Functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the gelatinase B gene in relation to coronary artery disease and restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention

The matrix metalloproteinases appear to play an important role in the development and progression of atherosclerotic lesions. We studied the C-1562T polymorphism of the gelatinase B promoter in relation to coronary artery disease and restenosis after a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in Koreans. To determine the frequency of the C-1562T allele, we examined 63 patients with coronary artery disease who underwent both PCI and 6-month follow-up coronary angiograms (CAGs), and 67 control patients with a normal CAG with respect to their clinical data and genotype. Frequencies of the C/C homozygotes and the non-C/C heterozygotes and homozygotes (C/T and T/T) were 94% and 6% in the normal CAG group, and 76.2% and 23.8% in the patient group, respectively. This gave a relative risk of 0.203 (95% CI: 0.063–0.651, P = 0.005) for coronary artery disease when the C/C genotype was compared with the non-C/C genotype. In the patient groups, the allele frequencies of the C/C and non-C/C were 80% and 20% in the nonrestenotic subgroup, and 71.4% and 28.6% in the restenotic subgroup (P = 0.554). No T/T homozygote was found in any of the groups. We conclude that C/C homozygosity is a potential genetic protective factor for coronary artery disease in Koreans. Received: September 28, 2001 / Accepted: November 14, 2001