Association of the methionine sulfoxide reductase A rs10903323 gene polymorphism with functional activity and oxidative modification of alpha-1-antitrypsin in COPD patients

Objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is multi-factorial disorder which results from environmental influences and genetic factors. We aimed to investigate whether methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MSRA) rs10903323 gene polymorphism is associated with COPD development and severity in Serbian adult population.

Methods: The study included 155 patients with COPD and 134 healthy volunteers. Genotyping was determined performing home-made polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The difference between the inhibitory activities of normal and oxidized Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (A1AT) against elastase and trypsin was used for determination of Oxidized Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (OxyA1AT) (expressed as % and g/L). Functional activity of A1AT was presented as a specific inhibitor activity to elastase (SIA-Elastase, kU/g).

Results: Frequencies of the genotypes AA, AG and GG were 80.0%, 20.0%, 0% in COPD patients and 80.5%, 18.5% and 1.5% in the control group, and there was no significant difference in genotype or allele distributions between groups. Serum level of A1AT (g/L) and OxyA1AT was significantly higher in COPD patients than in the control group, but functional activity of A1AT (SIA-Elastase) was significantly lower in COPD patients than in the control group. In COPD group, increased level of OxyA1AT was present in G allele carriers who were smokers relative to G allele carriers who were not smokers. In the smoker group of patients with severe and very severe COPD (GOLD3+4), significant increase in OxyA1AT level was present in G allele carriers compared to AA homozygotes.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that MSRA rs10903323 gene polymorphism is probably not a risk for COPD by itself but could represent a COPD modifier, since minor, G allele, is associated with an increased level of oxidized A1AT, indicating impaired ability of MSRA to repair oxidized A1AT in COPD-smokers, and in severe form of COPD.