Background: Cholesterol metabolism is mediated, in part, by the sterol-regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) that are activated by a SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP). We examined whether coding variations in the interacting domains of both genes, are related to early-onset MI risk in a population-based case-control study from western Washington State.
Methods: Cases were 257 women, aged 18-59 years, and 320 men, aged 18-49 years, with first acute non-fatal MI; controls were 353 women and 311 men, similar in age, identified from the community who had no history of clinical CHD or stroke. Genotyping of the SREBF-2 G1784C polymorphism (SREBP-2-595A/G isoforms), and the SCAP A2386G polymorphism (SCAP-796I/V isoforms), were performed.
Results: After adjustment for age and race, the SREBP-2-595A isoform was associated with increased MI risk among men (OR=1.63, 95% CI=1.26-2.12). In contrast, there was little evidence for an association among women in a multiplicative model. However, compared to SREBP-2-595G homozygotes, homozygote women for the SREBP-2-595A isoform were at nearly two-fold increased risk (OR=1.95, 95% CI=1.07-3.54). Overall, SCAP genotypes were neither associated with MI in men nor in women. However, in men, SCAP genotypes were found to modify the association between SREBF-2 and MI (p-value for interaction=0.01).
Conclusion: The SREBP-2-595A isoform was associated with an increased risk of early-onset MI in U.S. men. The SCAP polymorphism appeared to modify the associations of SREBF-2 genotype with MI risk among men. These novel findings require confirmation in other populations.