Genetic polymorphisms and coronary artery disease in the south of France

Vascular disease is a multifactorial disease that involves atherosclerotic otic and thrombotic factors. Genetic polymorphisms have been associated wit h myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. The aim of the present study w as to assess the relationship between some genetic polymorphisms and myocar dial infarction (MI) or vasospastic angina pectoris in a population from so uthern France. Genetic polymorphisms of the renin angiotensin system (the D /I polymorphism of the ACE gene and the A1166C polymorphism of the angioten sin II type 1 receptor [ATIR]) and of haemostatic factors (the -675 4G/5G p olymorphism of the plasminogen-activator inhibitor 1 [PAI-1] gene. and the G to T common point mutation in exon 2, codon 34 of the Factor XIII A-subun it gene) were examined. We assessed the genotype distribution in consecutive coronary artery diseas e (CAD) patients with MI (n = 201) and vasospastic angina pectoris (n = 43) and in 244 healthy controls comparable in age. sex, body mass index and to tal cholesterol level. The genotype distribution of AT1R polymorphism was significantly different between controls and patients. the prevalence of the C allele carriers bein g higher in patients with MI after the age of 45 than in control individual s (61 vs 45%, p <0.01). leading to an odds ratio (OR) of 2 (CI: 1.2-3.4). W hen looking at the group of patients with vasospastic angina the difference was even higher (76 vs 45%. p <0.01) yielding an OR of 4.3 (CI: 1.4-17.4). Genotype distributions of ACE, PAI-I and Factor XIII polymorphisms were si milar in patients and in controls. This study is in favor of a role of AT1R gene polymorphism in myocardial in farction and vasospastic angina.