Lipoprotein (a) genetic variants

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM 361:2518-2528) used a novel gene chip containing 48742 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 2100 genes to test for associations in about 6500 persons [controls and those with coronary artery disease (CAD)]. It was found that three chormosomal regions (6q26–27, 9p21, and 1p13) were strongly associated with the risk of CAD. They identified a common variant at the LPA locus with an odds ratio of CAD of 1.7 and another independant variant with an odds ratio of 1.92. These variants were strongly associated with increased level of Lp(a) lipoprotein.