The paraoxonase Gln-Arg 192 polymorphism in subjects with ischaemic heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Human serum paraoxonase activity is related to the paraoxonase Gln-Arg 192 polymorphism genotype. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the Gln-Arg 192 polymorphism of paraoxonase and ischaemic heart disease (IHD). METHODS: Four hundred and forty patients with a history suggestive of IHD, and characterized by coronary angiography, and 527 healthy controls were studied. Patients were grouped according to paraoxonase genotype, presence or absence of diseased coronary arteries (on the basis of 50% stenosis), and history of myocardial infarction as judged by World Health Organization criteria. Patients were genotyped for the paraoxonase Gln-Arg 192 polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: No significant relationship was found between paraoxonase genotype and age, sex, body mass index, smoking, triglycerides or hypertension. However, by oneway analysis of variance, cholesterol was found to be significantly associated with paraoxonase genotype in male patients [AA 5.9 (5.8-6.1), AB 6.2 (6.0-6.4), BB 5.7 (5.4-6.1); P = 0.04]. The Gln-Arg 192 polymorphism was found to have no significant effect on the number of patients having diseased coronary arteries, or having myocardial infarction (P = 0.97 for both). In logistic regression models, paraoxonase genotype did not remain a significant independent predictor of stenosis or myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION: This study failed to show an association between the Gln-Arg 192 polymorphism of paraoxonase and the clinical phenotypes of coronary atheroma and acute myocardial infarction.