title: Chitinase 3-like 1 gene-329G/A polymorphism, plasma concentration and risk of coronary heart disease in a Chinese population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The chitinase-like 1 protein, YKL-40, is involved in inflammation and tissue remodeling. Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and acute myocardial infarction have elevated levels of serum YKL-40. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether the chitinase-like 1 gene-329G/A variant (rs10399931) confers susceptibility to CHD, and whether it is associated with the clinical phenotype and severity of disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a case-control study of 410 unrelated CHD patients (coronary stenosis ≥50% or documented myocardial infarction) and 442 controls from China. A ligase detection reaction was used to determine a single-nucleotide polymorphism in rs10399931. The genotypic and allelic associations of this single-nucleotide polymorphism with CHD, phenotypes and severity were also evaluated. Plasma levels of YKL-40 were measured using ELISA assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three genotypes, CC, CT, and TT, existed in rs10399931 and there were no significant differences found in either the genotypic or allelic frequencies between the CHD cases and controls. Patients with CHD had higher YKL-40 levels compared to controls and those with acute myocardial infarction had the highest levels of YKL-40 compared to patients with either stable or unstable angina pectoris (all p<0.01). Rs10399931 affected neither the main anthropometric or metabolic characteristics, nor did there exists any association between rs10399931 and the severity of coronary lesions assessed by Gensini scores (all p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results do not support that rs10399931 is associated with clinical phenotypes of CHD and the extent of coronary lesions; however, YKL-40 levels are higher in CHD patients and associated with its clinical phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China. xiefangyi@sina.com
authors.forename: Fangyi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Genshan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D037102:Lectins