Incidence of eNOS gene mutationin Korean patients with coronary artery spasm

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery spasm is an important mechanism in producing myocardial ischemia. But the exact mechanism of the spasm is not well known. We investigated the mutation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) that produce nitric oxide and relationship between eNOS mutation and coronary artery spasm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood were drawn from the patients with angiographically proven coronary artery spasm and normal controls. DNA were extracted and polymerase chain reaction and restriction analysis with Nae I were performed to find T-786--mutation of 5'-flanking region in eNOS gene. Clinical and lipid parameters were reviewed.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of coronary artery spasm in Chungnam National University Hospital was 19% (125/664). The 85 cases of coronary artery spasm and 131 cases of normal control were compared. The men in spasm group were more prevalent than the women (p<0.0001) and rate of smoking were higher in spasm group (p<0.0001). The T-786--mutation of 5'-flanking region were 20% in spasm group and 3% in normal control (p=.0001). There were no differences in clinial profiles between mutant group and non-mutant group. But total cholesterol (p=.04), triglyceride (p=.006), LDL-cholesterol (p=.02) in mutant group were higher than non-mutant group.

CONCLUSION:

The T-786--mutation of 5'-flanking region in eNOS gene was related to coronary artery spasm and lipid profiles in Korea.