BackgroundHypoxia-inducible-factor-1α (HIF-1α) and HIF-1 degrading prolyl-hydroxylases (PHD) are key regulators of the hypoxic-inflammatory response. Functionally active genetic variants in the HIF-1α (C/T; Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) rs11549465) and the PHD2 gene (EGLN1; C/T; SNP rs516651 and T/C; SNP rs480902) are associated with altered HIF-1α mRNA nuclear translocation and an altered adaptation to hypoxia. Furthermore, the HIF system is important in surviving inflammatory disorders and sepsis. Thus, we tested the hypotheses, that SNPs in the HIF-1α or PHD2 genes are (1) common in Caucasians, with 2) the HIF-1α genetic variant being associated with an altered HIF-1α mRNA expression; and 3) independent risk factors for 30-day mortality in severe sepsis.MethodsAfter ethics approval, 128 septic patients (Caucasian descent) were included prospectively within 24 h after first diagnosing sepsis. Patients characteristics and severity of illness (simplified acute physiology score II), genotypes (Taqman assay), and their influence on leukocyte HIF-1α-mRNA-expression (Real-Time PCR) and 30-day mortality were determined.ResultsFrequencies were 0.8 % for homozygous HIF-1α TT-carriers (CT 17.6 %; CC 81.6 %), 2.5 % for homozygous PHD2 SNP rs516651 TT-allele carriers (CT 17.5 % and CC 80 %), and 9.4 % for homozygous PHD2 SNP rs480902 TT-allele carriers (CT 34.4 % and CC 56.3 %). While HIF-1α T-allele carriers had a borderline decrease in HIF-1α-mRNA-expression (p = 0.06) neither HIF-1α nor PHD2 SNPs were (independent) risk factors for 30-day mortality.ConclusionsGenetic variants in HIF-1α and PHD2 genes exist in Caucasians but do not appear to alter 30-day mortality in sepsis.

Hypoxia-inducible-factor-2α (HIF-2α) and HIF-2 degrading prolyl-hydroxylases (PHD) are key regulators of adaptive hypoxic responses i.e., in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Specifically, functionally active genetic variants of HIF-2α (single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) [ch2:46441523(hg18)]) and PHD2 (C/T; SNP rs516651 and T/C; SNP rs480902) are associated with improved adaptation to hypoxia i.e., in high-altitude residents. However, little is known about these SNPs’ prevalence in Caucasians and impact on ARDS-outcome. Thus, we tested the hypotheses that in Caucasian ARDS patients SNPs in HIF-2α or PHD2 genes are (1) common, and (2) independent risk factors for 30-day mortality. After ethics-committee approval, 272 ARDS patients were prospectively included, genotyped for PHD2 (Taqman SNP Genotyping Assay) and HIF-2α-polymorphism (restriction digest + agarose-gel visualization), and genotype dependent 30-day mortality was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier-plots and multivariate Cox-regression analyses. Frequencies were 99.62% for homozygous HIF-2α CC-carriers (CG: 0.38%; GG: 0%), 2.3% for homozygous PHD2 SNP rs516651 TT-carriers (CT: 18.9%; CC: 78.8%), and 3.7% for homozygous PHD2 SNP rs480902 TT-carriers (CT: 43.9%; CC: 52.4%). PHD2 rs516651 TT-genotype in ARDS was independently associated with a 3.34 times greater mortality risk (OR 3.34, CI 1.09–10.22; p = 0.034) within 30-days, whereas the other SNPs had no significant impact (p = ns). The homozygous HIF-2α GG-genotype was not present in our Caucasian ARDS cohort; however PHD2 SNPs exist in Caucasians, and PHD2 rs516651 TT-genotype was associated with an increased 30-day mortality suggesting a relevance for adaptive responses in ARDS.