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Association between the chromosome 9p21 locus and angiographic coronary artery disease burden: a collaborative

Kenneth Chan1, Riyaz S Patel, Paul Newcombe

  • 1William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University London, London, United Kingdom.

Journal of the American College of Cardiology
|January 29, 2013
PubMed

Insights

The 9p21 gene locus is linked to a higher burden of coronary artery disease (CAD) but not myocardial infarction (MI) in individuals with existing CAD. This suggests 9p21 influences the development of atherosclerosis.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Chromosome 9p21 variants are strongly associated with coronary heart disease.
  • The precise mechanism, whether related to atheroma burden or plaque instability, remains under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association of the 9p21 locus with coronary artery disease (CAD) burden.
  • To examine the relationship between the 9p21 locus and myocardial infarction (MI) in individuals with underlying CAD.

Main Methods:

  • A collaborative study involving 21 cohorts and 33,673 subjects.
  • Analysis of 9p21 genotype, angiographic CAD burden, and MI status.
  • Utilized pooled analysis and random-effects models to assess associations.

Main Results:

  • Confirmed the association between 9p21 variants and CAD (OR: 1.31).
  • Found a significant association between 9p21 and multivessel CAD (OR: 1.10 per risk allele).
  • No significant association was observed between 9p21 and prevalent MI in subjects with underlying CAD (OR: 0.99).

Conclusions:

  • The 9p21 locus is convincingly associated with an increased burden of coronary artery disease.
  • The 9p21 locus does not appear to be associated with myocardial infarction in the context of existing CAD.
  • Findings support the hypothesis that 9p21 primarily influences the atherosclerotic phenotype.
Abstract

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