Genetic polymorph ism of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate increases risk of myocardial infarction and is correlated to elevated levels of homocysteine in the Japanese general population
K. Nakai et al., Genetic polymorph ism of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate increases risk of myocardial infarction and is correlated to elevated levels of homocysteine in the Japanese general population, CORON ART D, 11(1), 2000, pp. 47-51
Background Hyperhomocysteinemia, an independent and graded risk factor for
coronary artery disease, can result from both environmental and hereditary
factors. C677T mutation of the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MT
HFR) gene [alanine/valine (A/V) polymorphism], one of the key enzymes invol
ved in catalyzing the remethylation of homocysteine, has recently been repo
rted.
Objective To evaluate the incidence of the MTHFR genotypes and their signif
icance in determining the risk for myocardial infarction of Japanese men.
Method The subjects consisted of 199 healthy men (mean age, 60 years) and 2
30 male patients with myocardial infarction (mean age, 59 years). The coron
ary-artery lesions were evaluated by coronary angiography. The MTHFR genoty
pe was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and then by digestion with Hin
fI. Total plasma levels of homocysteine for each MTHFR genotype were compar
ed with those in healthy controls.
Results The prevalences of the A and V alleles among the healthy male subje
cts were 0.652 and 0.348 in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The total level
s of homocysteine in the plasma of the healthy male subjects were 8.6+/-3.3
, 8.9+/-4.1, and 11.6+/-5.6 mu mol/l, for AA, AV, and VV genotypes, respect
ively Individuals with the VV homozygous mutant genotype thus had the highe
st plasma levels of homocysteine, Logistic analysis revealed that the level
s of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes mellitus,
MTHFR VV genotype, and triglycerides were all independent risk factors for
myocardial infarction. The VV genotype was more prevalent among patients w
ith myocardial infarction (mean age, 59 years) than it was among the contro
l subjects (17.0 versus 10.6%, P < 0.05). However, there were no difference
s in the numbers of stenotic coronary arteries among the MTHFR genotypes.
Conclusion The VV genotype of MTHFR increases plasma levels of homocysteine
in healthy controls, and this mutation indicates a genetic predisposition
toward a greater than normal risk of myocardial infarction for Japanese men
. Coronary Artery Dis 11:47-51 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.