Official journal of the Slovak Society of Cardiology,
Slovak Society of Hypertension and Slovak Association for Cardiac Arrhythmias

Cardiology Letters 2014, 23(3):234-240

Is vasovagal syncope a genetic disease?

Evin L, Mitro P
Klinika kardiológie UPJŠ a VÚSCH a s. v Košiciach, Slovenská republika

Vasovagal syncope is the most common type of reflex syncope and most common syncope of all. This disease has a negative influence on the quality of life in a population. In regards to familiar occurrence, one suspects that genetic predisposition may play a certain role in the development and manifestation of vasovagal syncope. The detailed mechanism of this genetic predisposition is not yet known. Nowadays great attention is focused on research of candidate gene polymorphisms, which may be important in the pathogenesis of vasovagal syncope. This paper presents a review of knowledge of these polymorphisms in pathogenesis of vasovagal syncope and their role in regulation of heart rate and blood pressure. Gene polymorphisms of dopamine betahydroxylasis (DBH), alpha1 adrenoreceptors (ADRA1), beta1 and beta2 adrenoreceptors (ADRB1, ADRB2), alpha and beta subunits of G proteins (GNAS1, GNB3), gene for adenosine A2 receptor (ADORA2A) are presented here.

Keywords: vasovagal syncope; genetic polymorphism; dopamine betahydroxylasis; alpha1 adrenoreceptors; beta1 and beta2 adrenoreceptors; alpha and beta subunits of G proteins; gene for adenosine A2 receptor

Published: March 1, 2014  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Evin L, Mitro P. Is vasovagal syncope a genetic disease? Cardiology Letters. 2014;23(3):234-240.
Download citation

