Expression and Methylation Status of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Thrombospondin-1 Genes in Congenital Factor Xiii-Deficient Patients With Intracranial Hemorrhage Publisher Pubmed



Norooziaghideh A^{1, 6} ; Kashanikhatib Z² ; Naderi M³ ; Dorgalaleh A⁴ ; Azad M⁵ ; Alizadeh S⁶ Show Affiliations
Source: Blood Coagulation and Fibrinolysis Published:2021

Abstract

Congenital factor XIII (FXIII) deficiency is one of the rarest bleeding disorders, with an incidence of one per 2 million persons. Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), a major cause of mortality in FXIII deficiency, is reported to be associated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). Therefore, we investigated the association of VEGF and TSP-1 expression and methylation patterns with ICH in congenital FXIII deficiency patients. This study was conducted on 40 participants with FXIII, 20 of whom experienced ICH (cases), and 20 who did not (controls). Methylation pattern, gene expression, and plasma protein level were assessed using bisulfite sequencing PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, and ELISA. We found a partially methylated pattern for both VEGF and TSP-1 (P > 0.05). VEGF mRNA levels of the case group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05), whereas TSP-1 mRNA levels did not show significant upregulation (P > 0.05). Plasma VEGF and TSP-1 concentrations in the case group were higher, but not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Our findings showed no obvious correlation between VEGF or TSP-1 methylation patterns and expression, suggesting that their expression in FXIII deficiency may not solely be controlled by gene methylation. © 2021 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved.