Objective: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by extensive remodelling of the extracellular matrix architecture of the arterial wall. Recent data suggested the participation of lysosomal cysteine proteases such as cathepsin S (CTSS) in atherogenesis. The G/A polymorphism at nucleotide -25 was reported to be located in the promoter of the CTSS gene. The aim of this study was to observe the association between CTSS -25G/A polymorphism and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in a Chinese population sample.
Methods: The polymerase chain reaction and restriction digestion methods were performed to screen the CTSS gene -25G/A polymorphism in a Chinese population sample with (n = 659) or without CHD (n = 352). Traditional risk factors for CHD were obtained simultaneously.
Results: The frequencies of the G and A allele in the total population was 0.630 and 0.370, respectively. The frequencies of -25G/A polymorphism in the CTSS gene (G: 0.626 vs. 0.633, P > 0.05; A: 0.374 vs. 0.367, P > 0.05) and the genotype distribution (G: 83.4 vs. 85.3, P > 0.05; A: 58.0 vs. 58.5, P > 0.05) were similar between CHD patients and control subjects. Moreover, CTSS genotype was not associated with severity of coronary stenosis (P > 0.05) in CHD patients.
Conclusion: The CTSS -25G/A polymorphism was not related with CHD in our Chinese population sample.