Background: Left main (LM) disease is rare but the most hazardous phenotype of coronary artery disease (CAD). Thus, early detection of participants at high risk of developing left main coronary heart disease (LM-CAD) is crucial. The aim of this study was to identify gene polymorphisms which could distinguish participants who are at high risk of developing LM-CAD. Such a candidate can be the prostaglandin I(2) or prostacyclin (PGI(2)) gene.
Methods: The DNA of 254 participants (151 participants with angiographically documented LM-CAD and 103 healthy controls) was analyzed for the frequency of C1117A polymorphism in the gene coding CYP8A1.
Results: The genotype distribution was different between the LM-CAD and the control group. Particularly, the CC genotype of CYP8A1 was commoner in the LM-CAD than in the healthy group (P < .001). Allele frequencies were also differently distributed between the 2 groups. C allele frequency was higher in LM-CAD group (P = .016).
Conclusions: The CC genotype of C1117A polymorphism is associated with higher risk of LM-CAD, which prospectively may have potential importance in screening high-risk populations. However, further investigations in larger populations are required to confirm these findings.