Background The receptor AT1 is responsible for the major part of the known actions of angiotensin II. A polymorphism located in the 3' untranslated region (A1166C) of the AT1 gene has been reported to be associated with myocardial infarction (MI) and hypertension. The objective of our study was to assess the possible relationship between the A1166C AT1 polymorphism and a positive history of MI, hypertension, and familial history of coronary heart disease (CHD), and severity of coronary atherosclerosis, respectively, in subjects with CHD below 50 years of age.
Methods The study was performed in 95 consecutive patients with CHD confirmed by elęctive coronary angiography ( 90 males and 5 females, mean age 44 4 years, 76% survived MI, 35% were hypertensive). The polymerase chain reaction with subsequent DdeI enzyme digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis were used to determine the A1166C AT1 genotype.
Results The genotype distribution in the study group was: 65% for AA, 31% for AC, 4% for CC and was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The A1166C AT1 genotype was not associated with positive MI history (odds ratio CC+AC vs AA = 0.9, p = 0.85), arterial hypertension (odds ratio CC+AC vs AA = 0.57, p = 0.25), familial CHD history (odds ratio AC+CC vs AA = 0.97, p = 0.96) and with the number of affected coronary arteries as determined by angiography (odds ratio CC+AC vs AA = 1.09, p = 0.85). In addition segregation of the A1166C AT1 genotypes was independent of common risk factors such as: age, body mass index, plasma cholesterol and triglicerydes, diabetes and smoking habits.
Conclusions No significant association was observed between the A1166C AT1R receptor gene polymorphism and myocardial infarction in history, arterial hypertension, familial history of CHD, and severity of coronary atherosclerosis in 95 patients with angiographically confirmed significant coronary atherosclerosis below 50 years of age. However further case-control studies are needed.