Association between Serum Kalirin Levels and the KALRN gene rs9289231 Polymorphism in Early-Onset Coronary Artery Disease

• Main Authors: Afsaneh Shafiei, Younes Pilehvar-Soltanahmadi, Shayan Ziaee, Mohsen Mofarrah, Nosratollah Zarghami
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2018-05-01
• Series: Journal of Tehran University Heart Center
• Subjects: KALRN protein; human • Polymorphism; single nucleotide • Genotype • Coronary artery disease
• Online Access: https://jthc.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jthc/article/view/594
• ISSN: 1735-8620; 2008-2371

Background: Recently, rs9289231 genetic variations of kalirin (KALRN) have been introduced as potential genetic markers for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the influence of KALRN single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on serum kalirin levels has not been investigated in CAD patients so far. Thus, the present study aimed to survey whether SNP T > G (rs9289231) was associated with the risk of early-onset CAD and serum kalirin levels among the study subjects. Methods: The rs9289231 polymorphism of the KALRN was genotyped in 512 subjects (61.5% male, mean age = 46.3 ± 7.1 y), comprising 268 subjects with angiographically diagnosed CAD and 244 controls using an HRM assay. Also, the levels of serum kalirin were compared between 133 CAD subjects and 123 controls using a sandwich ELISA assay.  Results: The CAD subjects had more frequently GG genotypes than the controls. The odds ratio (OR) remained significant after adjustment for known CAD risk factors (OR = 4.13, 95% CI: 2.48–9.10; p value < 0.001). A significant difference was also observed in that the G allele was more frequent among the CAD subjects. The G allele at the rs9289231 polymorphism was associated with a higher risk of CAD (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.27–2.59; p value = 0.001). The mean kalirin level of the CAD patients was higher than that of the controls (p value = 0.041). No significant correlation was seen in the different genotypes with serum kalirin levels. Conclusion: The KALRN rs9289231 T > G variant was considerably related with an increased risk of early-onset CAD.  High kalirin levels were found in young CAD patients compared to the control subjects, with the levels not affected by the different genotypes of rs9289231.