title: A smoking-dependent risk of coronary artery disease associated with a polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene.
abstract: Endothelium-dependent vasodilatation is mediated by release of nitric oxide formed by constitutively expressed endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS). We explored the distribution of polymorphism ecNOS4a/b in 549 subjects with, and 153 without, coronary artery disease in relation to smoking. In current and ex-cigarette smokers, but not nonsmokers, there was a significant excess of homozygotes for the rare ecNOS4a allele in patients with severely stenosed arteries, compared with those with no or mild stenosis. This genotype was also associated with a history of myocardial infarction. This smoking-dependent excess coronary risk in ecNOS4a homozygotes is consistent with predisposition to endothelial dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of New South Wales, Prince Henry/Prince of Wales Hospitals, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: X L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Badenhop
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: McCredie
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Wilcken
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics*; D010375:Pedigree; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016540:Smoking Cessation
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase