Polymorphisms of the Interferon gamma gene and coronary artery disease in the Korean population.

Abundant evidence supports the hypothesis that inflammation plays an important role in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). In this study, we investigated whether genetic polymorphisms of the Interferon gamma (IFNG) gene were associated with the number of diseased vessels in CAD patients in the Korean population. To observe the association between the IFNG gene and the number of diseased vessels, we genotyped 635 CAD patients for a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP, rs2430561) and a microsatellite (CA(n) repeats, rs3138557) located in the first intron of the IFNG gene using the direct sequencing and gene scan method. The number of microsatellites was increased in the one- and two-vessel disease groups. A combined analysis of the genotype of rs2430561 and the number of microsatellites revealed that the number of diseased vessels was associated with CA(12)-TT and CA(13)-TT. Our results suggest that the IFNG gene may be one of the factors determining the extent of CAD in the Korean population. Larger collaborative studies are needed to confirm these results.