Lipoprotein(a) levels and genetic polymorphisms in LPA genes may contribute to risk of coronary heart disease

Objective: Elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels may increase risks of coronary heart disease (CHD). Genetic variants in rs6415084 and rs12194138 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Lp(a) genes (LPA) are correlated with Lp(a) levels. However, whether these SNPs are associated with risk of CHD remains unknown. The current study investigated the correlation between Lp(a) levels and CHD. This study determined Lp(a) expression levels in SNPs variants of LPA, evaluating the correlation between these SNPs and incidence of CHD in Chinese Han people. Methods: Prevalence of rs6415084 and rs12194138 SNPs was examined by genotyping 1,129 Chinese Han participants (657 CHD patients and 472 control subjects). Next, this study assessed whether these SNPs were associated with incidence of CHD. Concentrations of serum lipids were determined by biochemical methods. Results: Lp(a) levels in the CHD group were significantly higher than those in control subjects [41.72 (46.45) nmol/L vs 28.93 (23.56) nmol/L]. This study adjusted for age and gender, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A1(ApoA1), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), homocysteine (HCY), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and small dense low density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C). The current study also calculated the risk of the fourth Lp(a) quartile (OR = 4.139, 95%, CI = 2.104-7.860) via multiple logistic regression. There were significant differences in genotype (C/T, A/T) and major allele frequencies (MAF) of variants rs6415084 and rs12194138 between the CHD group and control subjects. Moreover, rs6415084 and rs12194138 variants were associated with increased Lp(a) levels [98.62 (59.15) nmol/L vs 32.67 (23.93) nmol/L (CC; TT), P < 0.001; 88.15 (59.26) nmol/L vs 34.81 (34.58) nmol/L (AA; TT), P < 0.001]. LPA variants rs6415084 and rs12194138 were correlated with CHD (OR: 1.682; 95% CI: 1.39-2.876; P = 0.007; OR: 1.656; 95% CI: 1.121-2.996; P = 0.026). Conclusion: Results found that variants rs6415084 and rs12194138 of LPA were associated with increased serum Lp(a) levels and increased incidence of CHD.