title: C-reactive protein gene haplotypes and risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  C-reactive protein is associated with risk of cardiovascular disease. However, whether C-reactive protein is a marker of severity of cardiovascular disease or actually is involved in its pathogenesis remains unknown. We investigated the relation between C-reactive protein haplotypes, representing the comprehensive variation of the C-reactive protein gene, and coronary heart disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Rotterdam Study is a prospective population-based study among men and women aged 55 years and older. C-reactive protein was associated with risk of coronary heart disease, with a multivariable adjusted hazard ratio of 1.9 (95% CI 1.5-2.4) for the highest vs. the lowest quartile. Four C-reactive protein haplotypes were present with overall frequencies of 32.8, 31.7, 29.5, and 5.9%. C-reactive protein serum levels were significantly different according to C-reactive protein haplotypes. C-reactive protein haplotypes were not associated with coronary heart disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Steady-state C-reactive protein serum level is influenced by C-reactive protein gene haplotypes. Although elevated C-reactive protein level has lately been found to be a consistent and relatively strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease, our study does not support that the common variation in the C-reactive protein gene has a large effect on the occurrence of coronary heart disease.
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus MC, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Isabella
authors: I
authors: Kardys
authors: Moniek P M
authors: MP
authors: de Maat
authors: André G
authors: AG
authors: Uitterlinden
authors: Albert
authors: A
authors: Hofman
authors: Jacqueline C M
authors: JC
authors: Witteman