Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism BsmI is not associated with the prevalence and severity of CAD in a large-scale angiographic cohort of 3441 patients.

Abstract

Recent studies found a relationship between Vitamin D and atherosclerosis. A common genetic polymorphism of the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) has been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in small study populations. To assess its influence on the prevalence and severity of CAD we studied a large-scale population. A total of 3441 consecutive patients were referred for diagnostic coronary angiography. The BsmI Vitamin D receptor polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. Angiography was used to define phenotypes with clear coronary arteries (n = 775), coronary sclerosis (diameter stenosis < 50%; n = 579), CAD (diameter stenosis > 50% in at least one vessel; n = 1524). Patients with CAD at a young age (females aged less than 65 years, males aged less than 55 years; n = 563) were specially defined as premature CAD. The risk profile of traditional cardiovascular risk factors was obtained for every patient. The genotype frequencies of the VDR BsmI polymorphism did not differ between all four phenotypes (P = 0.756). The allele frequencies for the B allele were 0.43 vs. 0.44 vs. 0.42 vs. 0.45 in the four phenotypic groups (P = 0.827). All traditional cardiovascular risk factors (hypercholesterolaemia, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, severe obesity, male gender) were significantly (P < 0.001) associated with the angiographic phenotype. The VDR gene variant BsmI was not associated with prevalence and severity of CAD in a large-scale cohort phenotyped by angiography.