Research Group

  • Prof. Chin Eap, Principal Investigator
  • Dr Lina Quteineh, Research Associate
  • Prof. Manuel Pascua, CHUV Collaborator
  • Dr Jean-Pierre Venetz, CHUV Collaborator
  • Dr Pierre-Yves Bochud, CHUV Collaborator
  • Dr Oriol Manuel , STCS Collaborator
  • Dr Roger Lehmann, STCS Collaborator
  • Prof. Nicolas Müller, STCS Collaborator
  • Dr Isabelle Binet, STCS Collaborator
  • Dr Christian van Delden, STCS Collaborator
  • Prof. Jürg Steiger, STCS Collaborator
  • Dr Ute Eisenberger, STCS Collaborator
  • Prof. Paul Mohacsi, STCS Collaborator
  • Dr Jean-francois Dufour, STCS Collaborator
  • Dr Paola Gasche-Soccal, STCS Collaborator

Location

  • Hospital of Cery, Prilly, Switzerland

Title

  • Genetic Markers of the Metabolic Syndrome in Transplantation

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are the leading cause of death in solid organ transplant recipients. This non-graft-related increased mortality is highly associated with the development of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, defined altogether as the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Treatment with immunosuppressive drugs - calcineurin inhibitors and corticosteroids - are one of the major risk factors of developing MetS in these patients. However, there is a huge interindividual variability in developing these features, which could partly be explained by genetic factors. This domain is called pharmacogenetics, and since the last decade it has been evolved in many aspects with the final objective to adapt doses for each patient according to their genetics. In transplantation, despite the significant impact linking the MetS to poor graft and patient outcome, studies comprehensibly investigating this disease are still lacking and most pharmacogenetics studies in this domain either have small sample size or are only targeting one main transplanted organ. Our aim is to study the pharmacogenetics of the MetS in patients with solid organ transplantation from the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study (STCS), which comprise more than 1,200 patients with different transplanted organs. Firstly, we will be replicating results from our own cohorts in the Unit of Pharmacology and Clinical Psychopharmacology (UPPC). One of these cohorts is a cohort of psychiatric patients (n > 1,200), who also have an augmented risk of developing MetS as do patients with solid organ transplantation. Secondly, we will do an extensive pathway approach to look for new associations. The ultimate goal of our study is to identify patients at risk of developing MetS, to screen and detect these patients before or early after transplantation. It could also allow early intervention when symptoms of the MetS show, hence reducing the cardiovascular risk factors and improving both graft and patient survival. In the long-term, these patients could benefit from individualized immunosuppressive regimens adapted to their genetics and environment.



Progress Report