title: Apolipoprotein E polymorphism is associated with both number of diseased vessels and extent of coronary artery disease in Czech patients with CAD.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The impact of ApoE polymorphism on angiographic parameters was assessed in patients referred for coronary angiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Elective coronary angiography was performed in 671 subjects (525 men, 146 women, mean age 60 ± 10 years) with symptoms of ischemic heart disease. The patients were divided into: no CAD group (smooth coronary vessels, n=83), one-vessel (n=155), two-vessel (n=170) and three-vessel disease (n=196). Patients with stenoses 0-50% were excluded. Within patients with CAD, we evaluated overall extent of CAD measured by the number of stenotic segments according to AHA (1 segment vs. 2-3 vs. ≥4), and the severity of the most serious stenosis (in percent). ApoE genotype was determined using real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of ε2/ε3 genotype (n=56) was lower in the three-vessel disease group compared to one-vessel disease (OR=0.25, P=0.0019), two-vessel disease (OR=0.31, P=0.0114) or no CAD group (OR=0.24, P=0.0057). Frequency of ε2/ε3 decreased with the number of affected segments (1 vs. ≥4: OR=0.35, P=0.0143). The ε3/ε4+ε4/ε4 genotypes (n=123) were more frequent in CAD patients altogether compared with no CAD group (OR=2.30, P=0.019), while no impact of the ε4 allele on angiographic parameters within the CAD patients was detected. In ε2/ε3 carriers with CAD, lower LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol and lower use of lipid-lowering drugs were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show predominantly focal form of CAD in patients with ε2/ε3 genotype. Lower LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol may play the key role, although other contributing factors are discussed.
authors: Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University Brno, Czech Republic. jmachal@med.muni.cz
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Machal
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Vasku
authors: Ota
authors: O
authors: Hlinomaz
authors: Petra
authors: P
authors: Linhartova
authors: Ladislav
authors: L
authors: Groch
authors: Jiri
authors: J
authors: Vitovec
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D002784:Cholesterol