Lack of association between variants of the angiotensinogen gene and the risk of coronary artery disease in middle-aged Japanese men.

The renin-angiotensin system is important in cardiovascular remodeling. Although a variant of the angiotensinogen gene is associated with an increased generation of angiotensinogen, it is unclear how this genetic variant might influence the activity of the renin-angiotensin system and thereby contribute to the predisposition to coronary artery disease (CAD). The relation between genetic polymorphisms in the gene-encoding angiotensinogen and the risk of CAD in middle-aged Japanese men was investigated. Two polymorphisms in exon 2 of the angiotensinogen gene, M235T and T174M, were analyzed in 327 patients with CAD and 352 matched control subjects. The genotype distribution of both polymorphisms did not differ between patients with CAD and control subjects. No combination of genotypes of the two polymorphisms was associated with CAD. Results indicate that the M235T and T174M variants of the angiotensinogen gene are not associated with CAD in Japanese men.