[The normotensive carriers of the MTHFR 677T allele, displaying the increased risk of development of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), occur at the highest frequency among the smoking patients].

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) presents itself as a progressive dilation of the abdominal aorta, leading--if untreated--to rupture. It is a common disease of the elderly, with a complex etiology. Smoking, hypertension and several genetic factors are recognized as relevant for the pathogenesis of AAA. We studied association between the polymorphism of the MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) gene within the fourth exon (677C>T) and the occurrence of hypertension and smoking status in the group of 74 male patients with AAA. In the patients group, the smoking hypertensive persons represented the largest subgroup (43%). We determined the the MTHFR 677C>T polymorphism in AAA patients and compared it to that in 71 healthy normotensive males. The frequencies of the 677T allele and MTHFR 677C>T genotypes were similar in both groups, but the subgroup of normotensive AAA patients (n=29) displayed significantly increased frequencies of 677T allele (0.4) and of 677CT and TT genotypes (69%), as compared to those in the control group (0.28 and 46%, respectively). This corresponds to the 3.3-fold greater risk of AAA in normotensive subjects with the 677T allele of MTHFR, as compared to the homo-zygotes 677CC (p<0.03; 95% CI=1.2-9.2). The highest frequencies of MTHFR 677T allele (0.43) and 677CT and TT genotypes (73%) were found in the subgroup of normotensive smoking patients (n=22).