Microsatellite polymorphism of the human leptin gene (LEP) and risk of cardiovascular disease.

Abstract

No data have been so far reported on the relationship between polymorphisms of LEP gene and cardiovascular disease. We genotyped a tetranucleotide repeat mapped in the 3'UTR of the LEP gene (LEP-tet) in 109 subjects with cardiovascular events and in 109 control subjects. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, smoking status, history of hyperlipidemia, hypertension or diabetes showed not significant association between the genotype of the LEP-tet and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, no differences were observed in the plasma leptin concentrations between cases and control subjects (22 +/- 19 vs 22 +/- 14 ng/ml, P = 0.52) and in relation to the LEP-tet classes or carriage of specific alleles (P = 0.76 for the association between LEP-tet classes and leptin levels in overall analysis). In conclusion, our data do not support an association between the LEP-tet microsatellite polymorphism of the human LEP gene and cardiovascular diseases.