References

  1. Moya A, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope (version 2009). Eur Heart J 2009;30:2631-2671. Go to original source...
  2. Ganzeboom KS, et al. Lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope in the general population: a study of 549 Dutch subjects aged 35-60 years. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2006;17:1172-1176. Go to original source...
  3. Sheldon RS, et al. Age of first faint in patients with vasovagal syncope. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2006;17:49-54. Go to original source...
  4. Kapoor WN. Syncope. N Engl J Med 2000;343:1856-1862. Go to original source...
  5. van Dijk N, et al. Quality of life within one year following presentation after transient loss of consciousness. Am J Cardiol 2007;100:672-676. Go to original source...
  6. Rose MS, Koshman ML, Spreng S, Sheldon R. The relationship between health-related quality of life and frequency of spells in patients with syncope. J Clin Epidemiol 2000;53:1209-1216. Go to original source...
  7. Cooper CJ, Ridker P, Shea J, Creager MA. Familial occurrence of neurocardiogenic syncope. N Engl J Med 1994;331:205. Go to original source...
  8. Mathias CJ, Deguchi K, Bleasdale-Barr K, Smith S. Familial vasovagal syncope and pseudosyncope: observations in a case with both natural and adopted siblings. Clin Auton Res 2000;10:4345. Go to original source...
  9. Talwar KK, Edvardsson N, Varnauskas E. Paroxysmal vagally mediated AV block with recurrent syncope. Clin Cardiol 1985;8:337-340. Go to original source...
  10. Marquez MF, Urias KI, Hermosillo AG, Jardon JL, Iturralde P, Colin L, et al. Familial vasovagal syncope. Europace 2005;7:472474. Go to original source...
  11. Daas A, et al. Familial vasovagal syncope associated with migraine. Pediatric Neurology 2009;40(1):27-30. Go to original source...
  12. Kleinknecht RA, Lenz J, Ford G, DeBerard S. Types and correlates of blood/injury-related vasovagal syncope. Behav Res Ther 1990;28:289-295. Go to original source...
  13. Camfield PR, Camfield CS. Syncope in childhood: a case control clinical study of the familial tendency to faint. Can J Neurol Sci 1990;17:306-308. Go to original source...
  14. Mathias CJ, Deguchi K, Bleasdale-Barr K, Kimber JR. Frequency of family history in vasovagal syncope. Lancet 1998;352:3334. Go to original source...
  15. Mathias CJ, Deguchi K, Schatz I. Observations on recurrent syncope and presyncope in 641 patients. Lancet 2001;357:348353. Go to original source...
  16. Newton JL, Kenny R, Lawson J, Frearson R, Donaldson P. Prevalence of family history in vasovagal syncope and haemodynamic response to head up tilt in first degree relatives: preliminary data for the Newcastle cohort. Clin Auton Res 2003;13:22-26. Go to original source...
  17. Kleinknecht RA, Lenz J. Blood/injury fear, fainting and avoidance of medically-related situations: a family correspondence study. Behav Res Ther 1989;27:537-547. Go to original source...
  18. Serletis A, Rose S, Sheldon AG, Sheldon RS. Vasovagal syncope in medical students and their first-degree relatives. Eur Heart J 2006;27:1965-1970. Go to original source...
  19. Zabetian CP, et al. A quantitative-trait analysis of human plasma-dopamine ß-hydroxylase activity: evidence for a major functional polymorphism at the DBH locus. Am J Hum Genet 2001;68:515-522. Go to original source...
  20. Deinum J, et al. DBH gene variants that cause low plasma dopamine ß hydroxylase with or without a severe orthostatic syndrome. J Med Genet 2004;41:e38. Go to original source...
  21. Sorrentino S, et al. Lack of association between genetic polymorphisms affecting sympathetic activity and tilt-induced vasovagal syncope. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical 2010;155:98-103. Go to original source...
  22. Snapir A, et al. Effects of common polymorphisms in the alpha1A-, alpha2B-, beta1- and beta2-adrenoreceptors on haemodynamic responses to adrenaline. Clin Sci (Lond.) 2003;104: 509-520. Go to original source...
  23. Levin MC, et al. The myocardium-protective Gly-49 variant of the beta 1-adrenergic receptor exhibits constitutive activity and increased desensitization and down-regulation. J Biol Chem 2002;277:30429-30435. Go to original source...
  24. Rathz DA, et al. Amino acid 49 polymorphisms of the human beta1-adrenergic receptor affect agonist-promoted trafficking. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2002;39:155-160. Go to original source...
  25. Mason DA, et al. A gain-of-function polymorphism in a G-protein coupling domain of the human beta1-adrenergic receptor. J Biol Chem 1999;274:12670-12674. Go to original source...
  26. Rosée K, et al. The Arg389Gly b1-adrenoceptor gene polymorphism determines contractile response to catecholamines. Pharmacogenetics 2004;14:711-716. Go to original source...
  27. Márquez MF, et al. The Arg389Gly beta1-adrenergic receptor gene polymorphism and susceptibility to faint during head-up tilt test. Europace 2007;Aug;9(8):585-588. Go to original source...
  28. Brodde OE, Bruck H, Leineweber K. Cardiac adrenoceptors: physiological and pathophysiological relevance. J Pharmacol Sci 2006;100:323-337. Go to original source...
  29. Wittwer ED, et al. β-1 and β-2 adrenergic receptor polymorphism and association with cardiovascular response to orthostatic screening. Auton Neurosci 2011;Oct 28;164(1-2):89-95. Go to original source...
  30. Siffert W. Association of a human G-protein beta3 subunit variant with hypertension. Nat Genet 1998;18:45-48. Go to original source...
  31. Matsunaga. Association of C825T Polymorphism of G Protein _3 Subunit With the Autonomic Nervous System in Young Healthy Japanese Individuals. AJH 2005;18:523-529. Go to original source...
  32. Lelonek M, at al. Vasovagal patients and C825T polymorphism in the genotype encodes the B3 subunit of the human G protein. Journal of Electrocardiology 2007;40:S1-S77 S65. Go to original source...
  33. Lelonek M, et al. Genetic insight into syncopal tilted population with severe clinical presentation. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical 2009;147:97-100. Go to original source...
  34. Mitro P, et al. T131C polymorfizmus génu pre alfa-podjednotku G proteínu (GNAS1) u pacientov s vazovagálnou synkopou. Ateroskleróza 2008;12(3-4):21-25.
  35. Shryock JC, et al. Adenosine and adenosine receptors in the cardio­ vascular system: biochemistry, physiology and pharmacology. Am J Cardiol 1997;79:2-10. Go to original source...
  36. Saadijian AY, et al. Role of endogenous adenosine as modulator of syncope induced during tilt testing. Circulation 2002;106:569574. Go to original source...
  37. Carrega L, et al. Increased expression of adenosine A2A receptors in patients with spontaneous and head-up tilt induced syncope. Heart Rhythm 2007;4:870-876. Go to original source...
  38. Wu LG. Adenosine inhibits evoked synaptic transmission primarily by reducing presynaptic calcium influx in area CA1 of hippocampus. Neuron 1994;May;12(5):1139-1148. Go to original source...
  39. Thomas T, et al. Localization and action of A2A receptors in regions of the brainstem important in cardiovascular control. Neuroscience 2000;95:513-518. Go to original source...
  40. Saadjian AY, et al. Head-up tilt induced syncope and adenosine A2A receptor gene polymorphism. Eur Heart J 2009;30(12):15101515. Go to original source...
  41. Sorrentino S. Endothelin system polymorphisms in tilt test-induced vasovagal syncope. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 2009;341:1218-1224.
  42. Mitro P, et al. Hemodynamic parameters and heart rate variability during a tilt test in relation to gene polymorphism of renin-angiotensin and serotonin system. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2008;Dec;31(12):1571-1580. Go to original source...
  43. Newton JL, et al. Angiotensin converting enzyme insertion/ deletion polymorphisms in vasovagal syncope. Europace 2005;7:396e399. Go to original source...
  44. Mudrakova K, et al. Gene polymorphisms of renin angiotensin system and serotonin transporter gene in patients with vasovagal syncope. Bratisl Lek Listy. 2009;110(2):73-76.