Circulating soluble E-selectin levels and the Ser128Arg polymorphism in individuals from different ethnic groups

Background and aim: An association between the Ser128Arg polymorphism and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been previously demonstrated in a white population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the Ser128Arg polymorphism of the E-selectin gene is associated with soluble E-selectin levels in individuals from a multiethnic population. Methods and results: Plasma sE-selectin levels and the Ser128Arg E-selectin gene polymorphism were determined in 244 white (109 females), 176 of African origin (90 females) and 208 South Asian (95 females) healthy individuals living in England selected from the Wandsworth Heart and Stroke Study (WHSS). The substitution of serine for arginine (A to C mutation) was more common in whites (9.6%) and South Asians (7.9%) compared to the people of African origin (3.7%); p = 0.005. The C mutation had no effect on sE-selectin Levels in any ethnic group. Conclusions: We found a lower frequency of this polymorphism in the people of African origin who have a low CHD risk. However, in this study the polymorphism was not associated with circulating sE-selectin levels. Whether it plays a role in determining ethnic differences in vascular disease via a mechanism affecting leukocyte recruitment remains to be determined. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.