The M235T polymorphism in the angiotensinogen gene and myocardial infarction risk: a meta-analysis

The angiotensinogen (AGT) gene M235T polymorphism has been reported to be associated with myocardial infarction (MI), but previous studies have been inconsistent. The present study aimed at assessing the association of M235T polymorphism in the AGT gene with MI using a meta-analysis.

We retrieved literature in Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane Library and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database (January 1990-December 2011) for the relevant studies on the AGT polymorphism M235T and risk of MI. Statistical analyses were carried out using Stata 10.0 for combining all the relevant studies. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the association. Begg's test was used to measure publication bias.

A total of 21 case-control studies containing 5887 patients and 6164 controls were enrolled into this meta-analysis. Overall, significant association was found between the AGT gene M235T polymorphism and risk of MI in the subgroup analysis for TT vs MT in Asians (OR 1.47, 95% CI: 1.01-2.12; p = 0.04). No associations were detected between AGT M235T and the risk of MI in total population and Caucasians.

This meta-analysis demonstrated that the AGT M235T polymorphism could be a prediction marker for risk of MI in Asians. Conclusive evidence on the effects of the variants in MI should be addressed in further studies.