Association between two polymorphisms in the HLA-G gene and angiographic coronary artery disease

Atherosclerosis and related complications still represent the major cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. Therefore, it is particularly important to investigate the molecules involved in cardiac inflammation. Evidence exists showing that the human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) gene tissue expression and related protein physiological significance is influenced by two polymorphisms, rs16375 and rs1632933. In this study, allelic, genotypic and haplotypic frequencies of a 14-bp insertion/deletion (Ins/Del) (rs16375) and of rs1632933 polymorphisms of the HLA-G gene were investigated in 664 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 345 matched controls by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and real-time PCR. The frequency of the Ins/Ins genotype was significantly higher in patients with CAD compared to the controls (P=0.018). After analysis of confounding variables, the results showed that the homozygous Ins/Ins was significantly and independently associated with the presence of angiographic CAD (odds ratio 2.09, 95% confidence interval 1.10-4.02, P=0.03). Our data demonstrate a new risk factor for this multifactorial inflammatory disease.