The association between LEP/LEPR polymorphisms and coronary artery disease: a case-control study in an eastern Chinese Han population

Obesity and being overweight are considered risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD), but the underlying pathogenesis remains unclear. To investigate whether genetic polymorphisms in leptin (LEP) and the leptin receptor (LEPR) contribute to the development of CAD, we conducted a case-control study of the LEP rs2167270 G >A, rs7799039 A>G and LEPR rs1137100 G>A, rs1137101 G >A polymorphisms in the eastern Chinese Han population. In total, 505 CAD patients and 1,109 healthy controls were enrolled. The LEP/LEPR polymorphisms were genotyped using the SNPscan (TM) genotyping method. The results indicate that the LEP rs2167270 G>A polymorphism may be a protective factor against CAD (GA vs. GG: adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-0.98; P = 0.034), whereas LEPR rs1137100 G>A increased the risk of CAD (AA vs. GG: adjusted OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.01-3.92; P = 0.048 and AA vs. GG/GA: adjusted OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.03-3.97; P = 0.042). In addition, we found that the LEPR rs1137100 G>A polymorphism might be associated with an increased susceptibility to CAD among the subgroup of patients without a history of myocardial infarction (AA vs. GG: adjusted OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.07-4.62; P = 0.032 and AA vs. GG/GA: adjusted OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.11-4.78; P = 0.024). In conclusion, our results suggest that the LEP rs2167270 G>A polymorphism may be considered a protective factor against CAD in the eastern Chinese Han population, while the LEPR rs1137100 G>A polymorphism is likely a risk factor for CAD. Future studies considering detailed lifestyle and environmental factors are needed to confirm our findings.