Association of apolipoprotein E polymorphism with myocardial infarction in Greek patients with coronary artery disease.
Studies in several populations have indicated that genetic variation at the apolipoprotein E (apoE) structural locus influences the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI). This study aimed at investigating whether apoE polymorphism has an allelic and/or genotypic impact on the risk of MI in Greek patients with CAD. We compared apoE gene polymorphism in a group of patients with angiographically confirmed CAD but not MI [CAD/MI (-)-group, n = 143] and a group of age and sex-matched CAD patients who had experienced a non-fatal Ml [CAD/MI (+)-group, n = 124]. The patients were also compared with a group of healthy younger individuals (n = 240) with no family history of CAD. The apoE genotype distribution differed significantly between the two groups of CAD patients (p = 0.02). The epsilon2 allele was 5.3-fold less frequent in the CAD/ MI (+)-group compared with the CAD/MI (-)-group (1.2% vs. 6.3%, p = 0.01). The frequency of the epsilon2 allele in healthy subjects was 8.1%, which is 6.8-fold higher than in CAD/MI (+)-patients (p = 0.001) and twice as high compared with all CAD patients (p = 0.02). No differences in epsilon4 allele frequencies were observed between CAD/MI (+)- and CAD/MI (-)-patients (10.9% vs. 9.8%), or between patients with CAD and healthy subjects (10.3% vs. 10.2%). In summary, the epsilon4 allele was not found to be associated with an increased risk for CAD or MI. In contrast, a negative association of the epsilon2 allele with Ml was observed among Greek patients with CAD.
Kolovou
Genovefa
G
Cardiology Department, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece. cokkino1@otenet.gr
Yiannakouris
Nikos
N
Hatzivassiliou
Marilena
M
Malakos
John
J
Daskalova
Deliana
D
Hatzigeorgiou
George
G
Cariolou
Marios A
MA
Cokkinos
Dennis V
DV
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors
D001057:Apolipoproteins E