Genetic variation in Fcγ receptor IIa and risk of coronary heart disease: negative results from two large independent populations

BACKGROUND: The role of the Fcγ receptor IIa (FcγRIIa), a receptor for C-reactive protein (CRP), the classical acute phase protein, in atherosclerosis is not yet clear. We sought to investigate the association of FcγRIIa genotype with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in two large population-based samples. METHODS: FcγRIIa-R/H131 polymorphisms were determined in a population of 527 patients with a history of myocardial infarction and 527 age and gender matched controls drawn from a population-based MONICA- Augsburg survey. In the LURIC population, 2227 patients with angiographically proven CHD, defined as having at least one stenosis ≥ 50%, were compared with 1032 individuals with stenosis <50%. RESULTS: In both populations genotype frequencies of the FcγRIIa gene did not show a significant departure from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. FcγRIIa R(-131) → H genotype was not independently associated with lower risk of CHD after multivariable adjustments, neither in the MONICA population (odds ratio (OR) 1.08; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81 to 1.44), nor in LURIC (OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.81 to 1.14). CONCLUSION: Our results do not confirm an independent relationship between FcγRIIa genotypes and risk of CHD in these populations.