Genetic variation of the androgen receptor and risk of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke in women.
OBJECTIVE
Androgen receptors (AR) are expressed in endothelial cells and vascular smooth-muscle cells. Some studies suggest an association between AR gene variation and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in men; however, the relationship has not been examined in women.


METHODS
Six haplotype block-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs962458, rs6152, rs1204038, rs2361634, rs1337080, rs1337082), as well as the cysteine, adenine, guanine (CAG) microsatellite in exon 1, of the AR gene were evaluated among 300 white postmenopausal women who developed CVD (158 myocardial infarctions and 142 ischemic strokes) and an equal number of matched controls within the Women's Health Study.


RESULTS
Genotype distributions were similar between cases and controls, and genotypes were not significantly related to risk of CVD, myocardial infarctions or ischemic stroke in conditional logistic regression models. Seven common haplotypes were observed, but distributions did not differ between cases and controls nor were significant associations observed in logistic regression analysis. The median CAG repeat length was 21. In conditional logistic regression, there was no association between the number of alleles with CAG repeat length >or=21 (or >or=22) and risk of CVD, myocardial infarctions or ischemic stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
No association between AR genetic variation, as measured by haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms and CAG repeat number, and risk of CVD was observed in women.
Rexrode
Kathryn M
KM
Ridker
Paul M
PM
Hegener
Hillary H
HH
Buring
Julie E
JE
Manson
JoAnn E
JE
Zee
Robert Y L
RY
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000728:Androgens / Q000378:metabolism; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005820:Genetic Testing; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000235:genetics*
D000728:Androgens; D011944:Receptors, Androgen