C(-260)â†'T Polymorphism In The Promoter Of The CD14 Monocyte Receptor Gene As A Risk Factor For Coronary Artery Disease In A Chinese Population

Objective To explore whether the C(-260)→T polymorphism of the CD14 gene constitutes a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) in a Chinese population.Methods With employing a case-control study design, the CD14 C(-260)→T polymorphism was evaluated among 218 newly diagnosed inpatients with CAD (cases), and among 230 representative selected control subjects (controls). CD14 genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) -- HaeIII digestion.Results In CAD patients, the genotype frequencies were as follows: CC 22%, TT 52%, and CT 26%, and in controls, they were 51%, 17%, and 31% respectively. The frequency of the TT genotype was significantly higher in the cases than in controls (52% vs. 31%, OR 4.79, 95% CI 3.31 to 7.44, p =0.0004). And the frequency of the T allele (absence of the cutting site) was 65% in cases and 49% in controls (OR 3.22; 95%CI, 1.95 to 4.31; P=0.002). All observed genotype frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.Conclusion A higher frequency of allele T (-260) in the promoter of the CD14 receptor gene was found in CAD patients than in controls. In the patients examined in this study, the C(-260)→T polymorphism of the CD14 gene is related to CAD, and in addition to the well-established risk factors, the genetically determined reaction of monocytes / macrophages to infections stimuli could play an important role in the process of atherosclerosis.