PLoS Genetics (Jul 2008)

Novel association of ABO histo-blood group antigen with soluble ICAM-1: results of a genome-wide association study of 6,578 women.

  • Guillaume Paré,
  • Daniel I Chasman,
  • Mark Kellogg,
  • Robert Y L Zee,
  • Nader Rifai,
  • Sunita Badola,
  • Joseph P Miletich,
  • Paul M Ridker

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000118
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 7
p. e1000118

Abstract

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While circulating levels of soluble Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (sICAM-1) have been associated with diverse conditions including myocardial infarction, stroke, malaria, and diabetes, comprehensive analysis of the common genetic determinants of sICAM-1 is not available. In a genome-wide association study conducted among 6,578 participants in the Women's Genome Health Study, we find that three SNPs at the ICAM1 (19p13.2) locus (rs1799969, rs5498 and rs281437) are non-redundantly associated with plasma sICAM-1 concentrations at a genome-wide significance level (P<5x10(-8)), thus extending prior results from linkage and candidate gene studies. We also find that a single SNP (rs507666, P = 5.1x10(-29)) at the ABO (9q34.2) locus is highly correlated with sICAM-1 concentrations. The novel association at the ABO locus provides evidence for a previously unknown regulatory role of histo-blood group antigens in inflammatory adhesion processes.