Abstract

BACKGROUND Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and remains a major health problem, providing the rationale for identification of molecular markers for detection of individuals at high risk of developing CAD. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of CAD. We have therefore explored the association of TNF-α 308 (G/A) gene polymorphism in 903 individuals with/without CAD. METHODS TNF-α 308 gene polymorphism was analyzed in 903 subjects of whom 222 were healthy controls. Among the 681 patients who were investigated angiographically, 468 had ≧50% stenosis and 213 patients had <50% stenosis. Biochemical profiles (eg, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, and CRP) were evaluated. Associations between TNF-α genotypes with biochemical and anthropometric characteristics were determined. RESULTS The frequencies of TNF-α-AA or AG genotypes were significantly lower in patients classified as CAD patients with ≥ or <50% obstruction in at least one coronary artery, compared to the control group. We observed that CAD patients with ≥50% stenosis and with AA genotype were associated with higher risk of CAD with OR of 3.56 (95%CI: 1.02-12.41; P=.046) using multivariate analysis. Moreover, we found that TNF-α-308-AA genotype was associated with blood pressure and CRP level in CAD patients, compared to the wild type-genotype. CONCLUSION Our data showed an association of TNF-α-308G/A polymorphism with CAD patients with ≥50% obstruction, supporting the need for further investigations on the role of TNF-α-308G/A polymorphism with hypertension.