Polymorphism of the 3'-untranslated region of interleukin-12 p40 gene is not associated with the presence or severity of coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
Interleukin (IL)-12 is thought to play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis and recently, polymorphism of the 3'-untranslated region of the IL-12 p40 gene (A1188C) was reported to be associated with diabetes and multiple sclerosis. However, the association between this genetic polymorphism and coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been studied.


RESULTS
The frequency of this polymorphism was investigated in 555 patients undergoing coronary angiography: 395 had CAD, of whom 161 also had a myocardial infarction (MI). With regard to the IL-12 p40 polymorphism, 125 had the A/A, 268 had the A/C, and 162 had the C/C genotype. The prevalence of CAD did not differ among the groups (71%, 73%, and 69%, respectively; p= NS). The prevalence of MI was also similar among the groups (28%, 27%, and 33%, respectively; p= NS). Moreover, the number of >50% stenotic vessels, >50% stenotic segments, and < or =50% stenotic segments did not differ among the 3 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Polymorphism of IL-12 p40 gene was not found to be associated with the presence or severity of CAD, suggesting that it does not play an important role in the development of this disease.
First Department of Internal Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan. momiyama@ndmc.ac.jp
Yukihiko
Y
Momiyama
Reiko
R
Ohmori
Makoto
M
Nagano
Ryuichi
R
Kato
Hiroaki
H
Taniguchi
Tohru
T
Egashira
Haruo
H
Nakamura
Fumitaka
F
Ohsuzu
D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000235:genetics*; D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
C500879:IL12B protein, human; D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40; D018664:Interleukin-12