Gene Polymorphisms for PAI-1 Are Associated with the Angiographic Extent of Coronary Artery Disease

Localized regulation of fibrinolytic protein gene expression is associated with the histologic extent of atherosclerosis. This regulation may be dependent on the presence of certain fibrinolytic protein gene polymorphisms. The relationship between the plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 HindIII and the tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) EcoR1 gene polymorphisms and the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) were investigated in 49 Caucasian patients with symptomatic CAD. There was a strong association between PAI-1, but not t-PA, gene polymorphisms and the extent of CAD detected by coronary angiography. Patients homozygous for the presence or absence of the PAI-1 HindIII (1/1, 2/2 PAI-1) gene polymorphisms had a significantly greater extent of CAD (number of diseased vessels) than patients with the respective heterozygous forms (vs. 1/2 PAI-1, P = 0.05). Stepwise ordinal multiple regression analysis of classic CAD risk factors and fibrinolytic protein genotypes indicated that only the PAI-1 genotypes were predictive of the extent of angiographic CAD (P = 0.019). Analysis of variance between classic risk factors and fibrinolytic protein genotypes identified an association between t-PA genotypes and a history of prior infarction or stroke. Fibrinolytic gene polymorphisms for PAI-1 are associated with the extent of CAD in symptomatic patients and with certain risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis.