C-Reactive Protein Gene Polymorphisms and the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in a Chinese Population in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
Elevated plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels can be used to predict an increased risk of future atrial fibrillation (AF). However, several single polynucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CRP gene affect CRP levels. This study aims to elucidate the correlation between CRP gene polymorphisms and the risk of AF among a Chinese population in Taiwan.


METHODS
A total of 200 patients with AF and 240 age- and gender-comparable control subjects were enrolled in this study. From these patients, five SNPs in the CRP gene were selected and genotyped.


RESULTS
Patients with AF had significantly higher plasma CRP levels than the controls. In the total study population, the minor alleles of rs3091244 and rs1205 were significantly associated with higher CRP level (p = 0.001 and 0.045, respectively). The frequency of rs1800947 minor allele (C) was significantly higher in patients with AF than that in control subjects (12.8% and 4.6%, respectively; p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, the presence of the C allele of rs1800947 was significantly and independently associated with AF after adjustment for age, gender, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, coronary artery disease, concomitant medication, and CRP levels (odds ratio = 3.21; 95% confidence interval = 1.54-6.68; p = 0.01). Haplotype analysis further verified that the rs3091244C and rs1800947C bi-loci haplotype was significantly overpresented in patients with AF than in the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the presence of the C allele of rs1800947 may indicate susceptibility to AF in a Chinese population in Taiwan.


BACKGROUND
Atrial fibrillation; C-reactive protein; Polymorphism.
First Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Ying-Chang
YC
Tung
First Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Lung-Sheng
LS
Wu
First Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Wei-Jan
WJ
Chen
First Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Chi-Tai
CT
Kuo
First Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Chun-Li
CL
Wang
First Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Chi-Jen
CJ
Chang
First Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Hsin-Yi
HY
Tsai
First Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Yung-Hsin
YH
Yeh
First Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Lung-An
LA
Hsu