The K469E polymorphism of the intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) gene is not associated with myocardial infarction in Caucasians with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the major risk factors for the development of CAD and subsequent MI. Inflammation, whereby ICAM-1 plays an important role, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of MI. The K469E polymorphism of the ICAM-1 gene has recently been associated with ischemic stroke, atherosclerosis of femoral arteries and microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes. We examined the association between the K469E polymorphism of the ICAM-1 gene and MI among the patients with type 2 diabetes in Slovenian population. Genotyping of the K469E polymorphism of the ICAM-1 gene was performed for 367 subjects with type 2 diabetes: 152 patients with MI and 215 with no history of CAD. The K469E ICAM-1 genotype distribution in patients with MI (EE = 21.7 %, EK = 47.4 %, KK = 30.9 %) did not differ from genotype distribution in patients without CAD (EE = 19.1 %, EK = 50.7 %, KK = 30.2 %), and the EE genotype was not associated with MI in subjects with type 2 diabetes (P = 0.5). In conclusion, the K469E polymorphism of the ICAM-1 gene was not associated with MI in patients with type 2 diabetes, and therefore may not be used as a genetic marker for MI in patients with type 2 diabetes.