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Plasma Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A) and VEGF-A Gene Polymorphism are Associated with Hydrocele Development in Lymphatic Filariasis

Hydrocele is a build-up of fluid in the scrotal regions of a proportion of men infected with the filarial nematode Wuchereria bancrofti. Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) are major mediators of vascular permeability and angiogenesis in the development and progression of many diseases, making them candidates in hydrocele development. We assessed the role of VEGF-A genetic polymorphisms in hydrocele development in a cohort of lymphatic filariasis patients from Ghana. Three VEGF-A promoter polymorphisms were examined. The C/C genotype at –460 was significantly higher in hydrocele patients ([P = 0.0007], OR = 3.8 [95% CI = 1.9–8.2]) than in non-hydrocele patients. Furthermore, plasma levels of VEGF-A were significantly higher in subjects with the C/C genotype than in those with other genotypes. Also, a positive correlation (R² = 0.412, P = 0.026) was observed between plasma VEGF-A and stage of hydrocele. The data suggest that the C polymorphism at –460 is a genetic risk factor for hydrocele development in lymphatic filariasis.

Received April 30, 2007. Accepted for publication July 5, 2007.

Acknowledgments: We thank the individuals of the District Health Management team at Axim (Nzema East District), Western Region, Ghana for their cooperation.

Financial support: We are grateful for financial support from the European Commission (EU-grant ICA4-CT-2002-10051) and the VW-Foundation (grant 1/81306) to AH, a start-up grant from Bonn Forschung (BONFOR) to KP, and the German Federal Ministry of Sciences and Education (BMBF) through the National Genome Research Network (grant 01GR0416) to PN. AYD is a recipient of a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and of a consumables support grant from BONFOR for his PhD work.

^* Address correspondence to Kenneth Pfarr, Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany. E-mail: pfarr{at}parasit.meb.uni-bonn.de

Authors’ addresses: Alex Y. Debrah, Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research and Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University Post Office, Kumasi, Ghana. Sabine Mand, Achim Hoerauf, and Kenneth Pfarr, Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, Bonn, Germany. Mohamad R. Toliat and Peter Nürnberg, Cologne Centre for Genomics (CCG) and the Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher-Str. 47, Cologne, Germany. Yeboah Marfo-Debrekyei and Linda Batsa, Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, University Post Office, Kumasi, Ghana. Bernard Lawson, Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University Post Office, Kumasi, Ghana. Ohene Adjei, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University Post Office, Kumasi, Ghana.

Reprint requests: Kenneth Pfarr, Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany. Telephone: +49-228-287-11207. Fax: +49-228-287-14330. E-mail: pfarr{at}parasit.meb.uni-bonn.de.

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