causes (n = 37). The patientswere treated with single-use dialyzers equipped with one offour types of membranes with a membrane surface area of 1.6to 1.7 m2, namely cellulose (Terumo, Tokyo, Japan) for 176 patients;PS (Fresenius, Borkenberg, Germany) for 118 patients; PMMA (Toray,Tokyo, Japan) for 84 patients; and high-flux, vitamin E-modified,multilayer cellulose (Terumo) for 110 patients. The dialyzermembranes used for a given patient had to have remained constantfor at least 6 mo before enrollment in this study. Dialysismachines were sterilized daily, and water treatment circuitsand tanks were sterilized weekly. Microorganism colony countsin the water used to prepare the dialysis fluid did not exceed200 colonies/ml. Endotoxin levels in dialysates, as assessedweekly using the amoebocyte lysate test (Chromogenix, Charleston,SC), were <0.01 EU/ml. A total of 372 nonsmoking individualswithout diabetes (185 men and 187 women; mean age 61 yr) andwith normal renal function, as defined on the basis of creatinineclearance values of >100 ml/min per 1.73 m2 were enrolledfor GST M1 and hOGG1 genotyping as control subjects. The protocolwas approved by the Committee on Human Research of Taipei VeteransGeneral Hospital. Informed consent was obtained from each ofthe study patients.
GST M1 Genotyping
Genomic DNA was isolated from 1 ml of peripheral blood fromthe patients and healthy individuals by standard proceduresusing proteinase K digestion and phenol/chloroform extraction.GST M1 gene deletion was detected by multiplex PCR25 using twoprimers for the GST M1 gene (G5: 5'-GAACTCCCTGAAAAGCTAAAGC-3';G6: 5'-GTTGGGCTCAAATATACGGTGG-3') and two primers for the β-globingene (PC04: 5-CAACTTCATCCACGTTCACC-3'; GH20: 5'-GAAGAGCCAAGGACAGGTAC-3').PCR was carried out for 35 cycles in a DNA thermal cycler (Perkin-Elmer/Cetus,Norwalk, CT) using a thermal profile of denaturation at 94°Cfor 40 s, annealing at 55°C for 40 s, and primer extensionat 72°C for 40 s. The PCR products were then separated ona 3% agarose/synergel gel (5:1, wt/wt; Diversified Biotech,Newton Center, MA) at 150 V for 1.5 h and stained with 1 µg/mlethidium bromide at 25°C for 10 min. The GST M1 DNA fragmentsthat were amplified by PCR were 268 and 215 bp in size, butonly the 268-bp band was observed in patients with the GST M1(–)genotype (Figure 4A).
Figure 4. (A and B) Gel electrophoretogram of PCR products of the GST M1 gene (A) and PCR and restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis of the 1245CG polymorphism of the hOGG1 gene (B). The sizes of the DNA fragments of GST M1 gene amplified by PCR were 268 and 215 bp, respectively (lanes 1 through 3), but only 268 bp is amplified from total DNA of the patients with the GST M1(–) genotype (lanes 4 through 6). The CG substitution at nucleotide 1245 of the hOGG1 gene creates a recognition sequence for Fnu4H I, which digests the 200-bp fragment into two 100-bp fragments. Lanes 7 and 8 are wild type (CC), lanes 9 and 10 are heterozygotes (CG), and lanes 11 and 12 are homozygotes (GG) for the hOGG1 1245CG polymorphism. M, DNA size marker; N, negative control.
hOGG1 1245 CG Genotyping
To study the CG transition at nucleotide 1245 of the hOGG1 gene,we analyzed cellular DNA isolated from peripheral blood by PCRas described previously.15,50 Identification of the 1245CG transversionwas performed by using restriction fragment-length polymorphismanalysis. In brief, 10 µl of the 200-bp PCR product wassubjected to Fnu4HI digestion (2.5 U of enzyme in a 15-µldigest). The presence of a CG transversion creates a Fnu4HIrecognition site, which leads to digestion of the 200-bp PCRproduct into two fragments of 100 bp. Heterozygous individualsgave two fragments (200 and 100 bp) and individuals with homozygousCG transversion gave a single fragment of 100 bp. The Fnu4HIdigests of the PCR amplification products were examined by electrophoresison 3% agarose gels, which was followed by ethidium bromide staining(Figure 4B).
Measurements of 8-OHdG Contents in Leukocyte DNA
Venous blood samples were drawn from fasting healthy individualsor the MHD patients at the start of a dialysis session beforeheparin administration. Blood (10 ml) was withdrawn into anEDTA-containing Vacutainer tube (Becton Dickinson, FranklinLakes, NJ) and centrifuged in the same tube at 1300 x g at 4°Cfor 15 min. The buffy coat fraction was collected and transferredto a 20-ml centrifuge tube on ice. Hypotonic saline solutionwas added to lyse the residual red blood cells. Leukocytes werecollected by centrifugation at 500 x g for 5 min and were frozenat –80°C until determination of the DNA's 8-OHdG content.Total leukocyte DNA was extracted by using the pronase/ethanolmethod,51 with some modifications.4,5 The amount of 8-OHdG wasmeasured using an HPLC system equipped with an electrochemicaldetector (Bioanalytical Systems, West Lafayette, IN), as describedpreviously.4,5 dG (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO) and 8-OHdG(Cayman, Ann Arbor, MI) were used as standards. The 8-OHdG levelsare expressed as the number of 8-OHdG molecules/106 dG molecules.Intra-assay coefficients of variance (CV) ranged from 3 to 7%,and interassay CV ranged from 4 to 9%, where the lower numberrefers to the CV for the high standard and the higher numberrefers to the CV for the low standard.
