Analysis of Genomic Regions Associated With Coronary Artery Disease Reveals Continent-Specific Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in North African Populations.

ACKGROUND: In recent years, several genomic regions have been robustly associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in different genome-wide association studies (GWASs) conducted mainly in people of European descent. These kinds of data are lacking in African populations, even though heart diseases are a major cause of premature death and disability. METHODS: Here, 384 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the top four CAD risk regions (1p13, 1q41, 9p21, and 10q11) were genotyped in 274 case-control samples from Morocco and Tunisia, with the aim of analyzing for the first time if the associations found in European populations were transferable to North Africans. RESULTS: The results indicate that, as in Europe, these four genetic regions are also important for CAD risk in North Africa. However, the individual SNPs associated with CAD in Africa are different from those identified in Europe in most cases (1p13, 1q41, and 9p21). Moreover, the seven risk variants identified in North Africans are efficient in discriminating between cases and controls in North African populations, but not in European populations. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates a disparity in markers associated to CAD susceptibility between North Africans and Europeans that may be related to population differences in the chromosomal architecture of these risk regions

Analysis of the genetic predisposition to develop a Myocardial Infarction in a sample of Moroccan patients

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a multifactorial coronary artery disease influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Being one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developed countries, it is becoming a national health concern in developing countries such as Morocco. In the present work, we aim to study the association between 4 Alu polymorphisms (ACE, FXIII-B, TPA-25 and APOA1) genes and the risk of MI in the Moroccan population. 210 patients with a history of myocardial infarction and 203 healthy individuals were included in this study. The Alu polymorphisms were determined by the PCR technique followed by direct electrophoresis. Only the I / I_APOA1 genotype showed a significant association with the risk of MI (p˂0.001; OR = 2.171), while genotypes carrying the D allele (D / D or I / D) showed a protective effect (p <0.001; OR = 0.46). Patients presenting an association between I / I and a high level of triglycerides (p = 0.020, OR = 2.14)), as well as a significant association with a high level of LDLs (p = 0.035, OR = 2, 00). Subjects carrying the I / I_APOA1 genotype with dyslipidemia or hyperglycemia are more likely to develop MI, as are those carrying I / D_APOA1 with hyperglycemia or high cholesterol

Analysis of Genomic Regions Associated With Coronary Artery Disease Reveals Continent-Specific Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in North African Populations.

ACKGROUND: In recent years, several genomic regions have been robustly associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in different genome-wide association studies (GWASs) conducted mainly in people of European descent. These kinds of data are lacking in African populations, even though heart diseases are a major cause of premature death and disability. METHODS: Here, 384 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the top four CAD risk regions (1p13, 1q41, 9p21, and 10q11) were genotyped in 274 case-control samples from Morocco and Tunisia, with the aim of analyzing for the first time if the associations found in European populations were transferable to North Africans. RESULTS: The results indicate that, as in Europe, these four genetic regions are also important for CAD risk in North Africa. However, the individual SNPs associated with CAD in Africa are different from those identified in Europe in most cases (1p13, 1q41, and 9p21). Moreover, the seven risk variants identified in North Africans are efficient in discriminating between cases and controls in North African populations, but not in European populations. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates a disparity in markers associated to CAD susceptibility between North Africans and Europeans that may be related to population differences in the chromosomal architecture of these risk regions