Angiotensinogen M235T polymorphism is associated with coronary artery disease severity

Previous reports relating coronary artery disease and functional variants of the renin-angiotensin system have been contradictory in establishing the role of these polymorphisms in coronary artery disease (CAD) development. The aim of the present study is to determine if there is an association between the M235T variant of the angiotensinogen gene and severity of coronary artery disease in patients with clinically suspected disease undergoing cineangiogram.

The angiotensinogen M235T variant was analyzed in 871 consecutive patients with clinically suspected coronary artery disease submitted to coronary angiography study. Three different angiographic scores were used to determine severity of the disease analyzing 20 coronary segments. All patients were evaluated considering classical risk factors for coronary artery disease throughout a medical oriented questionnaire, anthropometric measures, and blood glucose and lipid profile determination.

Presence of the 235T allele was associated with higher angiographic extension scores in univariate analysis (p < 0.05). The 235T allele was also associated with an increased risk of presenting 3-vessel disease (p < 0.05). In addition, the T allele was significantly associated with higher Gensini's scores both in univariate (p = 0.05) and multivariate analyses (p < 0.05). Finally, a 1.86 fold increase in the risk of multivessel disease (95% CI: 1.174-2.947) was associated with the TT genotype independently of other cardiovascular risk factors associated with disease extension.

The data hereby provide further support for the association between angiotensinogen M235T polymorphism and CAD severity independently of other cardiovascular risk factors.