Laboratory Measurements
Immediately after sampling, whole blood (0.5 ml) was deproteinizedwith an equal volume of 20% TCA for determination of the reducedglutathione (GSH) level. GSH was quantified as described byBeutler et al.52 For GSH derivatization, 0.5 ml of whole bloodwas treated with an equal volume of 12% perchloric acid containing40 mM N-ethylmaleimide and 2 mM bathophenanthroline disulfonicacid. Oxidized glutathione (GSSG) levels in the derivatizedglutathione samples were determined using an HPLC system similarto that developed by Asensi et al.53 We measured hematocritlevels to adjust the GSH and GSSG values. We determined serumiron using commercial kits and an autoanalyzer (Hitachi 736-60;Naka, Japan). We measured total iron-binding capacity by theTIBC Microtest (Daiichi, Tokyo, Japan), and we determined serumferritin by a RIA (Incstar, Stillwater, MN). We calculated transferrinsaturation as the serum iron concentration/TIBC x 100. Plasmaascorbate was measured by the method described by Kyaw.54 Plasmaconcentrations of -tocopherol were determined using the proceduredescribed by Catignani and Bieri,55 with some modifications.4,5The concentration of -tocopherol was calculated from a calibrationcurve constructed using internal standards. Total cholesterolwas also measured to adjust the -tocopherol values. All assayswere performed with duplicate samples.
Outcome Data Collection
The cohort was followed up to January 2007. During the follow-up,72 patients moved away from the dialysis facilities. The outcomedata of 34 of these 72 patients could be obtained, whereas theremaining 38 patients, including 20 who received a kidney transplantand eight who were transferred to peritoneal dialysis, werecensored. At the end of the follow-up, 368 patients were confirmedto be alive and still on HD treatment and 92 patients had diedwhile being treated. The mean follow-up period was 34 ±13 mo. We obtained date and cause of death by reviewing thehospital record forms. For patients who were transferred toother dialysis units, we reviewed the questionnaire forms filledout by the attending physicians at those units.
Statistical Analysis
Descriptive statistics included mean values ± SD forcontinuous data and percentages for categorical data. The valuesfor 8-OHdG content in leukocyte DNA and serum ferritin werenot normally distributed and are reported as medians with aninterquartile range. Comparison of the genotype frequenciesof GST M1 and hOGG1 1245CG gene polymorphisms between MHD patientsand healthy individuals were performed by 2 test. For between-two-groupcomparisons, we used the t test for normally distributed dataand the Mann-Whitney rank sum test for data with a non-normaldistribution. We analyzed comparisons of the leukocyte 8-OHdGlevels among the six genotype groups and the eight groups formedby interaction of the two GST M1 genotypes and the four dialyzermembranes using one-way ANOVA for significant differences; weassessed the main effects and the GST M1xhOGG1 genotype andGST M1xdialyzer membrane interaction coefficients. The 8-OHdGcontent in leukocyte DNA and the serum ferritin values werepositively skewed; therefore, we used natural logarithmic transformationto normalize the distribution (i.e., ln leukocyte 8-OHdG andln-ferritin) before multivariate analysis. We performed stepwisemultiple regression analysis using the 8-OHdG content of leukocyteDNA as the dependent variable. We assessed the independent effectof each explanatory variable on the dependent variable amongthe MHD patients using three indicators, namely the GST M1 genotype,the hOGG1 genotype, and dialyzer membrane type. The GST M1(+)group was the reference category versus the GST M1(–)group. The 1245CC genotype was the reference category versusthe 1245CG and 1245GG genotypes, and the cellulose membranewas the reference category versus the PMMA, PS, and vitaminE–bonded membranes. The three indicators were forced intothe regression equation before testing other variables and couldnot be removed. An explanatory variable was considered as havingan independent effect on leukocyte 8-OHdG levels when it ledto a statistical significance in R2 change statistics. We alsoperformed forward stepwise multiple regression to assess theindependent effect of 15 covariables, including age, gender,presence of diabetes, current smoking status, dialysis vintage,urea reduction rate, blood antioxidants (ascorbate, -tocopheroladjusted for cholesterol, and whole-blood GSH and GSSG adjustedfor hematocrit), albumin, hemoglobin, and iron indices (serumferritin and iron and transferrin saturation), on the leukocyte8-OHdG contents (dependent variable). We generated survivalcurves by the Kaplan-Meier method. We compared differences inthe survival curves between patients with GST M1(+) and GSTM1(–) by the log-rank test. We used the multivariate Coxproportional hazards model to assess the association betweenGST M1 polymorphism and all-cause mortality, adjusting for potentialconfounding factors. Any variables showing a difference betweenthe GST M1(+) and GST M1(–) genotypes of P < 0.20,56as well as established risk factors for a poor outcome, wereconsidered as potential confounders and were adjusted for inthe Cox regression analysis. We performed a backward eliminationprocedure using P > 0.05 to remove any identified independentpredictors for all-cause mortality in MHD patients. We performedstatistical analysis using the computer software SPSS 12.0 (SPSSInc., Chicago, IL). P < 0.05 was considered statisticallysignificant.
This study was supported by grants from the National ScienceCouncil (NSC 92-2314-B010-027, NSC 93-2314-B010-032, and NSC94-2314-B010-033), and Taipei Veterans General Hospital (V95C1-062,V96S5-004, and V96ER2-012).
Aspects of this work were presented at the annual meeting ofthe American Society of Nephrology; October 31 through November5, 2007; San Francisco, CA.
We are extremely grateful to Drs. Brian Chen, F.G. Hsieh, K.L.Kuo, and H.H. Liou and N.Y. Hsiao for kind help in the collectionof samples at their hemodialysis facilities. We are also deeplyindebted to P.C. Lee for expert secretarial assistance and graphicdesign.
Footnotes
Published online ahead of print. Publication date availableat www.jasn.org.
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