Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 17, 2026
Murine Spinotrapezius Model to Assess the Impact of Arteriolar Ligation on Microvascular Function and Remodeling
Published on: March 3, 2013
On the search of arterial geometry heritability
Carlos A Bulant1, Pablo J Blanco1, Alexandre Pereira2
1Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, LNCC/MCTI, Av. Getúlio Vargas 333, Quitandinha, 25651-075 Petrópolis, Brazil.
Insights
Coronary artery geometry shows potential heritability, particularly in the right coronary artery (RCA) and left anterior descending artery (LAD). This genetic influence may impact coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Genetics
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Geometrical risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) are proposed but not conclusive.
- Inter-individual variability in these factors may have a genetic component.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detect heritability indicators of coronary arterial geometry.
- To investigate the genetic basis of coronary artery shape.
Main Methods:
- 3D geometry reconstruction of LAD, LCx, and RCA from CCTA in 48 siblings.
- Characterization of arterial models using 20+ geometric descriptors (phenotypes).
- Statistical analysis to assess heritability and association with stenotic lesions.
Main Results:
- RCA showed heritability in 15+ phenotypes, LAD in 10, and LCx in 3.
- Lesion association was highest in LAD (10+ phenotypes), weaker in LCx (2), and absent in RCA.
- Significant heritability indicators were found for coronary artery geometry.
Conclusions:
- RCA and LAD exhibit the strongest potential heritability for coronary artery geometry phenotypes.
- LCx shows weaker morphological association among siblings.
- LAD demonstrates hints of a lesion-geometry relation, unlike LCx and RCA, possibly due to hemodynamic differences.
Background:
Geometrical risk factors for CAD have been previously proposed before. To date, however, the effect of those factors is not conclusive, and remains as an open research field. Here, we hypothesize that some of these factors have a genetic component explaining inter-individual variability.
Objective:
To detect heritability indicators of the coronary arterial geometry.
Materials And Methods:
A patient sample of 48 individuals, consisting of 24 siblings, was used. Three dimensional geometry of the LAD, LCx and RCA were reconstructed from standard CCTA. Arterial models were characterized in terms of 20+ geometric descriptors (phenotypes). A comprehensive statistical analysis to detect potential heritability of such phenotypes was employed. Heritability was assessed by means of several statistical indexes. Finally, the association of phenotypes to stenotic lesion is also reported.
Results:
The RCA scored positive indications for heritability in 15+ phenotypes, while the LAD in 10 and the LCx in only 3 phenotypes. Association between presence of lesion and phenotypes was higher in the LAD, 10+ phenotypes, while for the LCx only 2 phenotypes were significantly associated, and none association was found for the RCA.
Conclusion:
The RCA showed potential heritability for the largest number of phenotypes, followed by the LAD. The LCx presents the weaker association of morphology among siblings. Regarding lesion-geometry associations, the there are hints of an underlying relation in the LAD, the LCx featured a weaker association and the RCA showed none. This difference could be related to the different hemodynamic environments in these arteries.
Related Concept Videos
01:06Heritability
01:16Arteries and Arterioles
01:12Arteries of the Upper Limbs
01:27Atherosclerosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Tests
01:11Overview of Systemic Arteries
Systemic circulation is the part of the cardiovascular system that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body's tissues and returns deoxygenated blood back to the...
01:21Peripheral Arterial Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Evaluation