Association of genetic variation in calmodulin and left ventricular mass in full-term newborns

Calmodulin II (CALM2) gene polymorphism might be responsible for the variation in the left ventricular mass amongst healthy individuals. The aim was to evaluate the correlation between left ventricular mass (LVM) and g.474955027G>A (rs7565161) polymorphism adjacent to the CALM2 gene. Healthy Polish newborns (n = 206) were recruited. Two-dimensional M-mode echocardiography was used to assess LVM. Polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing analyses. The carriers of the G allele of the CALM2 polymorphism had significantly higher left ventricular mass/weight (LVM/BW) values, when compared with newborns homozygous for the A allele (3.1 g/m(2) versus 2.5 g/m(2), P adjusted = 0.036). The AG genotype of CALM2 was associated with the highest values of LVM/BW, exhibiting a pattern of overdominance (2.9 g/kg versus 3.1 g/kg versus 2.5 g/kg, P adjusted = 0.037). The results of this study suggest that G>A CALM2 polymorphism may account for subtle variation in LVM at birth.