Association of genetic variation on chromosome 9p21 with susceptibility and progression of atherosclerosis - A population-based, prospective study

Objectives Following the recent novel finding from genomewide association studies that sequence variation on chromosome 9p21 is a genetic factor for coronary artery disease, we investigated whether the genetic variant influenced the development of atherosclerosis and its progression in a population-based, prospective study. Background Recently, several genomewide association studies revealed a highly significant association between variation on chromosome 9p21 and risk of coronary artery disease. Methods We studied the rs1333049 polymorphism located on chromosome 9p21 in a cohort of 769 individuals who participated in the Bruneck study with long-term follow-up data on carotid atherosclerosis measured by high-resolution duplex ultrasound and incident cardiovascular disease. Results The C allele was associated not only with prevalent carotid atherosclerosis ( odds ratio [ OR]: 1.46 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13 to 1.88]; OR: 1.43 [ 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.84]; and OR: 1.44 [ 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.87] for each copy of C allele, calculated from data collected in 1990, 1995, and 2000, respectively), but also with progression of atherosclerosis ( OR: 1.73 [ 95% CI: 1.36 to 2.21] during 1990 to 1995, and OR: 1.87 [ 95% CI: 1.44 to 2.42] during 1995 to 2000). In addition, the C allele was related to incident cardiovascular disease ( hazard ratio: 1.37 [ 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.79]). There was evidence of an interaction between genotype and abdominal obesity on atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk. Conclusions The results of this population-based, prospective study indicate that the sequence variation on chromosome 9p21 influences atherosclerosis development and progression.