AGT gene polymorphisms (M235T, T174M) are associated with coronary heart disease in a Chinese population

Objective: The angiotensinogen (AGT) gene has been shown to be involved in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the results have been inconsistent. In this study, the authors performed a meta-analysis to clarify the associations between AGT polymorphisms and CHD risk among the Chinese population. Methods: Published literature from PubMed, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Data were searched. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a fixed- or random-effects model. Results: Fourteen studies (2540 cases and 2173 controls) for M235T polymorphism and five studies (655 cases and 815 controls) for T174M polymorphism were included in the meta-analyses. The results showed that M235T polymorphism was significantly associated with CHD risk under a recessive model (OR=1.65, 95% CI 1.22-2.25). There was also significant association between T174M polymorphism and CHD risk under a homogeneous co-dominant model (OR= 4.20, 95% CI 1.90-9.29) and a recessive model (OR=4.15, 95% CI 1.88-9.15). Further sensitivity analyses confirmed the significant association. Conclusions: The meta-analyses indicated the significant associations of two AGT polymorphisms (M235T, T174M) with CHD risk in the Chinese population.