Interferon Regulatory Factor 5 and Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Polymorphisms in Coronary Artery Disease: An Overview of Experimental and Clinical Studies

Heart diseases are the main cause of mortality in Mexico, being coronary heart disease the most frequent in the country. Its high prevalence makes important the study of the pathophysiology and the search for prognostic factors. Different genes and polymorphisms promote atherogenesis and coronary artery disease, they affect inflammatory and vascular pathological processes. Interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) is associated with coronary heart disease, it promotes chronic inflammation and cytokines release;it could trigger immune reactions and its activating receptors express in the vascular endothelium. Besides, polymorphisms in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) are implied with coronary disease, they are found in angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R), and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genes. These genetic polymorphisms are associated with a prothrombotic state, endothelial dysfunction, and immune activation. Multiple experimental studies showed that chronic activation of RAAS and chronic expression of IRF5 generates an environment prone to the development of atherosclerosis, and autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases. Studying these specific genes and their relationship with coronary heart disease will allow a better understanding of the pathological process and possibly the quest for new treatments.

Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries: Conduction Anomalies: A Case Report

Introduction: Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) is a rare heart disease that encompasses an atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial discordance and accounts for less than 1 percent of congenital heart diseases. Objective: To present an atypical case of a man with complex congenital heart disease and conduction anomalies. Case Presentation: This is a case of a 34-year-old patient who came to the hospital with 1 week of dyspnea on exertion and episodes of lipothymia. The patient was referred to our hospital after an electrocardiogram from his primary care with evidence of blocked atrial fibrillation. During the initial evaluation blocked atrial fibrillation was confirmed with a rescue ventricular rate of 38 bpm. A magnetic resonance confirmed the presence of the atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial discordance, the aorta had a left anterior position, perimembranous ventricular septal defect with a right to left shunt, biventricular systolic dysfunction, moderate tricuspid, and mitral regurgitation, interventricular septal intramyocardial and biatrial fibrosis, left atrial dilation, and dilation of the pulmonary artery. After pacemaker placement, the patient has an improvement in his clinical symptoms and quality of life. Conclusions: Cardiac arrhythmias are CCTGA’s leading cause of death, mostly ventricular tachycardia, and atrial fibrillation. Right bundle branch block is a previously unreported and potentially very rare presentation of this disease. This, added to the fact that our patient was diagnosed at an advanced age, but without symptoms of heart failure, makes him an atypical case of CCTGA, with new potential treatment options.