Statin and MTHFR C677T Polymorphism in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

Objective:Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, located on the short (p) arm of chromosome 1 at position 36.3 (1p36.3), might be a possible risk factor for the pharmacogenetics in CVD. A common polymorphism in MTHFR (C677T, Ala→Val) decreases this enzyme activity and increases the homocysteine concentrations, predisposing one to heart disease. Alternatively, statins, cholesterol-reducing agents, are also used to reduce the homocysteine blood concentrations; the aim of the present study was to evaluate how the genotype frequencies of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism, namely rs1801133, change in the cardiovascular system in patients treated with statin.Methods:In this study, the genotype distribution of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism in CVD patients treated with statin (hydrophilic and lipophilic) (n=290) and healthy controls (n=151) was assessed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).Results:In this study, a statistically significant difference in genotype frequencies for the MTHFR C677T polymorphism was found between CVD patients treated with statin and controls (p=0.037).Conclusion:For the first time, we demonstrate a relation between a MTHFR gene polymorphism and CVD in patients treated with statins in the Turkish population.

Keywords

• MTHFR
• cardiovascular disease
• statin
• pharmacogenetics