Association of NPC1L1 and HMGCR gene polymorphisms with coronary artery calcification in patients with premature triple-vessel coronary disease

Background Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a highly specific marker of atherosclerosis. Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) are the therapeutic targets of ezetimibe and statins, respectively, which are important for the progression of atherosclerosis. However, CAC’s genetic susceptibility with above targets is still unknown. We aimed to investigate the association of NPC1L1 and HMGCR gene polymorphisms with CAC in patients with premature triple-vessel disease (PTVD). Methods Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs11763759, rs4720470, rs2072183, rs2073547) of NPC1L1 , and three SNPs (rs12916, rs2303151, rs4629571) of HMGCR were genotyped in 872 PTVD patients. According to the coronary angiography results, patients were divided into low-degree CAC group and high-degree CAC group. Results A total of 872 PTVD patients (mean age, 47.71 ± 6.12; male, 72.8%) were finally included for analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between the SNPs of NPC1L1 and HMGCR genes and high-degree CAC in the total population ( P > 0.05). Subgroup analysis by gender revealed that the variant genotype (TT/CT) of rs4720470 on NPC1L1 gene was associated with increased risk for high-degree CAC in male patients only (OR = 1.505, 95% CI: 1.008–2.249, P = 0.046) in dominant model, but no significant association was found in female population, other SNPs of NPC1L1 and HMGCR genes (all P > 0.05). Conclusions We reported for the first time that the rs4720470 on NPC1L1 gene was associated with high-degree CAC in male patients with PTVD. In the future, whether therapies related to this target could reduce CAC and cardiovascular events deserves further investigation.