Subclinical atherosclerosis and genetic risk markers in healthy offspring of patients with premature myocardial infarction

Aim. Healthy young subjects with parental history of premature myocardial infarction (PHPMI) might constitute a privileged population for the study of genetic risk markers (GRM) for atherosclerosis. Aim of this study was to evaluate which, if any, GRM atherosclerosis-associated in previous studies has increased prevalence in a selected population. Methods. Twenty-four healthy young subjects (12 males and 12 females; mean age 18.0±8.0 years) with PHPMI and 24 age- (±1 year), sex-matched healthy subjects without PHPMI were enrolled in the study. They underwent: 1) fasting measurement of lipid profile, resting blood pressure and body mass index; 2) high resolution B-mode ultrasonographic evaluation of common carotid artery intimamedia thickness (IMT); 3) evaluation of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) for six candidate genes associated with preclinical atherosclerosis. Results. Compared to controls, subjects with PHPMI had increased IMT of common carotid arteries (mean of combined sites: 0.535±0.171 mm versus 0.432±0.133 mm in controls, P=0.017). Offspring of coronary patients showed an increased prevalence of the unfavourable chemochine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12) SNP risk genotype (P=0.047). Conclusion. In healthy young subjects with PHPMI there is an increased prevalence of the unfavorable CXCL12 SNP risk genotype.