Association of single nucleotide polymorphism rs6903956 on chromosome 6p24.1 with coronary artery disease and lipid levels in different ethnic groups of the Singaporean population

Abstract

Objective: A recent genome wide association study in the Chinese population has implicated rs6903956 within the ADTRP gene on chromosome 6p24.1 as a novel susceptibility locus for coronary artery disease (CAD). In this study, we evaluated the association of rs6903956 with CAD in the different ethnic groups of Singaporean population comprising Chinese, Malays and Asian Indians.

Design and methods: The genotypes of the rs6903956 SNP were determined in 645 CAD patients and 755 control group Singaporean subjects by using the polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism method (PCR-RFLP). We then tested the association of this SNP with CAD and lipid profiles.

Results: The risk allele A of rs6903956 was associated significantly only in the Chinese with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.03 (95% CI 1.04-3.96, P=0.037) when analyzed by each ethnic group separately. In a meta-analysis with pooled subjects from all three ethnic groups, rs6903956 showed highly significant association with CAD both before (observed P=1.39e-04; OR=1.66; 95% CI 1.28-2.15) and after adjustment (P=4.63e-03; OR=1.86; 95% CI 1.21-2.87) for conventional risk factors of age, gender, BMI, smoking status and ethnicity. No significant association was observed between rs6903956 genotypes and lipid profiles in Chinese, Malays and Indians, suggesting that the association of this SNP with CAD is not mediated through plasma lipids.

Conclusion: The SNP rs6903956 within the ADTRP gene on chromosome 6p24.1 is significantly associated with CAD in different ethnic groups of the Singaporean population.