Defects in the interventricular and atrial septa: the contribution of the transcription factor GATA6 and the signal molecule NOTCH1

Abstract

Background: The search for biological markers involved in the congenital heart diseases pathogenesis remains a topical problem in modern medicine and biology. Congenital heart diseases are a multifactorial disease caused by the mutually affecting effects of endogenous and exogenous factors. Currently, the role of GATA and NOTCH1 gene family in the predisposition to development of congenital heart diseases is shown.
Materials and methods: 58 children with a diagnosis of congenital heart diseases (defects in the interventricular and atrial septa) and 103 children without this pathology were included in the study and the control groups, respectively. Genotyping was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction using TaqMan probes.
Results: A study of the frequencies of the genotypes in the GATA6 and NOTCH1 genes in the study and control groups showed no statistically significant differences. At the same time, the analysis of gene-gene interactions using MDR 3.0.2 software allows to determine a number of protective and risk genotypes.
Conclusion: Despite the absence of significant differences in the frequency of genotypes, combinations of genotypes obtained during the analysis of gene-gene interactions may be associated with a predisposition to the development of congenital heart diseases.