Endothelial nitric oxide synthase intron 4 polymorphism is a marker for coronary artery disease in African-American and Caucasian men.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the association of the intron 4 polymorphism of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene with coronary artery disease (CAD).


BACKGROUND
Genetic alterations in the gene encoding for eNOS could contribute to the development and progression of CAD.


METHODS
We genotyped for the eNOS intron 4 polymorphism in 194 subjects undergoing coronary angiography. Genotyping was performed with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism for the variable number of tandem repeats in intron 4. Coronary artery disease (CAD) was assessed by quantitative coronary angiography, and endothelial function was measured by brachial ultrasonography. We performed logistic regression analysis for the effect of eNOS intron 4 polymorphism and other coronary risk factors on multi-vessel CAD and endothelial function.


RESULTS
The 4a-allele frequency in African Americans was 0.31, while the 4a-allele frequency in Caucasians was 0.15 (P<.001). The prevalence of the 4a-allele was highest among subjects with multi-vessel disease both for African Americans and for Caucasians. A race-adjusted comparison of the prevalence of the 4a-allele among subjects with multi-vessel disease vs those without was statistically significant (P=.03). No correlation was found between the eNOS intron 4 polymorphism and endothelial function.


CONCLUSIONS
The eNOS intron 4 polymorphism may be a marker of multi-vessel CAD in African Americans and Caucasians.
Rao
Swapna
S
Division of Cardiology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
Austin
Harland
H
Davidoff
Madalyn N
MN
Zafari
A Maziar
AM
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000235:genetics*; D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000201:enzymology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012307:Risk Factors; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
D005819:Genetic Markers; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III