Background Endothelial cell activation and dysfunction are the foundation of atherosclerosis, including coronary artery disease (CAD). Endothelial cell activation is mediated by the level of gene transcription. Early growth response 3 (Egr3) is a critical determinant of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signalling in activated endothelial cells. If endothelial cells are excessively activated, it may lead to vasculopathic diseases, such as pathologic angiogenesis, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the Egr3 gene polymorphisms and CAD. Methods Two independent case–control studies that involved the Han group (409 CAD patients and 351 control subjects) and the Uygur group (299 CAD patients and 303 control subjects) analysed the relationship between Egr3 SNPs (rs1996147 and rs1008949) and CAD. Genotyping was undertaken using the TaqMan SNP genotyping assay. Results The entire Uygur group and the males in the Uygur group showed a higher frequency of the A allele (rs1996147) in CAD patients than in the control subjects (P?=?0.003 and P?=?0.005, respectively). Additionally, the distribution of the recessive model of rs1996147 (AA vs GG?+?AG) for the total sample and the males was significantly different between CAD patients and control participants (P?=?0.002 and P?=?0.003, respectively), and the difference remained statistically significant following multivariate adjustment (Total: OR?=?1.705; 95% CI: 1.166-2.494, P?=?0.006; males: OR?=?1.908, 95% CI: 1.189-3.062, P?=?0.007). However, for Uygur females, we did not observe a difference in the allele frequency or genotypic distribution of rs1996147 between CAD patients and control participants. Similarly, the distribution of the rs1996147 allele frequency or genotypes showed no significant difference between patients with CAD and control participants in the Han group. The distribution of rs1008949 genotypes, dominant model, recessive model, and allele frequency did not show a significant difference between patients with CAD and the control subjects in the Han and Uygur groups. Conclusion rs1996147 may be a novel polymorphism of the Egr3 gene associated with CAD in males of the Chinese Uygur population.
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