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Aims: The targeted genetic screening of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) probands in a molecular autopsy has a diagnostic yield of up to 35%. Exome sequencing has the potential to improve this yield. The primary aim of this study is to examine the feasibility and diagnostic utility of targeted exome screening in SADS victims, utilizing familial clinical screening whenever possible.Methods and Results: To determine the feasibility and diagnostic yield of targeted exome sequencing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was isolated from 59 SADS victims (mean age 25 years, range 1-51 years). Targeted exome sequencing of 135 genes associated with cardiomyopathies and ion channelopathies was performed on the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform. Non-synonymous, loss-of-function, and splice-site variants with a minor allele frequency <0.02% in the NHLBI exome sequencing project and an internal set of control exomes were prioritized for analysis followed by <0.5% frequency threshold secondary analysis. First-degree relatives were offered clinical screening for inherited cardiac conditions. Seven probands (12%) carried very rare (<0.02%) or novel non-sense candidate mutations and 10 probands (17%) had previously published rare (0.02-0.5%) candidate mutations-a total yield of 29%. Co-segregation fully confirmed two private SCN5A Na channel mutations. Variants of unknown significance were detected in a further 34% of probands.Conclusion: Molecular autopsy using targeted exome sequencing has a relatively low diagnostic yield of very rare potentially disease causing mutations. Candidate pathogenic variants with a higher frequency in control populations are relatively common and should be interpreted with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marked prolongation of the QT interval on the electrocardiogram associated with the polymorphic ventricular tachycardia Torsades de Pointes is a serious adverse event during treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs and other culprit medications, and is a common cause for drug relabeling and withdrawal. Although clinical risk factors have been identified, the syndrome remains unpredictable in an individual patient. Here we used genome-wide association analysis to search for common predisposing genetic variants. Cases of drug-induced Torsades de Pointes (diTdP), treatment tolerant controls, and general population controls were ascertained across multiple sites using common definitions, and genotyped on the Illumina 610k or 1M-Duo BeadChips. Principal Components Analysis was used to select 216 Northwestern European diTdP cases and 771 ancestry-matched controls, including treatment-tolerant and general population subjects. With these sample sizes, there is 80% power to detect a variant at genome-wide significance with minor allele frequency of 10% and conferring an odds ratio of ≥2.7. Tests of association were carried out for each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) by logistic regression adjusting for gender and population structure. No SNP reached genome wide-significance; the variant with the lowest P value was rs2276314, a non-synonymous coding variant in C18orf21 (p  =  3×10−7, odds ratio = 2, 95% confidence intervals: 1.5–2.6). The haplotype formed by rs2276314 and a second SNP, rs767531, was significantly more frequent in controls than cases (p  =  3×10−9). Expanding the number of controls and a gene-based analysis did not yield significant associations. This study argues that common genomic variants do not contribute importantly to risk for drug-induced Torsades de Pointes across multiple drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify loci affecting the electrocardiographic QT interval, a measure of cardiac repolarisation associated with risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, we conducted a meta-analysis of three genome-wide association studies (GWAS) including 3,558 subjects from the TwinsUK and BRIGHT cohorts in the UK and the DCCT/EDIC cohort from North America. Five loci were significantly associated with QT interval at P<1x10-6. To validate these findings we performed an in silico comparison with data from two QT consortia: QTSCD (n = 15,842) and QTGEN (n = 13,685). Analysis confirmed the association between common variants near NOS1AP (P = 1.4x10-83) and the phospholamban (PLN) gene (P = 1.9x10-29). The most associated SNP near NOS1AP (rs12143842) explains 0.82% variance; the SNP near PLN (rs11153730) explains 0.74% variance of QT interval duration. We found no evidence for interaction between these two SNPs (P = 0.99). PLN is a key regulator of cardiac diastolic function and is involved in regulating intracellular calcium cycling, it has only recently been identified as a susceptibility locus for QT interval. These data offer further mechanistic insights into genetic influence on the QT interval which may predispose to life threatening arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The QT interval, an electrocardiographic measure reflecting myocardial repolarization, is a heritable trait. QT prolongation is a risk factor for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) and could indicate the presence of the potentially lethal Mendelian Long QT Syndrome (LQTS). Using a genome-wide association and replication study in up to 100,000 individuals we identified 35 common variant QT interval loci, that collectively explain ∼8-10% of QT variation and highlight the importance of calcium regulation in myocardial repolarization. Rare variant analysis of 6 novel QT loci in 298 unrelated LQTS probands identified coding variants not found in controls but of uncertain causality and therefore requiring validation. Several newly identified loci encode for proteins that physically interact with other recognized repolarization proteins. Our integration of common variant association, expression and orthogonal protein-protein interaction screens provides new insights into cardiac electrophysiology and identifies novel candidate genes for ventricular arrhythmias, LQTS,and SCD.

