Butyrylcholinesterase K variant and the APOE-epsilon 4 allele work in synergy to increase the risk of coronary artery disease especially in diabetic patients

Mol Biol Rep. 2010 Apr;37(4):2083-91. doi: 10.1007/s11033-009-9666-4. Epub 2009 Aug 15.

Abstract

We have previously shown that butyrylcholinesterase-K (BCHE-K, G1615A/Ala539Thr) variant increases the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). In addition, we have found that the presence of APOE-epsilon 4 allele augments the risk of CAD in patients with type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM/CAD). Here we explored the concomitant presences of two alleles of the BCHE-K and APOE-epsilon 4 in increasing the risk of CAD or diabetes in T2DM patients with or without CAD and CAD patients without T2DM. This case-control study comprised 631 subjects undergoing their first coronary angiography. They were matched and randomly assigned into four groups: type II diabetic patients with no sign of CAD (T2DM), type II diabetic patients with CAD/ND (T2DM/CAD), CAD patients with no sign of diabetes (CAD/ND), and healthy individuals (NCAD/ND). BCHE-K variant and APOE genotypes were detected by PCR-RFLP and serum lipid level was measured enzymatically. We found that BCHE-K and APOE-epsilon 4 allele act synergistically to increase the risk of CAD in both T2DM, non-diabetic and total CAD (TCAD = T2DM/CAD + CAD/ND) individuals. The level of synergy 1.5 and 1.2 fold are higher in CAD patients (OR = 4.5; P = 0.011) with T2DM than the non-diabetic CAD patients (OR = 3.07; P = 0.024) and TCAD patients (OR = 3.74; P = 0.018), respectively. The CAD subjects with and without T2DM and TCAD patients carrying both APOE-epsilon 4 allele and BCHE-K had significantly lower plasma HDL-C (P values = 0.008, 0.047, and 0.036, respectively) and higher plasma LDL-C (P values = 0.025, 0.048, and 0.04, respectively), than that of the control carriers both APOE-epsilon 4 and BCHE-K. We have found that BCHE-K and APOE-epsilon 4 allele not only act synergistically to increase the risk of CAD, particularly in T2DM subjects in population from western Iran, who have high levels of LDL-C and low levels of HDL-C, suggesting that a specific therapeutic intervention should be considered for these particular groups of patients.

MeSH terms

  • Alleles*
  • Apolipoprotein E4 / genetics*
  • Butyrylcholinesterase / genetics*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Coronary Artery Disease / blood
  • Coronary Artery Disease / complications*
  • Coronary Artery Disease / enzymology
  • Coronary Artery Disease / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / blood
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / complications*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / enzymology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / genetics
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  • Heterozygote
  • Humans
  • Iran
  • Lipids / blood
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Odds Ratio
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / genetics*
  • Sex Characteristics

Substances

  • Apolipoprotein E4
  • Lipids
  • Butyrylcholinesterase