PLoS ONE (Jan 2016)

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 Polymorphisms Have Protective Effect against the Development of Tendinopathy in Volleyball Athletes.

  • José Inácio Salles,
  • Maria Eugenia Leite Duarte,
  • João Matheus Guimarães,
  • Lucas Rafael Lopes,
  • Jessica Vilarinho Cardoso,
  • Diego Pinheiro Aguiar,
  • João Olyntho Machado Neto,
  • Daniel Escorsim Machado,
  • Jamila Alessandra Perini

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0167717
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 12
p. e0167717

Abstract

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The aim of the study was to investigate whether genetic variants in VEGF and KDR genes can be correlated with susceptibility of tendinopathy in volleyball athletes. This study was conducted at the Brazilian Volleyball Federation, and comprised 179 volleyball athletes: 88 had a confirmed diagnosis of tendinopathy (cases), whereas 91 had no evidence of the disease (controls). The VEGF (-2578C>A, -460T>C and +936C>T) and KDR (-604C>T, 1192G>A and 1719T>A) polymorphisms were determined by TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction. The odds ratio (OR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using an unconditional logistic regression model. The evaluation of demographic and clinical characteristics revealed the athlete age (P T, 1192G>A and 1719T>A) haplotypes CGA and CAT were associated with decreased tendinopathy risk (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.21-0.99 and OR: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.07-0.76, respectively). With regards to pain, traumatic lesion and away from training due to injury, VEGF and KDR polymorphisms were not associated with clinical symptoms complaints. The present results provide evidence that the KDR polymorphisms were associated with development of tendinopathy, and can contribute to identify new therapeutic targets or personalized training programs to avoid tendinopathy development in athletes.