IL-16 rs11556218 gene polymorphism is associated with coronary artery disease in the Chinese Han population

Objective: Our aim was to investigate the association between IL-16 gene polymorphisms (rs4778889 C/T and rs11556218 G/T) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Design and methods: The initial cohort consisted of 300 CAD patients and 397 controls from the Chinese Han population. Genotyping was performed by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The positive association between polymorphism and CAD was replicated in another independent cohort, which included 424 CAD cases and 332 controls. Results: In the initial study, the allele and genotype frequencies of rs4778889 were not different between in CAD and controls (P>0.05). However, The G allele frequency of rs11556218 was significantly higher in the CAD cases than in the controls (CAD, 46.8% vs. controls, 22.8%, P<0.001). The risk of CAD was significantly higher in the G allele carriers than in the non-carriers (P<0.001, adjusted odds ratio-7.27; 95% confidence interval, 4.13-12.8). In the replication cohort, G carriers of rs11556218 also had a higher risk of CAD (P=0.005, adjusted OR=2.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-3.74). Conclusion: Our study suggested that IL-16 rs11556218 G/T polymorphism is significantly associated with the risk of CAD in the Chinese Han population. (C) 2011 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.