Aims: C-reactive protein represents the classical acute-phase protein produced in the liver in response to inflammatory stimuli. This study evaluated the association of gene polymorphisms with differences in C-reactive protein concentrations and assessed its intra-individual variability as a marker of individual response.
Methods and results: One thousand and three myocardial infarction (MI) survivors were recruited in six European cities, and C-reactive protein concentrations were measured repeatedly during a 6-month period. We investigated 114 polymorphisms in 13 genes, all involved in the innate inflammatory pathway. We found two polymorphisms within the C-reactive protein (CRP) gene rs1800947 and rs1205, of which the minor alleles were strongly associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein (P < 10(-6)). A haplotype, identified by those two polymorphisms, was associated with the lowest C-reactive protein concentrations (P < 10(-6)). Additionally, the minor alleles of several variants were significantly associated with greater individual variability of C-reactive protein concentrations (P < 10(-3)).
Conclusion: The present study investigated the association of polymorphisms with inter- and intra-individual variability of C-reactive protein levels. Two minor alleles of C-reactive protein variants were associated with lower C-reactive protein concentrations. Regarding intra-individual variability, we observed associations with the minor alleles of several variants in selected candidate genes, including the CRP gene itself.