title: Association of apolipoprotein E polymorphism with myocardial infarction in Greek patients with coronary artery disease.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece. cokkino1@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Genovefa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kolovou
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yiannakouris
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hatzivassiliou
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malakos
authors.forename: Deliana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Daskalova
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hatzigeorgiou
authors.forename: Marios A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cariolou
authors.forename: Dennis V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Cokkinos
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E