Objective: Platelet membrane glycoprotein (GP) Ia/IIa complex is the major collagen receptor on platelets. Platelet activation by GP Ia/ IIa dependent adhesion leads to cellular events that catalyze prothrombin conversion and fibrin clot formation. Correlation between the polymorphism of platelet membrane GP Ia gene and myocardial infarction (MI) was explored.
Methods: A total of 137 patient s with myocardial infarction and 175 controls with no history of coronary heart disease, thrombogenic and hemorrhagenic diseases were studied by case-control. Platelet GP I a gene 807 C/T polymorphisms were checked by polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primers.
Results: There were significant differences in the distribution of T and C alleles between MI and control groups (T:42.70% vs 32.00%, C:57.30% vs 68.00%, P<0.001). No matter among all subjects or among subjects aged <or= 60 years, the prevalence of genotypes (TT+TC) in MI group was significantly higher than that in control group [in all subjects; 69.34% vs 51.43%, P<0.005, odds ratio(OR)=2.14, 95% CI: 1.34-3.41; in subjects aged <or= 60 years; 75.90% vs 51. 52%, P<0.005, OR=2.96,95% CI 1.58-5.55]. Platelet GP Ia T allele was significantly associated with MI by multiple logistic regression (OR=4.96, 95% CI:2.55-10.90).
Conclusion: The above data suggest that there is a strong association between the presence of GP Ia T allele and MI. T allele ca n be a marker of genetic susceptibility to MI. These need to be substantiated by a large scale and prospective study.