Association of rs2954029 and rs6982502 Variants with Coronary Artery Disease by HRM Technique: A GWAS Replication Studyin an Iranian Population

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been the primary tool for an unbiased study of the genetic background of coronary artery disease (CAD). They have identified a list of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). In this study, we aimed to replicate the association of rs2954029 and rs6982502, a GWAS identified SNP, to CAD in an Iranian population.

A sample of 285 subjects undergoing coronary angiography, including 134 CAD patients and 151 healthy. The genotype determination of rs2954029 and rs6982502 SNPs performed using the high-resolution melting analysis (HRM) technique. 

Our results revealed that the TT genotype of rs2954029 (p= 0.009) and rs6982502 (p< 0.001) were significantly higher in CAD patients compared with controls. Binary logistic regression showed that rs6982502 and rs2954029 increase the risk of CAD incidence (2.470 times, p= 0.011, 95% CI= [1.219-4.751], and 2.174 times, p= 0.033, 95% CI= [1.066-4.433] respectively). After adjusting for confounders, we found that rs6982502 and rs2954029 are significantly associated with CAD risk.

These data showed that the TT genotype of rs2954029 and rs6982502 is associated with the risk of CAD in a hospital-based sample of the Iranian population, which has replicated the result of recent GWAS studies.