Association between gene polymorphisms and dilated cardiomyopathy in a Chinese Han population.

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common types of cardiomyopathies. Various genes have been verified to be related to DCM, but the pathogenesis remains unclear. Cyclin-dependent-kinase 8 (CDK8), encoded by the gene, is a transcriptional factor that regulates the phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II.