title: No association of nineteen COX-2 gene variants to preclinical markers of atherosclerosis The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) single nucleotide polymorphisms has mostly been studied in relation to advanced atherosclerosis, but little is known how they contribute to preclinical disease. In the present study we analyzed whether COX-2 gene variants associate independently with the early subclinical markers of atherosclerosis, carotid intima-media thickness and carotid artery distensibility in a population of young healthy Caucasian adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  SNPs for association analysis were collected from the COX-2 gene and 5 kb up- and downstream of it. There were 19 SNPs available for analysis, four genotyped and fifteen imputed. Genotype data was available for 2442 individuals participating in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Genotype imputation was performed using MACH 1.0 and HapMap II CEU (release 22) samples as reference. Association analysis was performed using linear regression with an additive model. PLINK was used for true genotyped SNPs and ProbABEL for imputed genotype dosages. False discovery rate was used to take into account multiple testing bias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two of the COX-2 variants (rs689470, rs689462) associated with distensibility (p = 0.005) under the linear regression additive model. After adjustment with gender, age, body mass index and smoking status, association between these SNPs and distensibility remained significant (p = 0.031). Subjects carrying the minor alleles had higher value of carotid artery distensibility compared to the major allele homozygotes. However, after correcting p-values for multiple testing bias using false discovery rate, association was lost. Another COX-2 variant rs4648261 associated with mean carotid intima-media thickness (p = 0.046) and maximal carotid intima-media thickness (p = 0.048) in the linear regression model. Subjects carrying the minor allele of rs4648261 had lower values of mean and maximal carotid intima-media thickness compared to subjects homozygote for major allele. After adjustments the associations were lost with both mean and maximal carotid intima-media thickness. Thus, no statistically significant associations of the studied COX-2 variants with carotid artery distensibility or carotid intima-media thickness were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that in a Finnish population, there are no significant associations between COX-2 variants and early atherosclerotic changes in young adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Tampere Medical School, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Kati
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lähteelä
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kunnas
authors.forename: Leo-Pekka
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Lyytikäinen
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mononen
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Taittonen
authors.forename: Tomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kettunen
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juonala
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hutri-Kähönen
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kähönen
authors.forename: Jorma S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Viikari
authors.forename: Olli T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Raitakari
authors.forename: Terho
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lehtimäki
authors.forename: Seppo T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Nikkari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000235:genetics*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human