Objective: To assess whether the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene 4G/5G polymorphism is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) in Chinese patients.
Methods: PAI-1 gene 4G /5G polymorphism was analyzed in normal group (121 individuals) and CHD group (126 cases) by a combination of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP).
Results: The 4G allele and 4G/4G genotype frequencies of PAI-1 gene (0.60 and 0.397) for CHD patients were higher than those (0.48 and 0.190) for healthy controls(chi-square=7.63 P<0.01; chi-square=12.67, P<0.01). The odds ratios(OR) for CHD in subjects with the 5G/5G (and 4G/5G) genotypes were 2.54 (95% CI 1.22-5.27, P<0.05) and 1.28(95% CI 1.45-2.38, P>0.05), respectively.
Conclusion: These results suggest that the PAI-1 4G/4G genotype is associated with an increased risk for CHD in Chinese patients. The subjects with the 4G/4G genotype had a higher prevalence of CHD, compared to those with the 5G/5G PAI-1 genotype.