Genetic contribution to carotid vascular disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Background and purpose: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. Chemokines and chemokine receptors are known to be involved in atherogenesis. Common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affect transcription in response to inflammatory stimuli. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations between MCP-1, RANTES, SDF-1, CCR2, and CCR5 gene polymorphisms with increased risk of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. Methods: Hundred and twelve patients, consecutively recruited for ICA occlusive disease, and 282 controls were genotyped for MCP-1-2518G, RANTES-403A, CCR5D32, CCR2 V64I, and SDF-1-801A polymorphisms. Results: The frequency of the SDF-1A allele was significantly different between cases and controls: 0.32 vs. 0.20, respectively (OR 1.81; 95% CI 1.25–2.60; p = 0.007). The frequency of the RANTES-403G allele was significantly higher in patients with stenosis >70% (OR, 2.45; 95% CI 1.12–5.71; p = 0.015). No significant differences were observed with the other polymorphisms. Conclusion: The reported results seem to correlate the polymorphisms of the genes encoding for SDF-1, RANTES with pathogenesis and progression of ICA occlusive disease. Although suggestive, these results need confirmation in prospective cross-sectional studies.