Apolipoprotein E, CI and B gene polymorphisms in a sample of patients with coronary heart disease in the Kuwaiti population.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to investigate the possible association of clinical variables and apolipoprotein (APOE, APOCI and APOB) polymorphisms with the development of myocardial infraction (MI) and coronary heart disease (CHD) in Kuwaitis.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

APOE, APOCI and APOB genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism in 143 Kuwaiti CHD patients with (n = 88) and without (n = 55) MI and in 122 controls matched for gender and age. Statistical and genetic analyses of the genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies, as well as regression analyses of genetic and clinical variables were done.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant association between CHD and medical history of diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.01), high cholesterol (p < 0.05) and family history of CHD (p < 0.001). A highly significant association (p < 0.001) was found, with an adjusted odds ratio of 9.32, for family history and the development of MI. No significant differences were found for allele or genotype frequencies between CHD patients and controls.

CONCLUSION

The strong effect of family history suggests a major genetic component for the development of CHD in Kuwaitis, but this association does not appear to be related to the APO genes studied here. The results in this study encourages future research into these and other polymorphisms and their potential association with MI and CHD in the Kuwaiti population.