Is the P2Y12 H2 haplotype associated with an increased risk of peripheral arterial disease in men under 70 years of age?
The P2Y12 H2 haplotype is independently associated with an increased risk of peripheral arterial disease, suggesting a genetic role in atherosclerosis and potential implications for thienopyridine resistance.
BACKGROUND: We recently described a gain-of-function haplotype, called H2, of the adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor P2Y12 gene associated with increased ADP-induced platelet aggregation ex vivo in healthy volunteers. Because platelets play a key role in atherosclerosis and arterial thrombosis, we tested the possible link between the H2 haplotype and the risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in a case-control study. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 184 consecutive male patients under 70 years of age with PAD and 330 age-matched control subjects free of symptomatic PAD and with no cardiovascular history. Mean age was 57.1+/-7.2 years (cases) and 56.7+/-7.6 years (control subjects). The H2 haplotype was more frequent in patients with PAD than in control subjects (30% and 21%, respectively; OR, 1.6; CI, 1.1 to 2.5; P=0.02 in univariate analysis). This association with PAD remained significant in multivariate regression analysis (OR, 2.3; CI, 1.4 to 3.9; P=0.002) after adjustment for diabetes, smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and other selected platelet receptor gene polymorphisms. CONCLUSIONS: These data point to a role of the H2 haplotype in atherosclerosis and raise the possibility of relative thienopyridine resistance in carriers of the P2Y12 H2 haplotype.
Fontana et al. (2003) studied this question.