Circulating soluble E-selectin levels and the Ser 128Arg polymorphism in individuals from different ethnic groups.
OBJECTIVE
An association between the Ser128 Arg polymorphism and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been previously demonstrated in a white population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the Ser128 Arg polymorphism of the E-selectin gene is associated with soluble E-selectin levels in individuals from a multiethnic population.


RESULTS
Plasma sE-selectin levels and the Ser128 Arg E-selectin gene polymorphism were determined in 244 white (109 females), 176 of African origin (90 females) and 208 South Asian (95 females) healthy individuals living in England selected from the Wandsworth Heart and Stroke Study (WHSS). The substitution of serine for arginine (A to C mutation) was more common in whites (9.6%) and South Asians (7.9%) compared to the people of African origin (3.7%); p=0.005. The C mutation had no effect on sE-selectin levels in any ethnic group.


CONCLUSIONS
We found a lower frequency of this polymorphism in the people of African origin who have a low CHD risk. However, in this study the polymorphism was not associated with circulating sE-selectin levels. Whether it plays a role in determining ethnic differences in vascular disease via a mechanism affecting leukocyte recruitment remains to be determined.
Miller
Michelle A
MA
Department of Community Health Sciences, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 ORE, UK. mmiller@sghms.ac.uk
Kerry
Sally M
SM
Dong
Yanbin
Y
Sagnella
Giuseppe A
GA
Cook
Derek G
DG
Cappuccio
Francesco P
FP
D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D044466:Asian People; D044383:Black People; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology*; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D044465:White People
D019040:E-Selectin