Absence of the α2c-Adrenoceptor Del322–325 Allele is Associated With Increased Mortality in Patients With Chronic Systolic Heart Failure

ObjectiveThe Del322–325 polymorphism of the α2c-adrenoceptor is considered to be a possible risk factor for heart failure (HF). We investigated the possible clinical association between the presence or absence of the deletion allele and mortality.Methods and ResultsOf 261 chronic systolic HF patients evaluated, 216 (83%) carried no α2c-adrenoceptor Del322–325 alleles (designated II); 28 patients (11%) were heterozygous (ID) and 17 patients (6%) homozygous (DD) for the deletion. Similar genetic distribution of α2c-adrenoceptor Del322–325 subgroups was found in a control group of 96 healthy individuals. Mortality was significantly higher in HF patients in whom the deletion allele was absent than in HF patients who carried it: 67 (31%) patients in the II subgroup died compared with 7 (15.5%) in the ID/DD subgroup (P = .01). The odds ratio for death in HF patients who carried no α2c-adrenoceptor Del322–325 alleles compared with HF patients with ≥1 allele was 2.45 (95% confidence interval 1.04‒5.74). There were no differences in other relevant clinical parameters between the 2 subgroups of HF patients.ConclusionsThe mortality rate of chronic systolic HF patients carrying no α2c-adrenoceptor Del322–325 alleles was significantly higher (almost 2.5-fold) than that of HF patients carrying ≥1 allele.