Objectives: To investigate the association between carotid atherosclerosis and genetic polymorphisms of inflammatory genes among residents in the Lanyan Basin which was a newly confirmed arsenic-endemic area. Methods: Residents aged ≥40 years were recruited and examined for carotid atherosclerosis by Duplex ultrasonography. A total of 332 subjects were randomly selected from the study population as carotid atherosclerosis patients based on their health examination reports with IMT≥1.0 mm and a plaque score ≥1. Controls were 302 subjects with IMT<l.0 mm and a plaque score<1. Genetic polymorphisms of IL-1RN, TNF-α, MCP-1, E-selectin, and ICAM-1 were detected by PCR and RFLP. Results: After adjustment for age, sex, tobacco smoking, systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol, the study subjects whose inflammatory gene with variant genetic type have non-significant increased risk for development of carotid atherosclerosis. For study subjects who drank well-water with an arsenic concentration lower than 50μg/L, those who with MCP-1 GIG genotype have a four-fold risk of carotid atherosclerosis than those who with A/A genotype after adjusting the carotid atherosclerosis related risk factors. However, the risk can not be found for study subjects who drank well-water with an arsenic concentration greater than 50μg/L. Conclusions: The study suggested that the arsenic exposure had more significant influence on carotid atherosclerosis than on human susceptibility.
Objectives: To investigate the association between carotid atherosclerosis and genetic polymorphisms of inflammatory genes among residents in the Lanyan Basin which was a newly confirmed arsenic-endemic area. Methods: Residents aged ≥40 years were recruited and examined for carotid atherosclerosis by Duplex ultrasonography. A total of 332 subjects were randomly selected from the study population as carotid atherosclerosis patients based on their health examination reports with IMT≥1.0 mm and a plaque score ≥1. Controls were 302 subjects with IMT<l.0 mm and a plaque score<1. Genetic polymorphisms of IL-1RN, TNF-α, MCP-1, E-selectin, and ICAM-1 were detected by PCR and RFLP. Results: After adjustment for age, sex, tobacco smoking, systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol, the study subjects whose inflammatory gene with variant genetic type have non-significant increased risk for development of carotid atherosclerosis. For study subjects who drank well-water with an arsenic concentration lower than 50μg/L, those who with MCP-1 GIG genotype have a four-fold risk of carotid atherosclerosis than those who with A/A genotype after adjusting the carotid atherosclerosis related risk factors. However, the risk can not be found for study subjects who drank well-water with an arsenic concentration greater than 50μg/L. Conclusions: The study suggested that the arsenic exposure had more significant influence on carotid atherosclerosis than on human susceptibility.