Correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms of the ACTA2 gene and coronary artery stenosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

This study aimed to analyze the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the actin, aortic smooth muscle (ACTA2) gene and coronary artery stenosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Eight SNPs from the promoter region of the ACTA2 gene were screened. Patients with T2DM (n=251) were divided into two groups, those with severe coronary stenosis (SCS⁺ group; n=168) and those without severe coronary stenosis (SCS^- group; n=83). Patients were also divided according to lesion branching into those whose lesions involved less than three branches (LCA^- group) and those whose lesions involved at least three branches (LCA⁺ group). The clinical and laboratory data of the patients were collected, and the genotyping of eight SNPs was conducted followed by statistical analysis. Of the eight SNPs, only the rs1324551 SNP was identified to be significantly different between the SCS⁺ and SCS^- groups (P<0.05). The frequency of the rs1324551 G allele and GG genotype in the SCS⁺ group was significantly higher than that of the SCS^- group (P=0.044 and P=0.001, respectively). No significant difference was observed between the LCA^- and LCA⁺ groups. Following the deduction of age, gender and traditional risk factors, the odds ratios of the GG genotype in additive and recessive models were 2.93 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-8.19; P=0.04] and 2.34 (95% CI, 1.09-5.02; P=0.03), respectively, and this relevancy was represented only in patients with low insulin levels. Age and smoking were also found to increase the risk of coronary artery lesions. In conclusion, the rs1324551 SNP in the promoter region of the ACTA2 gene was identified to be independently correlated with the degree of coronary artery stenosis in patients with T2DM and plasma insulin may inhibit coronary artery stenosis during the pathogenic process.