Microsatellite polymorphism of the human leptin gene (LEP) and risk of cardiovascular disease.

Background: No data have been so far reported on the relationship between polymorphisms of LEP gene and cardiovascular disease.

Patients And Methods: We genotyped a tetranucleotide repeat mapped in the 3'UTR of the LEP gene (LEP-tet) in 109 subjects with cardiovascular events and in 109 control subjects.

Results: Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, smoking status, history of hyperlipidemia, hypertension or diabetes showed not significant association between the genotype of the LEP-tet and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, no differences were observed in the plasma leptin concentrations between cases and control subjects (22 +/- 19 vs 22 +/- 14 ng/ml, P = 0.52) and in relation to the LEP-tet classes or carriage of specific alleles (P = 0.76 for the association between LEP-tet classes and leptin levels in overall analysis).

Conclusions: In conclusion, our data do not support an association between the LEP-tet microsatellite polymorphism of the human LEP gene and cardiovascular diseases.