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether variations in NOS1AP affect drug-induced long QT syndrome (LQTS). Background: Use of antiarrhythmic drugs is limited by the high incidence of serious adverse events including QT prolongation and torsades de pointes. NOS1AP gene variants play a role in modulating QT intervals in healthy subjects and severity of presentation in LQTS. Methods: This study carried out an association study using 167 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) spanning the NOS1AP gene in 58 Caucasian patients experiencing drug-induced LQTS (dLQTS) and 87 Caucasian controls from the DARE (Drug-Induced Arrhythmia Risk Evaluation) study. Results: The rs10800397 SNP was significantly associated with dLQTS (odds ratio [OR]: 3.3, 99.95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0 to 10.8, p = 3.7 × 10–4). The associations were more pronounced in the subgroup of amiodarone users, in which 3 SNPs, including rs10800397, were significantly associated (most significant SNP: rs10919035: OR: 5.5, 99.95% CI: 1.1 to 27.9, p = 3.0 × 10–4). We genotyped rs10919035 in an independent replication cohort of 28 amiodarone dLQTS cases versus 173 control subjects (meta-analysis of both studies: OR: 2.81, 99.95% CI: 1.62 to 4.89, p = 2.4 × 10–4). Analysis of corrected QT interval among 74 control subjects from our dataset showed a similar pattern of significance over the gene region as the case-control analysis. This pattern was confirmed in 1,480 control subjects from the BRIGHT (British Genetics of Hypertension Study) cohort (top SNP from DARE: rs12734991 in meta-analysis: increase in corrected QT interval per C allele: 9.1 ± 3.2 ms, p = 1.7 × 10–4). Conclusions: These results provide the first demonstration that common variations in the NOS1AP gene are associated with a significant increase in the risk of dLQTS. This study suggests that common variations in the NOS1AP gene may have relevance for future pharmacogenomic applications in clinical practice permitting safer prescription of drugs for vulnerable patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pathogenic variants in the filamin C (FLNC) gene are associated with inherited cardiomyopathies including dilated cardiomyopathy with an arrhythmogenic phenotype. We evaluated FLNC variants in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) and investigated the disease mechanism at a molecular level. 120 gene-elusive ACM patients who fulfilled diagnostic criteria for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) were screened by whole exome sequencing. Fixed cardiac tissue from FLNC variant carriers who had died suddenly was investigated by histology and immunohistochemistry. Novel or rare FLNC variants, four null and five variants of unknown significance, were identified in nine ACM probands (7.5%). In FLNC null variant carriers (including family members, n = 16) Task Force diagnostic electrocardiogram repolarization/depolarization abnormalities were uncommon (19%), echocardiography was normal in 69%, while 56% had >500 ventricular ectopics/24 h or ventricular tachycardia on Holter and 67% had late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). Ten gene positive individuals (63%) had abnormalities on ECG or CMRI that are not included in the current diagnostic criteria for ARVC. Immunohistochemistry showed altered key protein distribution, distinctive from that observed in ARVC, predominantly in the left ventricle. ACM associated with FLNC variants presents with a distinctive phenotype characterized by Holter arrhythmia and LGE on CMRI with unremarkable ECG and echocardiographic findings. Clinical presentation in asymptomatic mutation carriers at risk of sudden death may include abnormalities which are currently non-diagnostic for ARVC. At the molecular level, the pathogenic mechanism related to FLNC appears different to classic forms of ARVC caused by desmosomal mutations. • FLNC -linked ACM presents with LV involvement, ventricular arrhythmia, sudden death. • Late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac MRI may be the only structural abnormality. • Mutation carriers have abnormalities on ECG or cardiac MRI non-diagnostic for ARVC. • FLNC disease mechanism different to classic ARVC caused by desmosomal mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]