Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor 1 3'UTR 188C>T Gene Polymorphism in Patients with Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Aim: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a pathological process characterized by atherosclerotic plaque accumulation in the epicardial arteries. Inflammation and high lipid levels play a role in pathological changes in atherosclerosis. Besides traditional risk factors, genetic factors such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) can be involved in disease process. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor 1 (OLR1) 3'UTR188C>T gene polymorphism, C -reactive protein (CRP), and lipid status in patients with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of 109 CAD patients who had undergone CABG, and 127 healthy controls. The OLR1 3'UTR188C>T polymorphism was genotyped using PCR-RFLP technique. Serum CRP, high -density lipoprotein -cholesterol (HDL-C), and low -density lipoprotein -cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were measured with an automatic biochemistry analyzer. Results: The distribution of the OLR1 3'UTR188C>T genotypes and alleles did not differ significantly between CAD patients with CABG and controls. Serum CRP levels were increased in patients compared to the control group (p<0.001), but HDL-C, and LDL-C levels were not different between two groups. Traditional risk factor such as cigarette smoking, alcohol use, family history, diabetes mellitus and hypertension were increased in patients compared to the control group (p<0.001, for each). The CRP levels were higher in patients with the TT, CT, and CC genotypes than in controls with the same genotypes (p<0.001, p<0.01, and p<0.05, respectively). Conclusion: OLR1 3'UTR 188C>T polymorphism may not be involved in susceptibility to atherosclerosis. However, traditional risk factors in atherosclerosis such as smoking, alcohol consumption, family history, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and circulating CRP levels were increased in our CABG population. The evaluation of OLR1 3'UTR188C>T and different OLR1 SNPs may be useful for their single and combined effects in atherosclerosis.