O risco cardiovascular em adultos e sua relação com as taxas de metilação no gene BDNF

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are considered the main causes of mortality in the world. For this reason, it’s important to measure each individual's cardiovascular risk factors as a prevention method. The Framingham score is a risk stratification method used by different nations. BDNF protein has been associated with different cardiovascular pathologies and risk factors. However, the association between epigenetic regulation and cardiovascular risk is still lacking in the literature. Thus, the main objective was to verify the relationship between cardiovascular risk and methylation rates in the promoter region of exon IV of the BDNF gene in patients using Health Unic System in the city of Alegre, ES. For the methodology, a transveral study was carried out, in which volunteers registered with the HUS, answered a questionnaire on socioeconomic, health, lifestyle and stressors assessments. An anthropometric and biochemical assessment was performed to obtain the necessary data. And DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and quantified by pyrosequencing for methylation analysis. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed by GLzM. As a result, CpG2 was associated with lower rates of CVR, whereas CpGs 4 and 6 were associated with higher rates of CVR. Therefore, further studies are needed to better understand the epigenetic mechanism and its associations with RCV. This and new studies may open doors for the use of BDNF as a possible biomarker for the disease, in order to facilitate diagnosis, act in prevention or even as a therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases.