Association of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene polymorphism with coronary heart disease

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is an important adhesion molecule that has a crucial role in lymphocyte migration and atherosclerosis pathogenesis activation. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between the rs5498 polymorphism of the ICAM-I gene and coronary heart disease (CHD). The rs5498 polymorphism of the ICAM-1 gene was detected using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 674 patients with CHD and 779 control subjects. The results showed that the frequency of the G allele was significantly higher in patients with CHD than that in controls (29.1 vs. 23.3%; P<0.001). The frequency of the AG+GG genotypes was higher in patients with CHD than that in controls (49.7 vs. 40.8%; P=0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that AG+GG was an independent risk factor for CHD (odds ratio, 1.919;. 95% confidence intervals, 1.471-2.503; P<0.001). For males, the frequencies of the G allele and AG+GG genotype were also higher in patients with CHD than those in control subjects (frequency of G allele, 29.9 vs. 22.7%; P<0:001; frequency of AG+GG genotype, 50.6 vs. 40.3%; P=0.001). For females, no significant differences in genotype or allele distribution were observed between the two groups. In conclusion, it was demonstrated in the present study that the rs5498 polymorphism of the ICAM-I gene was associated with CHD in males. Males with the G allele (AG and GG genotype) may therefore have a higher risk for CHD than those with the AA genotype.