Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kv11.1 , Kv7.1

Title: Postmortem molecular analysis of KCNQ1, KCNH2, KCNE1 and KCNE2 genes in sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome in the Chinese Han population.

Authors: Chao Liu, Qianhao Zhao, Terry Su, Shuangbo Tang, Guoli Lv, Hong Liu, Li Quan, Jianding Cheng

Journal, date & volume: Forensic Sci. Int., 2013 Sep 10 , 231, 82-7

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23890619

Abstract
The etiology of sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome (SUNDS) remains unclear. Previous studies have implicated that SUNDS is probably allelic to cardiac sodium channel diseases such as Brugada syndrome. The variation in cardiac potassium channels is the main genetic cause of inherited long QT syndrome (LQTS), which may manifest as syncope and sudden cardiac death without structural disease. We hypothesized that cardiac potassium channel disease may be responsible for certain Chinese SUNDS cases. Genotyping of 4 main LQTS-susceptibility genes (KCNQ1, KCNH2, KCNE1, and KCNE2) was performed here for the first time in SUNDS victims from the Chinese Han population to address the pathogenic cause of some SUNDS using polymerase chain reaction and direct DNA sequencing. 120 sporadic SUNDS cases were enrolled. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples. A total of 2 novel non-synonymous mutations and 3 previously reported arrhythmia susceptibility polymorphisms were identified in KCNQ1, KCNH2, KCNE1, and KCNE2. We concluded that the variants in KCNQ1, KCNH2, KCNE1 and KCNE2 genes may be correlated with the occurrence of part of SUNDS cases in southern China.