Association of APJ G212A gene polymorphisms with plasma APJ levels and coronary artery disease risk in Turkish population

Abstract

Apelin and apelin receptor (APJ) are required for normal cardiovascular development. To investigate the relationship between the APJ G212A polymorphisms and plasma APJ levels and the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), allele and genotype frequencies of the APJ G212A gene were analysed in were analysed in 152 Turkish patients with CAD and 110 controls by the PCR-RFLP method. The frequencies of genotype GG (57.2% vs 18.2%, P = 0.000, OR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.44) and frequencies of allele G (70.1% vs 46.8%, P = 0.000, OR = 2.65, 95% CI 1.84 to 3.83) at APJ G212A gene polymorphisms were significantly increased in CAD compared with controls. Although plasma APJ level of the patients with GG genotype was lower, It was not statistically significant. CAD patients had significantly lower plasma APJ levels as compared with controls (P = 0.018). On the basis of our results, patients with CAD seem to have lower APJ levels and higher APJ-212 GG genotype and G allele. These results suggested that the APJ G212A gene may be associated with risk for CAD and the APJ G212A gene may play a role in CAD in the Turkish population.