C677T gene polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) in patients with myocardial infarction

Hyperhomocysteinemia is thought to be an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. Increased plasma homocysteine level can result from malnutrition (e.g. folate deficiency) and/or genetic-related disturbances. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, the methyl donor for homocysteine remethylation to methionine. Transition of cytosine (C) to thymidine (T) at nucleotide position 677 of MTHFR gene causes alanine 226-to-valine substitution, and in consequence results in decreased enzyme activity and increased homocysteine level. Therefore, the aim of our study was to estimate the frequency distribution of C677T MTHFR polymorphism in patients with past myocardial infarction (MI), and to evaluate the association between this polymorphism and age of MI onset or left ventricular mass (LVM). The study was performed in 100 MI patients aged from 34 to 76 years and in control group consisted of 100 age- and gender-matched non-MI subjects. Applying PCR followed by Hinf I digestion of amplification products no significant difference in the frequency distribution of C677T MTHFR genotypes has been found between both groups (MI patients: 46% CC, 45% CT and 9% TT, and control group: 39% CC, 50% CT and 11% TT, respectively). No significant association between MTHFR genotypes and age of MI onset or LVM has been found in MI group. The results of our study suggest that C677T polymorphism of MTHFR gene is not a risk factor for myocardial infarction in Polish population.