October 4th, 2010
Gene Expression Test Brings Modest Improvement to Patient Classification
Larry Husten, PHD
A gene expression test can improve the prediction of CAD but may not be clinically useful, according to results of the Personalized Risk Evaluation and Diagnosis in the Coronary Tree (PREDICT) study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The PREDICT investigators, led by Eric Topol, evaluated a gene expression test based on 23 genes associated with CAD in 526 nondiabetic patients scheduled for coronary angiography. The investigators concluded that the test provided “statistically significant but modest improvement in classification of patient CAD status compared with clinical factors or noninvasive imaging.”
In an accompanying editorial, Donna Arnett writes that the study “is an initial proof-of-concept for the potential use of genetic risk scores in the context of cardiovascular disease” but that “it does not fulfill the tough evidentiary standards that modern clinicians should demand.”
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