Background: A role of CD14 receptor in the inflammatory response is stimulation of monocytes and endothelial cells by lipopolysaccharide of Gram-negative bacteria. The reports about association of progression of atherosclerosis with CD14 gene polymorphism in different populations are conflicting.
Aim: To assess if T to C exchange at position 159 of the CD14 gene correlates with age at the onset of first myocardial infarction (MI), severity of coronary atherosclerosis and number of risk factors in MI survivors in a local community characterised by high morbidity of cardiovascular diseases and whether this genotyping could be helpful in identifying patients with a high risk of MI at young age and beyond low number of risk factors.
Methods: Fifty-seven MI survivors (75.5% males) from 98 consecutive patients (pts) with coronary artery disease were included. The genotypes in position 159 of the CD14 gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction. The medical history concerning diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, dyslipidaemia, smoking and obesity was taken from every participant. Gensini score (GS) was calculated on the basis of coronarography. Age at first MI, value of GS and number of risk factors were analysed variables. The pts were divided into the decades of life, according to cumulated number of risk factors and into the terciles according to GS. Distribution of ages at first MI, pts with different number of risk factors and percent of pts belonging to determined terciles of GS were compared between subgroups with genotype CC and CT, TT.
Results: The CC genotype was detected in 25 (43.8%) pts, CT in 30 (52.6%) and TT in 2 (3.6%). Age at first MI ranged from 40 to 75 years, mean 58.7±7.23, values of GS ranged from 0 to 154, mean 48.6±25.7, and number of risk factors from 0 to 4, mean 1.92±0.99. No significant differences in distribution of ages at first MI, values of GS or number of risk factors were found between patients with CC and with CT or TT genotype in position 159 of CD14 receptor genotype.
Conclusion: These data indicate that screening for CD14 159C/T polymorphism is unlikely to be a useful tool for risk assessment of MI at young age, independently of low number of risk factors, in a population with high morbidity from cardiovascular diseases.