Background: Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) show inflammatory changes and elevated plasma levels of TNFalpha and endotoxins. However, the role of the CD14 C(-260)T polymorphism in patients with CHF is unclear. Therefore, we sought to determine whether the C=>T promoter polymorphism (position -260) of the CD 14 gene is associated with a higher risk for the development of CHF.
Methods: We studied 100 patients with CHF (mean age 62+/-3 years, LVEF 28+/-8%) and 100 healthy controls (59+/-10 years, p=NS; LVEF 60+/-4%, p<0.05). CD14 genotyping was performed using a PCR-RFLP technique.
Results: Among CHF patients, the frequency of the T allele was lower (38% vs. 48%, p<0.05) and the frequency of the C allele higher (62 % vs. 52 %, p<0.05) than among controls. The distribution of CD14 genotypes in healthy controls was as follows: CC 32%, CT 40%, and TT 28%. Among CHF patients, the TT genotype was significantly underrepresented compared to controls: CC 38%, CT 48%, and TT 14% (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The C -260T polymorphism of CD14 seems to influence the susceptibility for the development of CHF. The T allele is less frequent among CHF patients than among controls. The TT genotype could be a new genetic protective factor against the development of CHF.