Klotho gene polymorphism may be a genetic risk factor for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease but not for vasospastic angina in Japanese.
BACKGROUND
The klotho gene, originally identified by insertional mutagenesis in mice, suppresses multiple aging phenotypes, including atherosclerosis. We tested the hypothesis that the G-395A polymorphism of the klotho gene is associated with increased risk for 2 types of ischemic heart disease in Japanese.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 197 patients with coronary heart disease (CAD) who had >75% luminal diameter narrowing, 77 patients with vasospastic angina (VSA) without significant fixed coronary artery disease, and 331 healthy control subjects.


RESULTS
The frequency of the A allele carriers of the klotho gene was significantly higher in the CAD group than in the control group (29.9% vs. 19.0%). The unadjusted odds ratio for CAD in the A allele carriers compared with the control group was 1.82 (p=0.004) and a traditional risk-adjusted logistic regression model revealed that the A allele was an independent predictor of CAD (odds ratio, 1.76; p=0.03). In contrast, the frequency of the A allele carriers was not significantly different in the VSA group (23.4%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.18.


CONCLUSIONS
The -395A polymorphism of the human klotho gene may be a genetic risk factor for IHD and not for VSA.
Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
Akiko
A
Imamura
Kenji
K
Okumura
Yasuhiro
Y
Ogawa
Ryuichiro
R
Murakami
Masayuki
M
Torigoe
Yasushi
Y
Numaguchi
Toyoaki
T
Murohara
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D000788:Angina Pectoris, Variant / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D000090265:Klotho Proteins; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors
D005966:Glucuronidase; D000090265:Klotho Proteins