The relationship among angiotensinogen genes polymorphisms and hs-CRP and coronary artery disease

Objective: To assess the association of gene polymorphisms of angiotensinogen (AGT), the key factor in rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: The current study recruited the patients who were hospitalized and assessed by coronary angiography for suspected CAD. The patients with documented CAD served as CAD group (n = 492) while the patients without documented CAD (n = 87) served as control group. We compared laboratory data and CAD risk factors between the two groups. Furthermore, we analyzed the association of AGT M235T, G217A, G152A, G-6A, A-20C genotypes with coronary artery stenosis and in-stent restenosis.

Results: There were significantly differences between two patient groups in sex, smoking history, diabetes mellitus, carotid atherosclerosis, lower limb arteriosclerosis, hs-CRP, blood glucose, and the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL; P < 0.05). In CAD group, hs-CRP levels increased with increasing number of coronary artery branches (1, 2, or ≥3; P < 0.01), and Gensini integral was positively correlated with hs-CRP levels (r = 0.361, P < 0.01). Frequencies of genotype and allele distribution in individual angiotensinogen loci (M235T, G217A, G152A, G-6A, A-20C) did not differ in two patient groups. Following stratification of patients according to hs-CRP levels (<1 mg/L, 1-3 mg/L, and >3 mg/L), the distribution frequency of allele M235T was statistically different among the groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: In CAD patients, M235T among several AGT gene polymorphisms is associated with elevated hs-CRP levels with AGT C allele as the significant factor for patients with hs-CRP level of more than 1 mg/L.