The CATHGEN Research Project is a resource for the investigation of genes associated with coronary heart disease and related disorders. Gene-by-air quality effects on newly identified cardiovascular risk biomarkers and blood-based whole genome gene expression profiles as biological mediators of acute cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction and hospitalization) and cardiovascular disease state (extent of coronary artery atherosclerosis) will be examined.

For this purpose, the CATHGEN cohort of 9,323 individuals undergoing coronary artery catheterization (collected 2001-2011) is used for analyses. The CATHGEN cohort, collected at Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina, US, includes individuals with and without coronary atherosclerosis.

1. Air quality is related to the prevalence of chronic cardiovascular disease (both coronary and peripheral) and incidence of acute cardiovascular events.
2. Specific genetic variants mediate the interaction of air quality and cardiovascular disease and incident events.
3. This interplay between genetic variants, air quality, cardiovascular disease and incidence events is in turn mediated by air quality-induced modifications of gene expression and circulating metabolic intermediates.

We focus on the investigation of acute and chronic effects of exposure to PM_2.5, PM components, ozone and air temperature on cardiovascular events and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk including ECG- and blood parameters, metabolites and lipoproteins.

Duke University, U.S. EPA (funding period: 2014 – ongoing)

• Duke University - School of Medicine: William Kraus (PI)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) –National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), Environmental Public Health Division (EPHD): Robert B. Devlin, David Diaz-Sanchez
• Helmholtz Zentrum München - Institute of Epidemiology: Alexandra Schneider, Susanne Breitner, Siqi Zhang